Quality Indicators
Several different organizations review the quality of care in nursing homes and make the results of their reviews public.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) accredits more than 17,000 health care organizations in the United States and other countries, including nursing homes. When a nursing home applies for accreditation, it agrees to be measured against national standards determined by health care professionals.
Specially trained surveyors evaluate each nursing home's compliance with Joint Commission standards and identify the home's strengths and weaknesses. Being awarded JCAHO accreditation is one measure of a nursing home's quality. When deciding on a nursing home for yourself or a loved one, ask if the facility has received JCAHO accreditation.
Nursing Home Report Card
The Maryland Health Care Commission has ranked more than 200 nursing homes across the state. The Nursing Home Report Card covers four basic areas:
- Information about the nursing home
- Demographic and other information on residents
- Deficiencies issued by state inspectors
- Quality measures such as prevalence of pain, weight loss and symptoms of depression
Nursing Home Compare
Nursing Home Compare provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country to help you choose the best nursing home for your loved one. Information includes the number of beds and type of ownership, results of state inspections and staff information. Information is also provided on “quality measures.” These measures have been formulated through the use of information gathered from quarterly assessments of individual residents.
While the Nursing Home Report Card and Nursing Home Compare may be useful tools, do not use them to replace a visit to a nursing home. It is important that you visit each facility you are considering to make your own assessment in light of your needs and those of your family or friend.
State Nursing Home Inspection Reports (Surveys)
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) licenses Maryland's nursing homes. Nursing homes are inspected every 12-15 months. State inspection reports, called surveys, contain information about any deficiencies found by surveyors during their inspection of the facility. Nursing homes must make their most recent inspection reports available to any resident or visitor.
When Reading Survey:
- Check the date of the survey
- Compare the number of deficiencies cited to the state average
- Ask questions about why the deficiency was received and what the plan of correction is if that information is not available on the report
- Think carefully before selecting a nursing home with a high number of deficiencies
- Do not assume that a deficiency-free rating means there are no care problems at the nursing home