By Krista Thomas, Marketing & Admissions Director, Hallmark House Nursing Center

When the time comes to look into nursing home placement, whether for a short or long-term stay, it can be overwhelming. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed a rating system in 2008 to help compare the quality of care between homes. Each nursing home receives a star rating, with five stars being the highest rank, making it easy to compare facilities. Three types of measures determine the overall quality rating, with each measure given its own five-star rating: Health Inspections, Quality Measures (QMs), and Staffing.

Health Inspections — These inspections, conducted annually on average, are when healthcare professionals spend three to four days in a nursing home to assess whether a facility is complying with federal requirements. Many areas are reviewed during an inspection including quality of life, resident assessment and resident rights, environment and kitchen services, and medication management to name a few.

Quality Measures (QMs) — Quality Measures are clinical data reported by the nursing home. Using the Medical Data Set and Medicare claims data, a set of Quality Measures (QMs) was developed to reference the quality of care at a nursing home.

Staffing — As expected, the ratio of staff to residents is important. CMS has developed a ratio to determine the star rating for a nursing home based on this measure. The number of RN, LPN, and nurse aide hours are all considered.

While the health inspection rating is considered the most important measure in the overall rating, a facility may increase or decrease by up to two stars given the staffing and QM ratings. When comparing nursing homes, the CMS star rating is a useful and accurate tool to utilize in order to make an informed decision. You are still encouraged to visit a nursing home you are considering, and you can even find a checklist of what to ask and look for when researching a nursing home on the Illinois Department of Public Health website.

For more information about Pekin’s 4-Star Skilled Nursing Facility, Hallmark House Nursing Center, contact Krista Thomas, Marketing & Admissions Director. Website: HallmarkNursingCenter.com, Phone: 309-840-8638, Location: 2501 Allentown Rd. Pekin, IL 61554.

Photo credit: diego_cervo/iStock, danilbiz/iStock

Resources You Will Find Helpful

Illinois Department of Public Health — How to Select a Nursing Home
www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/nursing-homes/selection

Medicare — Nursing Home Compare www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/About/What-Is-NHC.html

CMS — Star Rating User Guide www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/Downloads/usersguide.pdf