R.I. tops in nursing home care in nationwide survey

RHODE ISLAND has ranked No. 1 on a state-by-state nursing home report card published by Families for Better Care, a Florida-based nursing home resident advocacy group. / COURTESY FAMILIES FOR BETTER CARE
RHODE ISLAND has ranked No. 1 on a state-by-state nursing home report card published by Families for Better Care, a Florida-based nursing home resident advocacy group. / COURTESY FAMILIES FOR BETTER CARE

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island has ranked No. 1 on a state-by-state nursing home report card published by Families for Better Care, a Florida-based nursing home resident advocacy group.
The second annual report ranked states on eight federal quality measures ranging from the number of hours professional and licensed nurses averaged to the percentage of facilities with deficiencies.
Last year, Rhode Island ranked second best for nursing home care.
According to the report, Rhode Island scored superior grades in the majority of measures for the second year in a row.
“Rhode Islanders should be proud of their success,” Brian Lee, Families for Better Care’s executive director, said in a statement. “The state exemplifies what can be achieved when operators, regulators and consumers strive for quality nursing home care for residents.”
Rhode Island’s highest grade related to the percentage of facilities with severe deficiencies – less than 3 percent of nursing homes were cited for abuse, neglect or mistreatment, which is indicative of a state committed to quality care for elderly and disabled adults, the press release stated.
Despite Rhode Island’s good results, it also showed a problem. Lee said the state ranked last in the percentage of nursing homes with above average professional nursing levels, indicating the need for improvement.
“But overall, Rhode Island sets the nursing home quality bar for the rest of the nation,” Lee said.
New Hampshire and Maine rounded out the top three states for nursing home care, while Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana were at the bottom.
To view Rhode Island’s 2014 nursing home report card and where other states rank, visit: http://www.nursinghomereportcards.com.

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