Four South Jersey nursing homes get low marks

February 14, 2012


Four South Jersey nursing homes get low marks

By CAROL COMEGNO

Courier-Post Staff

Four nursing homes in South Jersey are among 564 nationwide that for the past three years have received a one-star government rating — the lowest in a five-star rating system.

The results are based on a USAToday analysis that reviewed ratings for 15,700 nursing homes by the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The percentage of homes assigned only one star of a five-star system fell to 35 percent from 40 percent while the number of four-and five-star rated homes rose.

Two of the nursing homes with a single-star rating are in Gloucester County, one is in Camden County and one in Burlington County.

They are Gloucester Manor, a 139-bed long-term care facility on Salina Road in Sewell; ManorCare Health Services, 550 Jessup Road in West Deptford; Lakewood of Voorhees, a 240-bed home at 1302 Laurel Oak Road, Voorhees, and The Palace Rehabilitation and Care Center, a 165-bed home at Route 38 and Mill Road in Maple Shade.

A total of 11 one-star-rated homes were in New Jersey, including two in Trenton and two in Toms River.

ManorCare challenged the rating system and its criteria, saying the review is outdated.

“The five-star postings are often out of date by the time they are posted,” said Julie Beckert, assistant vice president of Marketing for HCS ManorCare of Toledo, Ohio, parent company of ManorCare Health Services in West Deptford.

For example, she said ManorCare’s recent state survey was deficiency-free in quality of care.

Since the most recent survey was in December, the current website will not reflect this information.

“We feel ManorCare provides quality care to the patients we serve and we strongly urge all patients and families to use the five-star rating system as only one tool when considering a skilled nursing center,” she added.

She suggested visiting the center, reviewing patient and family satisfaction surveys and asking about the expertise of the center to handle high-acuity patients or the specific disease or injury.

She also said the rating system does not measure programs and services that go above and beyond basic care or consider that ManorCare treats more complex and post-acute patients than its competitors who require more than basic care.

She said the system does not reflect innovation in facilities like how well pressure ulcers are healed, whether centers provide pressure ulcer prevention services or how well a center works to reduce pain.

She added that the professional staffing levels of therapists and nurse practitioners and consultants who may be on board or how well patients are transitioned back into the community also are not addressed.

She said the West Deptford facility recently underwent several changes, including new departmental leadership, better training for nursing, a better customer satisfaction system, major renovation to upgrade the center, expanded rehabilitation facilities, installation of electronic patient charting and improvements such as patient rooms and lounges and a guardian angel program that partners an employee with each new patient.

The other three South Jersey nursing homes did not respond to a Courier-Post request for comment on their low ratings.

The lowest overall rating is given to homes “much below average” compared with others in their state, according to CMS officials.

The survey also reveals that for-profit operations like the four in South Jersey generally have lower ratings than nonprofits.

Problems that can contribute to a low rating are consistently dirty linen or equipment, mistreatment of patients and unlicensed caregivers or specialists.

“The rating system is designed primarily to help consumers and families make informed choices about care,” said Don McLeod, a spokesman for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“CMS does not want to close nursing homes but make the facilities have the best care.”

Medicare cautions that the quality of a nursing home may get much better or much worse in a short period of time.

For example, these changes can occur when a nursing home’s administrator or ownership changes or when a nursing home’s finances suddenly change.

Medicare officials advise that visiting a nursing home also should be an important part of the decision-making process.

The public can access the Medicare website that lists nursing home ratings, which are not used to impose penalties such as fines or the basis for withholding Medicare or Medicaid payments for deficiencies.

To participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, nursing homes have to meet certain requirements set by Congress.

CMS has agreements with state governments to perform health inspections and fire safety inspections of nursing homes and investigate complaints about care.

CMS staff also inspect homes and federal and state inspectors conduct on-site visits to investigate complaints they receive.

Medicare does not close nursing homes. “However, we do terminate nursing homes from participation in the Medicare program. A state may close a nursing home by revoking the nursing home’s state license,” McLeod said.

The ratings are complex. The overall rate is calculated from three separate ratings for staffing, quality measures and annual health inspections. Gloucester Manor, for example, has a one-star rating in two of the three categories but a three-star rating in quality measures.

Some one-star homes are considered a special focus facility for monitoring and may retain a one-star rating for several years until the government is convinced that corrective action has been made and the solution is long term.

Medicare officials said the ratings are calculated on a “case by case” basis.

“Nursing homes that consistently earn one-star ratings are at high risk for becoming special focus facilities,” McLeod said. “The result of becoming a special focus facility is greatly increased survey frequency and more aggressive enforcement actions for nursing homes that fail to improve.”

In addition, the names of special focus facilities also are publicized on CMS websites, including Nursing Home Compare

Please read complete article at link below:


http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20120214/NEWS01/302140023/Four-South-Jersey-nursing-homes-get-low-marks