MONAHRQ Demo - Nursing Homes Infographic

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CHOOSING A NURSING HOME. Find the Right Nursing Home for You or a Loved One. A growing number of people need long term care, often from nursing homes. However, nursing homes vary in the level of safety and quality of services they provide. MORE THAN 83 million people will be over the age of 65 in the next 35 years - nearly double that of today.1 THERE IS A 70% chance chance a person turning 65 today will need long-term care sometime in their future years.2 EACH YEAR 1 in 3 people in nursing homes are injured because of a fall.3

All nursing homes can ensure that their residents are safe and receive high quality care. Many do, but not all of them. There are things you can do to identify the best nursing homes for your loved ones, such as reviewing quality ratings and inspection results, and learning about nursing home staffing.

In My State, the overall quality of care provided in 72 out of 113 nursing homes has earned three or fewer stars (based in their national ratings). In nursing homes rated at three or fewer stars out of five stars total, residents are more likely to: Have a fall that caused a major injury; Report moderate to severe pain; Get new pressure sores, if the resident was already at risk; Get a urinary tract infection.

In In My State, 72 out of 113 Nursing homes earned 'average' or 'below average' for overall national health and safety standards. On average, nursing homes had 3 violations of national health standards. On average, nursing homes had 1 violations of national fire safety standards. Nurses and other staff who take care of residents are vitally important. Generally, nursing homes provide better care when they have more staff working directly with residents.

AT A HIGH QUALITY NURSING HOME, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND4: Enough staff to give each resident the care they need. Consistency in the staff people taking care of residents each day. Information posted by the nursing home that explains the number and type of nursing staff.

Tips for Choosing a Nursing Home5: DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Understand that not all nursing homes are alike and there are ways to ensure that loved ones are as safe and healthy as possible while in a nursing home. Know the safety, quality and staffing ratings for the nursing homes you are considering – to find out, go to MONAHRQ Demo Site. Review the Nursing Home Checklist from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. VISIT THE NURSING HOME TO ASK QUESTIONS. Take a copy of this report, the nursing home’s ratings, and go visit the nursing home. Ask the nursing home leaders about their quality ratings and inspection results. Ask for information about their staff levels and qualifications, plus staff turnover.6 Taking these actions will help ensure that your loved ones will be safe and receive high quality care.

Footnotes: 1 An Aging Nation: The Older Population in the United States, Current Population Reports, P25-1140. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC. 2014. 2 http://longtermcare.gov/the-basics/how-much-care-will-you-need/. 3 https://www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/About/Long-Stay-Residents.html. 4 CMS Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home or Other Long Term Care August 2015 https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/02174.pdf. 5 CMS Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home or Other Long Term Care' August 2015 https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/02174.pdf. 6 CMS Nursing Home Compare website.

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