If Medicare were a classroom, nursing homes would earn an “easy A.” Or that’s how it used to be, at least. But now a brand-new rule is changing all that, and America’s mistreated seniors stand to benefit.
Under the old Medicare rating system, nursing homes were assigned scores of up to five stars for overall excellence. Those grades were widely relied upon in the search for senior care. The only problem? They weren’t very accurate.
The ratings were based on nursing homes’ own self-reported data. Studies and investigations often found that the metrics were skewed and that, in fact, relatively few of the top-ranked homes had really earned all five stars.
Fortunately, Medicare just instituted a new system that revises the rating criteria and checks for accuracy. It went into effect in late February. Almost immediately, nearly a third of the nation’s nursing homes saw their scores sink by at least one star, according to The New York Times.
That’s probably good news, as experts almost universally agree that America’s nursing home experience is nowhere near “five star” overall. Inadequate staffing, high rates of illness and injury, and elder abuse and neglect are all persistent problems.
The idea is to raise the bar and encourage nursing homes to work hard at attracting a patient base. At the same time, seniors and their families will now have a better resource for determining which homes best fit their needs.
Our office can be of help in that regard too. We help families make the best possible plans for late-life living, ranging from nursing home arrangements to estate documents and financial planning. Call a Middlesex County elder law attorney in our office to learn more about our services. We’re here to help.
