For New Jersey families who are looking into their options for late-life care facilities, there are a number of tools and resources available. One of those lies in the yearly ranking of nursing homes conducted by U.S. News and World Report. The annual evaluation is conducted in the hopes of aiding the nearly 1.4 million families who have to make this difficult decision every year. When it comes to nursing home planning, these types of evaluations can help make the decision-making process easier for all involved.
The rankings are created by the compilation of a range of factors. These include an evaluation of the health inspections made by each state, including the quality and safety of food preparation, the management of medications and even how well the staff attends to patient’s skin care needs. Any deficiencies that are noted at the facility also come into play, as well as the manner in which they were addressed and ameliorated.
In addition, nursing homes are ranked according to how much time the nursing staff is able to give each individual resident. The number of highly trained staff is taken into consideration, and the highest ranked nursing homes make use of a high ratio of staff-to-resident scheduling. High ranking facilities average four and a half hours of personal care for each resident, with around 40 minutes of that care coming from a registered nurse.
These rankings are provided to all families who are researching the best possible placement options for a loved one. However, it is also important to address the financial preparations that lead up to a move into a nursing facility. An individual’s assets must meet certain levels in order to qualify for Medicaid coverage of nursing care. Reaching the proper levels takes a degree of advance nursing home planning, so that a New Jersey family’s assets can be distributed in the manner of their choosing.
Source: U.S. News and World Report, FAQ: How We Rate Nursing Homes, Avery Comarow, Feb. 26, 2014