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KHN: Nursing Homes Under Harsher Government Standard

The star rating doled out by the federal government to nursing homes will be harder to score as scrutiny is increased based on quality measurements.

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A patient at Sagebrook Health Center, a nursing facility in Cedar Park, kneads putty to build fine-motor coordination and dexterity. Officials from Sagebrook and other facilities have raised concerns about a proposed rule that would have the state close nursing homes found to have the highest-level violations of federal quality standards on three separate days over 24 months.
Credit: Callie Richmond

The star rating doled out by the federal government to nursing homes will be harder to score as scrutiny is increased based on quality measurements. The changes, starting as of Thursday, will include the number of patients under anti-psychotic medication, although the data will continue to be self reported by thee homes. The evaluations are based on government inspections staffing and quality, and are available at Nursing Home Compare, a government website, listing more than 15,000 facilities.

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