U.S. News Media Group has released the 2011 Best Nursing Homes rankings, available online at www.usnews.com/nursinghomes. The list highlights facilities across the nation providing high-quality care and is a worthwhile tool for millions of elderly Americans and their families in search of a nursing home.
U.S. News's Best Nursing Homes profiles more than 15,000 facilities and ranks them by state, using data and quality ratings from the federal government. It showcases an Honor Roll of 18 homes that received perfect five-star ratings for four consecutive quarters in all three categories in which homes are judged.
"The Best Nursing Homes rankings and search tools were designed to help families deal with the pressure and confusion of picking a home at a difficult time," says Avery Comarow, Health Rankings Editor. "We want them to be able to choose homes according to their own individual needs --closeness to family members, religious affiliation, and insurance coverage are just a few of the factors they can select."
The online rankings, updated quarterly, rely on information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that sets and enforces quality standards for all homes enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid. Homes receive an overall rating of one to five stars from the government based on the number of stars earned in three other categories: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care.
U.S. News offers search features that make it easy to identify nursing homes within a geographical location with a specific star rating or type of insurance coverage. At www.usnews.com/nursinghomes, visitors can plug in partial names or other bits of information and a list of homes will be generated.
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