PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeadingAge New Jersey, in partnership with LeadingAge and LeadingAge New York, recently launched a new, quarterly reporting tool that uses the most recent Nursing Home Compare dataset to provide a comprehensive analysis of a nursing home’s CMS Five-Star Quality Rating (sample report).
LeadingAge teamed up with its state partner in New York to create the reporting tool after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced earlier this year that it had changed the way it calculated scores on its Five Star Quality Rating System, a move that resulted in a number of nursing homes seeing drops in their 5-star ratings.
Part of the LeadingAge Insights program, the 5-Star Analysis Report identifies specific areas where nursing homes should focus improvement efforts to improve resident care and increase their overall star rating, The report includes information about the 3 main components of a Five-Star rating:
- Three previous health inspections.
- Staffing hours per resident day.
- 11 quality measures rating.
“While we don’t believe the CMS 5-Star system has yet been perfected to provide the most accurate scoring, we understand that it is the most-recognized system for assessing a nursing home,” said LeadingAge President and CEO Larry Minnix. “These new reports will help nursing homes better understand what criteria CMS is using when assigning a star rating, and then use that information to focus on improvement efforts.”
An interactive staffing template allows a nursing home to input current Resource Utilization Groups (RUG) data and reported staffing hours to calculate “what-if” scenarios to assess the impact of changes to resident case mix and/or staffing hours as part of the staffing rating. The report can also help to track trends, identify areas of success, analyze areas for improvement and demonstrate value to potential health care partners.
“LeadingAge New Jersey will be providing our members with quarterly reports to assist them with their quality improvement efforts and focus,” said LeadingAge New Jersey President & CEO Michele Kent. “The reports will allow our members the opportunity to quantitatively tell their facility’s story as a high quality provider of long term care.”
About LeadingAge New Jersey
LeadingAge New Jersey is the statewide association of not-for-profit senior care organizations and is dedicated to advancing quality aging services in New Jersey through advocacy, education, and fellowship. Founded in 1931, LeadingAge New Jersey and its members believe in affirming the enduring value of our elders to society, to family and to the community; promoting quality, stewardship and choice in aging services; advancing mission driven values, compassionate services and public trust; being accountable to those we serve; and developing ethical leadership.