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Elder Care News
Consumer Reports finds Not-for-Profit Nursing Homes
Best
Launches its own
guide to nursing homes online
August 7, 2006 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 and issued a statement that
not-for-profit nursing homes are providing better care than are
for-profit homes.
 Coverage
& Access | Not-For-Profit Nursing Homes Provide Higher Quality of Care
Than For-Profit Facilities, Consumer Reports Says
Not-for-profit nursing homes generally provide
better quality of care for residents than for-profit facilities,
according to a Consumer Reports survey, the
AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
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In addition, 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:
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For-Profit Response |
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Following is a statement from Larry
Minnix, president and CEO of the American Association of Homes
and Services for the Aging, on the Consumer Reports nursing home
quality monitor:
Consumer Reports' analysis once again
affirms that a consumer's search for a quality nursing home
should begin with not-for-profits. Because they answer first and
foremost to residents and their families, not-for-profit nursing
homes invest additional resources in staffing, the best proxy
for quality we know. Families should have peace of mind: quality
nursing home care is available to them. We're joining with
provider organizations, consumer groups, federal government
agencies and The Commonwealth Fund -- the funder of the Consumer
Reports article -- in a consumer-focused, multi-year quality
improvement campaign. This campaign, in conjunction with our
Quality First initiative, will help us move to the day when
there will be two types of nursing homes: the excellent and the
non-existent.
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● 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 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 -- signs of a
good, well-staffed facility (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 8/6).
>> The nursing home guide is available
online.
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Nursing Home Abuse, Medical Malpractice? Contact a lawyer.
click here
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