http://www.geriwork.com/2008/12/nursing-home-five-star-system/ Social Work with the aging, what you need to know. Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:26:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.geriwork.com/2008/12/nursing-home-five-star-system/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Kate Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:01:50 +0000 http://www.geriwork.com/?p=11#comment-15 I recently discovered this website as well, and had a couple of thoughts. First, this is a great way for older adults and families to search for a do a quick comparison of nursing homes in a specific area, as it allows searching by zip code or city. Another bonus is that it allows some preliminary information about nursing homes that are smaller and do not have a website or online presence. However, upon looking up some nursing homes with which I am familiar, I was surprised to see several I know to be excellent with less then stellar ratings and others that I know to be just average with above average ratings. I suppose this just points out that there is a limit to how much can be learned about a facility through numerical representation. Only by visiting a facility and talking with residents, professionals, and other families can a true perspective be gained. On another note, I was unable to pull up several well-established nursing homes in the Chicago area. Thus, I am guessing there are still some holes in the operation of this website. Either way, it is a great find for those of us working as geriatric professionals. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Jaimie! I recently discovered this website as well, and had a couple of thoughts. First, this is a great way for older adults and families to search for a do a quick comparison of nursing homes in a specific area, as it allows searching by zip code or city. Another bonus is that it allows some preliminary information about nursing homes that are smaller and do not have a website or online presence. However, upon looking up some nursing homes with which I am familiar, I was surprised to see several I know to be excellent with less then stellar ratings and others that I know to be just average with above average ratings. I suppose this just points out that there is a limit to how much can be learned about a facility through numerical representation. Only by visiting a facility and talking with residents, professionals, and other families can a true perspective be gained. On another note, I was unable to pull up several well-established nursing homes in the Chicago area. Thus, I am guessing there are still some holes in the operation of this website. Either way, it is a great find for those of us working as geriatric professionals. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Jaimie!

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