Some Ohio nursing homes struggle improve quality

According to analysis of federal data by USA Today, more than 1 in 20 Ohio nursing homes are consistently rated as one star by the federal government (Source: “Many nursing homes unable to shake poor ratings,” Lancaster Gazette, Feb. 10, 2012).

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services annually rate nursing homes on a five-star scale through its Nursing Home Compare site, with one-star ratings given to homes that are deemed “much below average” compared to others in the state.

While some homes have struggled to improve their ratings, others have made progress. A voluntary program to help one-star nursing homes in four states -- including Ohio -- helped improve quality by lowering staff turnover, said Mary Jane Koren of The Commonwealth Fund. An industry-backed quality campaign worked with local nursing home regulators and health professionals to help 17 urban nursing homes.

"How do you keep those places open, but open and improving?" Koren said. "By stabilizing the staff, you begin to see improvements in clinical quality in areas like pressure ulcers and overuse of physical restraints that are used to stop falls and wandering."