Dear Editor:
Choosing a nursing home for a loved one can be quite a daunting task. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) unveiled a new database that will help you with this difficult decision-making process.
The new database created by CMS provides information on 17,000 nursing homes in the country, including 359 facilities in New Jersey. This new national database can be used to help senior citizens choose a quality nursing home. It will also complement the state’s own nursing home report care which is published by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) annually.
For each nursing home, CMS examined 10 quality indicators, including the percentage of residents who reported being in pain, those who needed help with everyday tasks like feeding themselves and the percentage of patients treated for infection and bed sores. The data can be interpreted in many ways and is useful; it should not be substituted for personally visiting the nursing home and talking with staff and residents.
To obtain a copy of the report produced by CMS, you can call 609-984-8177 or toll free 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) to gather further information. The report is also available on the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp. Additional detailed information is available at www.state.nj.us/health/index.html.
Elba Perez-Cinciarelli
Assemblywoman, 31st District
Jersey City