Department of Health

Frequently Asked Questions

• What measurements are used as the basis for nursing home evaluations on this Web site?
• Why were the selected measures chosen?
• What do the numbers mean?
• Which nursing homes are included?
• Where does the information come from?
• Does this Web site tell me everything I need to know in order to choose a nursing home?

Q: What quality measurements are used as the basis for nursing home evaluations on this Web site?

A: Nursing homes are evaluated according to the following quality measures:

1. Percent of High-Risk Residents Who Have Pressure Sores
2. Percent of Low-Risk Residents Who Have Pressure Sores
3. Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores
4. Percent of Low-Risk Residents Who Lose Control of Their Bowels or Bladder
5. Percent of Residents Who Have/Had a Catheter Inserted and Left in Their Bladder
6. Percent of Residents Who Had a Urinary Tract Infection
7. Percent of Residents Who Were Physically Restrained
8. Percent of Residents Who Spend Most of Their Time in Bed or in a Chair
9. Percent of Residents Whose Ability to Move About In and Around Their Room Got Worse
10. Percent of Residents Whose Need for Help with Daily Activities Has Increased
11. Percent of Residents Who Lose Too Much Weight
12. Percent of Residents Who Are More Depressed or Anxious
13. Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Have Delirium
14. Percent of Residents Who Have Moderate to Severe Pain
15. Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Had Moderate to Severe Pain
16. Percent of Long-Stay Residents Given Influenza Vaccination During the Flu Season
17. Percent of Short-Stay Residents Given Influenza Vaccination During the Flu Season
18. Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Were Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination
19. Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Were Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination

Q: Why were the selected measures chosen?

A: The quality measures featured are those selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They are considered important, valid, and reliable based on the best research currently available. The measures highlight ways in which nursing homes differ from one another and represent issues over which nursing homes have a degree of control. However, they are not benchmarks, thresholds, guidelines, or standards of care. They are based on care provided to the population of residents in a facility, not to any individual resident, and are not appropriate for use in a litigation action.

Q: What do the numbers mean?

A: The percentage score shown for each measure indicates the percentage of residents suffering from the respective indicator as of the most recent assessment (lower is better); in the case of the immunization measures, it indicates the percentage of residents receiving the immunization (higher is better). For each measure, the scores for all nursing homes are divided into five groups (or quintiles) for purposes of comparing a nursing home's performance against other nursing homes in New York State. The quintiles are awarded performance ratings ranging from one star (least preferable percentages) to five stars (most preferable percentages). More information can be found on the About the Quality Measures page.

Q: Which nursing homes are included?

A: All nursing homes in New York State are included.

Q: Where does the information come from?

A: The nursing homes information comes from several sources:

• Contact information and available services for each nursing home come from the Health Facilities File that is maintained by the New York State Department of Health.
• Quality of care measures come from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Deficiency and complaint information comes from surveys and investigations conducted or licensed by the New York State Department of Health, Division of Quality and Surveillance for Nursing Homes and Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded.

Q: Does this Web site tell me everything I need to know in order to choose a nursing home?

A: This Web site is not intended to be anyone's sole source of information about nursing home quality in New York State. Rather, it is designed to provide helpful information that can play an important role in an evaluation of a facility's quality, along with other sources. See Selecting a Nursing Home in New York State for more information on choosing a nursing home.