INDIANA NURSING HOMES AMONGST THE WORSE IN THE COUNTRY IN STAFFING AND SUBSTANDARD CARE
Recent data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicate that Indiana Nursing Homes now rate among the 10 worst in the nation. 
Under the CMS' new ranking system, nearly 28 percent of the state's nursing homes received a one star rating, which is CMS' worst rating under their five star system. Only six states had a higher percentage of substandard nursing homes.
According to the CMS website, the Five-Star Quality Rating System was created to help consumers, their families, and caregivers 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 to improve nursing home care as a result of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA '87), 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, health care providers, and nursing home professionals.
Nursing home ratings are taken from the following three sources of data:
Health Inspections
Staffing
Quality Measures
More stars are better.
***** Much Above Avg.
**** Above Avg.
*** Average
** Below Avg.
* Much Below Avg.
Currently, 509 Indiana Nursing Homes have been evaluated under the system and can be evaluated on the CMS Website.
Overall, the study found that about half of Indiana's roughly 500 nursing homes offered "below-average" standard of care, with about 39 percent of Indiana nursing homes receiving a one-star rating in the area of staffing. This figure was only at about 22 percent for comparable facilities nationwide. Nearly 60 percent of Indiana's long term care facilities had below-average staffing levels. Again, this compares to 42 percent nationwide.
In addition to staffing levels, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also based its rankings on how well Indiana homes complied with federal rules for cleanliness, safety and quality-of-life standards. These issues are monitored during inspections conducted every 18 months and then cited to reports which also contain information the homes themselves make about patient health.
In these categories, Indiana performed consistent with facilities in other states.
Why are the Federal Rankings so important?
Nursing homes 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.
One of the most important things to do is to visit the nursing homes you are considering. If possible, also contact your Long-Term Care Ombudsman or State Survey Agency before making a decision. Take a copy of the Nursing Home Checklist when you visit a nursing home and talk to the nursing home staff about the information on this website.
Nursing home negligence is a disturbing and growing trend in our country. Kooi Law Firm handles these cases with the passion and conviction they deserve. Nursing homes are obligated to provide a safe and secure environment for all of their residents. When long-term care professionals neglect elderly patients, such neglect can often lead to severe injury including falls, bed sores, assaults, or other abuses. Nursing homes are retained and compensated to protect and care for the weak and vulnerable. Kooi Law Firm helps victims and their families recover compensation for nursing home neglect or abuse. Holding nursing homes accountable for their conduct is important to our firm and we will do everything we can to expose a nursing home’s neglect and compensate your loved one for the injuries they've sustained.
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