Choosing a nursing home for yourself or your loved one can be challenging and emotionally taxing. With so many stories about nursing home abuse and neglect, it can take a lot of research to find a location you feel comfortable with. However, even the pricey nursing homes may not have the nicest accommodations or provide the best health care. A few weeks ago, the federal government put a new nursing home rating system into effect. The goal is to provide a more accurate rating system for nursing homes that reflects the quality of accommodation and care the residents receive. Approximately 80% of the nursing homes originally received 4 or 5 star ratings based on the old criteria. However, the ratings were mostly inaccurate due to the lack of specificity and different criteria of the previous rating system.
Choosing a nursing home for yourself or your loved one can be challenging and emotionally taxing. With so many stories about nursing home abuse and neglect, it can take a lot of research to find a location you feel comfortable with. However, even the pricey nursing homes may not have the nicest accommodations or provide the best health care. A few weeks ago, the federal government put a new nursing home rating system into effect. The goal is to provide a more accurate rating system for nursing homes that reflects the quality of accommodation and care the residents receive. Approximately 80% of the nursing homes originally received 4 or 5 star ratings based on the old criteria. However, the ratings were mostly inaccurate due to the lack of specificity and different criteria of the previous rating system.
On the new rating system, 1/3 of nursing homes received a lower score than they had received originally, due to the more stringent requirements implemented in determining quality of care. Now, only half of the nursing homes received a 4 or 5 star rating. Use of anti-psychotic drugs was a factor that was analyzed under the new system that caused many ratings to drop due to the risks to health they pose in residents who do not require them for specific conditions. This factor was analyzed more closely due to the growing concern of nursing homes overmedicating their patients. In addition, staffing levels were looked at more closely due to the correlation between quality care and adequate staffing.
Additional new measures are expected to be implemented in 2016.
Choosing a nursing home and planning for long term care are very difficult and important decisions you and your family will have to make. Contact an experienced New York elder law attorney who can help. For more information, contact Tanya Hobson-Williams P.C. at (718) 210-4744 for the quality representation that you deserve.
