Consumer Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, thinks they have found a better way for senior citizens and caregivers to choose a nursing home. The magazine has launched its own online nursing home guide at
www.consumerreports.org and issued a statement based on their survey that not-for-profit nursing homes are providing better care than are for-profit homes. Independent nursing homes were found to provide better care than those managed by companies that operate numerous homes. For the survey, which was funded by a grant from the Commonwealth Fund, researchers evaluated three of the most recent state inspection reports for about 16,000 nursing homes nationwide. Researchers ranked the best and worst 10% of nursing homes in each state using at least two indicators of quality. Only a limited number of nursing homes met the quality standards of Consumer Reports, which is published by Consumers Union.
Of the for-profit nursing homes evaluated, 2% met Consumer Reports' standards. Not-for-profit facilities fared slightly better at 7.3%. Consumer Reports also noted that independently owned facilities may fare better than large chain facilities because they have more staff and are more likely to use registered nurses. The magazine issued several recommendations for family members searching for nursing home care for a relative:
- Obtain a list of homes from a nearby agency on aging, as well as the contact information for the area ombudsman.
- Investigate the ownership of the facility, keeping in mind that independent not-for-profit facilities tend to offer the highest quality care.
- Do not rely on the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Web site for information. According to Consumer Reports, "Our comparison of the information on that site and the state inspection reports on which it is based show that you'll probably get an incomplete and possibly misleading picture."
- Visit the homes under consideration. Drop by unannounced during morning waking hours and dinner hours to see if residents are taken out of their beds or eating communally. These are signs of a good, well-staffed facility. (AP/, 8/6).
[Source: San Francisco Chronicle &
www.seniorjournal.com 7 Aug 06]
