Online database allows Albany residents to search nursing home rankings
U.S. News recently collected ratings for almost every nursing home in the United States, including several here in the Albany area, and put the information in a searchable online database.
March 13, 2013
When an elderly family member can no longer adequately care for themselves, the often tough choice is made for them to become a resident of a nursing home. And while most people would like to believe elderly nursing home residents always receive exceptional care - especially given the potential vulnerability of some older members of our society - nursing home neglect and abuse continues to occur.In order to help families make the best possible decision when placing elderly family members in nursing homes, U.S. News recently collected ratings for almost every nursing home in the United States - including several here in the Albany area - and put the information in a searchable online database. It is hoped that this online database will assist in placing elderly family members in the nursing homes most likely to meet each individual's needs.
Nursing home database
According to U.S. News, roughly 3.3 million Americans are going to be residents in U.S. nursing homes in 2013 - which represents an astonishing rate of 1 in 7 people aged 65 and above, and 1 in 5 aged 85 and above. Obviously, given the large number of nursing home residents it is important to monitor the quality of these facilities.
Recently, U.S. News used information published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in January of 2013 to create their "Best Nursing Homes" database. Basically, CMS collects various forms of nursing home information and gives them a ranking of one to five stars in three separate categories, with five stars being the best. The three categories - which include quality of medical care, state-conducted health inspections and staffing levels - are then put together to determine an overall ranking of one to five stars.
Based on the January 2013 information, 3,036 U.S. nursing homes received an overall rating of five stars, with six of those homes being located right here in the Albany area.
Unfortunately, the six Albany-area nursing homes with a perfect overall score of five stars only represents roughly 16 percent of the total nursing homes ranked in the area. In fact, over 43 percent of Albany nursing homes received two or fewer stars in the recent rankings. Given these numbers, it is evident that there remains a lot of room for improvement in resident care for several Albany-area nursing homes.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to nursing home neglect or abuse, it is important to contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney as soon as possible to ensure your rights are protected and you are advised as to all of your options given your circumstances.
Article provided by Hacker Murphy LLP
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