Resources in Selecting a Nursing Home

Resources in Selecting a Nursing Home

There may come a time when you will need to place your loved one in a nursing home for long-term care. The process can be overwhelming with so many nursing homes to choose from.  Luckily, there are many resources available to the consumer, including the expertise of a Los Angeles elder abuse attorney, to help guide you in your decision as to which nursing home to place your loved one and fits your needs. A Los Angeles elder abuse attorney who specializes in nursing home litigation will be familiar with which nursing homes are involved in the most lawsuits, and which has good or bad reputations. These valuable resources will assist you in the process of selecting a nursing home for your elderly loved ones.

Video Explaining Why to Choose an Elder Law Attorney over a Personal Injury Attorney

To search for a nursing home in a particular area, the following websites allows you to search for nursing homes by zip codes, cities, or counties:

Search For Nursing Home or Other Elder Care Services.

Other Good Resources 

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (canhr.org)

Medicare.gov

The Center for Medicare Services has created a Five-Star Quality Rating System to assist consumers in selecting a nursing home.  On the Medicare.gov website, each nursing home has a star rating between 1 and 5 stars.  The highest star a nursing home can be given is 5 stars, with 5 indicating that the nursing home is well above average in quality.  The 5-star rating system is based on how well the nursing home scores in each of the following categories: Health Inspections, Staffing, and Quality Measures.

The health inspection rating is based on how many citations and deficiencies were issued to the nursing home by the state licensing agency on both standard surveys and complaint surveys over the last 3 years.  In the State of California, the licensing agency that governs nursing homes in California is the California Department of Public Health.

The staffing rating is based on the number of direct patient care hours on average are provided to each resident each day. In the State of California, the minimum nursing hours per patient per day is 3.2 hours. A nursing home who has residents with higher acuity needs, or requires more nursing care, needs more nursing staff above the 3.2 hours per patient per day, in order to care for the needs of all their residents.

The last factor in the 5-star rating system is the quality measure rating. The quality measure rating is based on 9 different clinical measures for nursing home residents. The quality measure provides information on how well the nursing home is caring for the resident’s physical and clinical needs.

Although the 5-star rating system is helpful, it is not a substitute for going in and talking to the Administrator or Director of Nursing, and touring the facility for yourself.
If you have questions and would like to consult with a Los Angeles elder abuse attorney, please contact our firm for a free consultation.