In early 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began displaying new quality measures based on nursing home resident assessments. The Five-Star Quality Rating System was created to help consumers compare nursing homes more easily and help identify areas about which you may want to ask questions. This rating system is based on continued efforts as a result of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987, a nursing home reform law, and more recent quality improvement campaigns such as the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes, a coalition of consumers and health care providers.

Assisted Living Facilities vary in the quality of care and services they provide to their residents.

Reviewing health inspection results, staffing data, and quality measure data are three important ways to measure nursing home quality. This information gives you a "snap shot" of the care individual nursing homes give. Use the Five-Star ratings together with other sources of information.

Learn more about the 5 Star Rating System

Each facility is given an Overall Rating + 6 Additional Ratings based on:

1. Staffing = the number of staff hours per resident per day. 
2. Quality Measures = overall residents health, physical functioning, mental status and general well being.
3. Health Inspections = lists the health requirements that the facility failed to meet in the last 3 years.
4.* Complaints = lists deficiencies reported by the facility in the last 3 years as well as complaints.
5.* Incidents = lists civil monetary incidents and payment denials that the facility received in the last 3 years.
6. Fire Safety Deficiencies = lists fire safety requirements that the facility failed to meet.

* July 2012 - New rating categories (4) Health Deficiencies (5) Fines

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