U.S. News and World Report has issued its annual list of “Best Nursing Homes” across the country. To help you respond to questions you may get about the report from families or residents, we’ve put together some talking points for you.

Finding Quality Care

• No one report should serve as the sole source for those searching for care for their loved one.
• Choosing the right center is a process that should be conducted both on- and off-line.
• We must first make sure we’re talking to our loved ones about their preferences, and ensuring plans are put in place before the need for long term or post-acute care arises. Learn how to start that conversation at careconversations.org.
• Visiting a facility is a great way to compare centers, find out about specific services provided at an individual center, get to know staff and resident culture, and learn about payment options.

Individual Facility Features

• Mission, values
• Teamwork/dedicated staff – person-centered care
• Quality process and solid care planning
• Achievements, if applicable, through AHCA Quality Initiative, Quality Award Program, etc.

Quality Initiative

The long term and post-acute care profession continues to advance quality care through our national effort, the Quality Initiative, which sets specific goals and measures in key areas shown to improve patient and resident quality outcomes.  These efforts have yielded significant results: 

• Based on CMS data today, over half of AHCA members nationwide have safely reduced the off-label use of antipsychotics by at least 30%.
• As of today (2017), 22% of AHCA member centers have reduced hospital readmissions by 30%, saving over $1 billion nationwide.

Additional Resources

• U.S. News and World Report 2017 Best Nursing Homes
• Signs You Need to Seek Long Term Care for Your Aging Parent (usnews.com) Quotes AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs Dr. David Gifford.
• Why Ongoing Vigilance Is a Must When a Parent Lives in Memory Care (usnews.com) Quotes NCAL Senior Director of Workforce and Quality Improvement Lindsay Schwartz.