What Do Massachusetts Nursing Home Ratings Really Mean

When you are looking for a nursing home for a loved one, it can be difficult to know how to tell which place will be cleanest, safest, and provide the best care for your family member. Medicare makes a great deal of information about nursing homes and other facilities available to help you narrow down your list. However, the different variables included in ratings and flags included in the system can be confusing, and it can be difficult to know where to focus.

There are 143 nursing homes within a 25-mile radius of Lowell, Massachusetts. Of those facilities, 36 have an overall 1-star rating. Another 26 have 2-star ratings. At the other end of the spectrum, there are 34 facilities with 5-star ratings. However, that overall rating doesn’t tell the whole story. For example, some of the 18 facilities rated “much below average” in staffing have overall 3-star ratings, though nursing home staffing issues are a key factor in quality of care. 

Here’s what you need to know to drill down and make meaningful comparisons among Massachusetts nursing home facilities. 

Understanding Nursing Home Rating Categories

In addition to the overall star rating, each facility will have a rating assigned in each of three specific categories. 

Health Inspections

Health inspections ratings are based on information collected during the previous three years worth of state inspections for Medicare and Medicaid compliance, three years of inspections based on complaints made by residents and family members, and three years of infection control inspections.

When you view the health inspections rating for a facility, you will have the opportunity to click through and gather more information based on each of these inspection reports.

Staffing

Staffing information considered includes two key factors: the number of nursing staff hours dedicated per patient per day and staff turnover. The first is important because it represents the amount of time that registered nurses (RNs) and other nursing staff are spending directly engaging with patients. When a facility is short staffed, this number drops, meaning that residents are getting less medical attention. 

Staff turnover may seem less important but it makes a significant difference because each time a new staff member joins the facility, they will need to get up to speed on that particular facility’s practices and procedures. High turnover also means that the staff will have less familiarity with specific long-term residents, meaning that they may be more likely to make errors and less likely to notice if a resident is experiencing problems.

In this section, you can click through to view more specific information about both of these issues.

Quality Measures

The quality measures rating takes into account a wide range of variables. For example, this rating includes incidences of falls at the nursing home. This section also factors in things like the percentage of residents who got their annual flu shots or are receiving other medications, as well as the rate of hospitalizations for the facility.

The data relied upon for these ratings is separated into two categories: long-term and short-term residents. In some cases these measures may be very different for different groups of residents, so you will want to check the specific category relevant to your loved one.

Other Important Information in the Medicare Comparison Tool

Medicare’s comparison tool also uses icons to call your attention to certain specific issues. If you see a red and white icon that looks like a hand, that symbol indicates that the facility has been cited for possible abuse-related issues. As of this writing, 11 of the 143 nursing homes within a 25-mile radius of Lowell have this symbol. 

Another important symbol is a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it. This symbol indicates that the facility has a history of serious violations or other quality issues. A facility marked with this symbol is not rated. In addition to safety and quality of care issues, a facility with this symbol attached may be at risk of losing its authorization to receive Medicare or Medicaid funds.

Whenever Possible, See a Nursing Home in Person

Sometimes, people are in the difficult position of having to find accommodations for a loved one who is across the country at a time when they cannot travel to view facilities in person. However, whenever possible it is best to visit a nursing home you are considering. Seeing the facilities for yourself will give you a much better opportunity to assess the living conditions and the relationship between staff and nursing home residents.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect is a Serious Issue

Unfortunately, the facilities that you rely on to care for your loved ones don’t always provide the level of care you should be able to expect. Most nursing home residents aren’t able to fully advocate for themselves or may be afraid to speak up because they are dependent on their caretakers. That means friends and family must be vigilant about the care their loved ones are receiving and any concerning changes in the resident’s health or demeanor. 

A resident who is being mistreated or neglected has rights and options. If you believe your family member has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, call us today at 978-459-3085 or fill out our contact form.