Assignment Title – Nursing Home Compare Portal – Evaluating the Data Available to the Public – this assignment introduces students to this important web-based tool.
Purpose and Explanation of Assignment:
View the following YouTube Video:
Read the following articles in the NY Times:
Also, NY Times (3/14/21). How U.S. Ratings of Nursing Homes Mislead the Public – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
If you have a problem accessing this article, contact the library for assistance. Students will use the Nursing Compare Portal to evaluate a facility.
To comply with OBRA 1987, CMS created a website (www.medicare.gov) and portal (Nursing Home Compare) that provides data and information for every nursing home that operates in the United States. This data is available to everyone. To help consumers understand the data, The Federal Government uses a Five (5) Star evaluation summary since this concept is familiar to most consumer (Five Star designation is the best, One Star is the worst). The information included on the portal is: general characteristics about the facility (bed size, auspices), results from government inspections, staffing levels for RNs, LPNs and CNAs, and clinical outcome measure (Quality Indicators). Staffing levels and Quality Indicators include state and federal averages for comparison purposes. It is important for nursing home administrator to be familiar with the data posted in the Portal, since it is available to consumers, managed care organizations, consumer groups and competitors. Nursing home administrators should be able to manage this data. This included addressing and negative outcomes reported, communication with the residents, their families and the public, and Quality/Process Improvement activities addressing the negative outcomes reported
Assignment
Students are to select one (1) facility using the Nursing Home Compare Portal (use a local zip code to pick the facility to review(buena vida rehab and nursing center). Using the data available, assess this facility. The evaluation should:
Describe general characteristics (i.e.: this is a 200 bed not-profit facility operating in Brooklyn) – one paragraph
Discuss recent inspections and issue (deficiencies) identified – no more than two paragraphs
Discuss staffing levels compared to state and federal averages – no more than two paragraphs
Discuss Quality Indicators compared to state and federal averages – one paragraph
Review how they impact the Five Star rating. Consistent with the NY Times article, students will comment on whether they believe that the data taken together makes sense. How can a One – or Two-Star Staffing facility have Five Stars in Quality measures – one paragraph
If you were a consultant hired by a family to help them select a nursing, would you recommend this one. You recommendation is based on your analysis from previous paragraph.
