Nursing Home Star Ratings? Ask the CNA’s to Rate
Posted by Kim on June 20th, 2008 / 
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The latest word from CMS on helping consumers decide which nursing homes are good: Star ratings.
June 18 (Bloomberg) — Nursing homes, like luxury hotels in travel guides, will soon get star ratings for quality and safety, according to Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.
Medicare’s new ranking system will help people choose the best nursing homes for relatives and push operators to do better, said Kerry Weems, the program’s acting administrator, on a conference call with reporters today.
[...]
“The public is hungry for information and this is an easy way to evaluate quality,” Weems said. “The new `five-star’ rating system will provide a composite view of the quality and safety information.”
All I can say is they should have CNA’s be part of this rating system. As in, asking CNA’s to actually rate the facilities based on the special insight and insider info they have. Bet most nursing homes would get two, maybe three stars at most if the aides were doing the rating.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:30 am
some would get no stars.
June 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I think alot of them would get no stars……I hear you!!! But no one seems to listen to CNA’s or really care if there is good patient care, it’s all about the money, so sad
June 21st, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I work in a nursing home and if i had to rate the one i work at i would have to give it a 5. Wauconda Healthcare and Rehab is one of the most wonderful nursing homes i have ever seen. Debbie C.N.A
July 11th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Absolutely, I agree completely- the public needs to know what the nursing homes are like.
When I was placing my dad in a home, I looked far and wide until I came across this site: http://nursing-home.info/index.cfm the very homes I was looking at were rated poorly, and people had left some disturbing comments. i was able to find a much better place with just a little bit of looking.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Given all of the valuable statements above – how would you (as CNA’s) label the stars for families to make an intelligent chioce – beyond of course an unannounced visit to the home?
For example, fill in the blank (I’m serious here) guys.
***** = ? (best for example)
****
***
**
*
Thanks for your valuable insights!
Leah (RN)
August 6th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Leah I will turn this comment into a post.
Give me a couple days.