Examples of Nursing Home Quality Measures for Consumers
From the available set of nursing home measures, you can choose among dozens of measures that address important aspects of short- and long-term stays in a nursing home. Here are some examples of nursing home quality measures that research evidence and practical experience suggest are appropriate for reporting to consumers.
Patient Safety Measures:
- Percentage of low-risk, long-stay residents with pressure ulcers.
- Percentage of residents with a urinary tract infection.
- The number of deficiencies found in fire safety inspections.
Effectiveness Measures:
- Percentage of residents who lost too much weight.
- Percentage of residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased.
- Percentage of recently hospitalized patients with symptoms of delirium.
Patient-Centeredness Measures:
- Percentage of residents who spent most of their time in bed or a chair in their room during the previous 7 days.
- Percentage of residents with worsening of a depressed or anxious mood.
- Percentage of long-stay residents reporting that staff were gentle when they were helping with taking a shower or getting dressed.
- Percentage of family members of long-stay residents reporting how often the resident looked and smelled clean.
Timeliness Measures:
- Percentage of residents who were assessed and given the pneumococcal vaccine.
- Average resident rating of how quickly the staff come when they call for help.
Descriptive Measures: Descriptive measures can convey the nursing home’s capacity for providing high-quality care and service.
Examples include:
- What programs (Medicare, Medicaid) the nursing home participates in
- Total number of residents.
- The ownership of the nursing home (e.g., for-profit, not-for-profit, government).
- Whether the facility has resident councils, family councils, or both.
- The number of hours per day that each patient receives care from:
- All licensed nursing staff.
- Registered Nurses (RNs).
- Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
- Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).
