Nursing homes given ratings

Nineteen of Nevada's 48 nursing homes received below average ratings under a new five-star rating system launched by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services this week, according to state data.

The ratings system was created to help consumers, their families and caregivers to more easily compare nursing homes, officials said Friday.

Under the rating system, each of the nation's 16,000 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes is rated from a low of one star to a high of five stars based on three critical areas: health inspection results, quality measures, and staffing levels.

An overall rating is also provided.

Seven of Nevada's nursing homes received five stars; nine earned four stars; 12 earned three stars; nine earned two stars and 10 received one star, according to the Nevada Bureau of Licensure and Certification.

"The data doesn't say whether this home is better than another but it does provide patients some guidance,'' said Marla Williams, director of the state's licensing bureau.

Williams, however, did say that there was a relationship between a nursing home that received five stars versus one receiving just one star.

She said if one were to look at a statement of deficiencies for a five-star nursing home and compare it with a nursing home that earned one star, there would be differences identified in the way care was provided.

A statement of deficiencies is a report provided to a nursing home, or other health care facility, certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that outlines what if any problems were identified during surveys or site visits. In Nevada, the licensing bureau is charged with surveying or inspecting nursing homes.

Nursing homes are inspected every 15 months, Williams said.

Data used by the federal agency to determine the five-star ratings were based on information from state inspections of nursing homes.

State health officials said Nevada's nursing homes were notified of the ratings.

Paul Boyar, administrator for Plaza Regency at Sun Mountain in Las Vegas, said he welcomed the new rating system. But, he said, people shouldn't use it as the only barometer when deciding on a long-term care facility for a loved one.

"People should visit and get a sense of the environment, how the facility looks, how the staff looks. In Nevada, I think all of our facilities are five-star. This is a kind of snapshot of a certain criteria based upon old data," Boyar said.

"The data is 18 months old. It's not up to the minute. ... I think families should visit the facilities themselves and speak to the administrator if they have questions,'' he said.

Plaza Regency received five stars under the new rating system. And though the facility is proud of its status, Boyar said he didn't want to minimize the other nursing homes in Nevada.

"I think all of Nevada's facilities are five-star,'' Boyar said. "Our first commitment is to provide quality care to our residents. That's our top priority and I think the vast majority of the nursing homes nationwide do provide quality care.''

Eric Carlson, director of the Long-Term Care Project for the National Senior Citizens Law Center, made similar comments. While he considers the information helpful to consumers, he said they shouldn't "take it as the gospel truth."

"It's not that simple,'' Carlson said about deciding on a nursing home facility. "I think people going into these facilities are a little timid and feel intimidated. But this is really just about trying to get what the overall attitude of the people who are running the place. People have to approach it with a healthy sense of humility.''

Robbie Williams, administrator for TLC Care Center in Henderson, said nursing homes are strongly committed to providing a safe environment to its residents as well as quality care.

TLC Care Center also received five stars.

"People need to use Nursing Home Compare but also go into these facilities at different times to see how employees and residents interact with each other,'' said Williams, who had to chose an out-of-state nursing home for her mother.

"They need to ask questions, and they should write those questions down,'' she said.

Contact reporter Annette Wells at awells@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283