Grading Nursing Care

Maryland's nursing homes have received high marks on a family satisfaction survey, the first made public by the Maryland Health Care Commission. The average state nursing home received 8.1 out of a possible 10 points for overall satisfaction, with 88 percent of respondents saying they would recommend the home they graded.

But some area nursing homes have room for improvement. A new national report from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that 23 nursing homes in the Washington area are among those that most need to curtail the rates of pressure sores among their residents and/or the use of physical restraints. Four of these homes were in the District, eight in Northern Virginia and 11 in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. To view the list, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/QualityImprovementOrgs/Downloads/NursingHomeChart.pdf.

In the Maryland survey, questionnaires were sent to family members or others responsible for the more than 17,000 long-term residents of the state's 224 nursing homes; 58 percent responded. They weighed in on 58 questions related to staff, resident care, food, activities, residents' rights and the environment. Residents themselves were not surveyed, although research has shown their views are sometimes less glowing than their families'.

Resident advocates advise against using the survey alone to assess nursing home quality. Even Manor Care Rossville in Baltimore, cited recently by government inspectors for 54 health deficiencies, the most in the state, drew a family satisfaction ranking of 7.8.

To view the survey, go to http://www.mhcc.maryland.gov, click on "Consumers," "Nursing Home Guide" then "2007 Family Satisfaction Survey," or call 877-245-1762 to request a copy. Results appear for nursing homes, with comparisons based on region, ownership (nonprofits ranked better than for-profits) and size. The survey, part of the Maryland Nursing Home Guide for consumers, will be updated annually.

-- Beth Baker