A New York Times article published today discusses The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) new nursing home rating system ("Nursing Home Industry Worries About New Ratings"). The rating system ranks nearly all of the nation's 16,000 nursing homes on a 5-star system.
An astonishing 22% of all nursing homes received the lowest ranking (1 star), while only 12% received the highest ranking (5 stars).
The 5-star system uses three years worth of inspection data previously available to the public on CMS' website--the rating system makes it much easier for individuals to digest the data and helps in making an informed comparison of different nursing homes. Data pertaining to independent health inspections and staffing levels weighed most heavily on a nursing home's rating.
Both the nursing home industry and consumer watch groups admit that the 5-star system is not entirely accurate and that there is much room for improvement with the system. But there is simply no denying that this is a move in the right direction and a great tool for nursing home residents and their loved ones.
Access the 5-star rating system here
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