Concerns are increasing as the realization that nursing home ratings rely on self-reported data from nursing homes. The reporting relies heavily on accurate documentation of incidents and can be skewed if incidents go unrecorded, making them ultimately unreported. The CMS uses the self-reporting data generated from nursing home administration to rate the facility on a 1- to 5-star scale. The rating includes a combination of staffing levels and incidents reported, among other criteria.
Since consumer complaints are on the rise the question has been raised as to whether or not nursing homes are accurately and/or comprehensively reporting the incidents that take place at their facilities. It seems complaints are outnumbering the reported incidents and conflicting with high star ratings in some locations. For more, read the story.
