ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services has strengthened their nursing home ratings system, the center announced on February 20. The goal is to give families more information to use in determining the best care for their loved ones. San Francisco elder abuse lawyers say this is a step forward in overhauling nursing home ratings to allow families to make better-informed choices for their loved ones.
CMS ranks nursing homes based on results from onsite inspections by trained surveyors, performance on certain quality measures, and levels of staffing. Consumers can view more detailed information on any of the three areas, which San Francisco elder abuse lawyers say will help loved ones make better-informed choices. Two-thirds of nursing homes will see a decline in their quality measures rating, as the CMS standards for performance is increasing.
Other improvements in the rating system include:
• Include use of antipsychotics in calculation of the star ratings.
• Have improved calculations for staffing levels.
• Reflect higher standards for nursing homes to achieve a high rating on the quality measure dimension on the website.
This reflects an important turning point in CMS’s overall plan to overhaul its ratings. With the baby-boomer generation at or approaching retirement age, the number of elder abuse lawsuits filed against nursing homes is increasing, according to San Francisco elder abuse lawyers.
The Evans Law Firm, Inc. handles all types of elder abuse cases, and has offices located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Sonoma County. If you believe that you or a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse and/or elder abuse, contact the Evans Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation at 415-441-8669 or info@evanslaw.com.
