Nursing Home Information
Choosing a Nursing Home
 Making a decision about nursing home care can be difficult, but there are resources available that can help you. Medicare has placed a Nursing Home Compare tool at www.medicare.gov. This website provides a list of nursing homes to help you make an informed decision. The quality information you will find on the website shows the experiences that nursing home residents have had relating to the following:
- Residents’ ability to move
- Residents’ skin condition
- Residents’ medical status
- Residents’ rehabilitation needs
- Residents’ daily activities
Medicare has also provided a five-star quality rating system to help health care consumers compare nursing homes. Nursing home ratings are based on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. A star rating is given for each of these, and you will also find an overall rating for all three.
While the Nursing Home Compare is a useful tool, it should not be used as your only source to choose a nursing home. Nursing home placement is a big step, so be sure to get information from sources like Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare, a long-term care ombudsman, visiting nursing homes, and talking with nursing home residents and their families.
Remember, visit www.medicare.gov, and click on Nursing Home Compare or you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to request information about specific nursing homes in your area.
These free Medicare publications may also be helpful:
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