Each year, the federal government rates nursing homes in an effort to improve care and reduce serious problems like nursing home neglect. Recent ratings for 15,000 nursing homes highlight trends in nursing home care as statistics are gathered and ratings determined. Overall lowest ratings tend to fall upon homes that are part of large chain operations.

Across the nation, over 560 nursing homes have remained static at their low one-star rating, despite an overall improvement in nursing home quality. The federal government ranks homes on a scale of one to five stars, with five star homes being the best. In the state of Pennsylvania, for example, 45 of 340 homes received low one-star ratings, while 98 were at the top of the list for high quality, according to rating compilations by U.S. News & World Report.

What makes a nursing home lower quality?

  • High turnover of staff -- staff does not get to know the needs of patients
  • Negligence and inadequate training for the hard job of caring for nursing home patients
  • Dirty equipment and linens
  • Unlicensed caregivers and specialists
  • Mistreatment by caregivers and specialists


Despite annual reviews of nursing home care, the quality of care provided may change overnight, say some insiders in the industry. A change in administration or a nursing director, or the sale of a facility to or from a chain can dramatically change quality of care towards improvement or a decline.

Receiving quality care for the most vulnerable people is important. Lives can be made more pleasant and extended with top quality care; negligent care can only lead to more problems and possibly a death of a loved one. Nursing home neglect may be negligence in the eyes of the law; call upon your personal injury attorney to review any problems you or a loved one may be having with a nursing home.

Source

USA Today: "As nursing home care improves, some problems slow to mend," Paul Monies, 2/10/12