Nursing Home Ratings Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the component of the Federal government's Department of Health and Human Services that oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A large portion of Medicare and Medicaid dollars is used each year to cover nursing home care and services for the elderly and disabled.

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CMS contracts with each State to conduct onsite inspections that determine whether its nursing homes meet the minimum Medicare and Medicaid quality and performance standards. Typically, the part of State government that takes care of this duty is the health department or department of human services. The State conducts inspections of each nursing home that participates in Medicare and/or Medicaid on average about once a year. If the nursing home is performing poorly, however, the State inspectors may go in more frequently. The State also investigates complaints about nursing home care.

During the nursing home inspection, the State looks at many aspects of quality. The inspection team observes resident care processes, staff/resident interaction, and environment. Using an established protocol, the team interviews a sample of residents and family members about their life within the nursing home, and interviews caregivers and administrative staff. The team reviews clinical records.