Choosing care, without the guesswork.
How to read Medicare's nursing-home ratings, what they don't tell you, and how to choose well for someone you love. Every guide traces back to CMS Care Compare, and every one is honest that a rating is a starting point, not a verdict.
How CMS nursing home ratings work
The four star ratings, the 1-to-5 scale, and where the data comes from.
Staffing vs the star rating
Why nurse hours per resident predict care better than the headline star.
What the CMS abuse flag means
What triggers it, and why it means "read the detail," not "avoid."
Choosing a nursing home: a checklist
Shortlist, weight the right ratings, visit, and ask the right questions.
Nursing home tour red flags
What to watch, smell, and ask when you walk through the door.
Health inspection deficiencies explained
What the surveyors check, and how to read a home's inspection history.
Questions to ask a nursing home
Staffing, turnover, nights and weekends, and how concerns are handled.
Nursing home cost and Medicaid
What it costs, and what Medicare and Medicaid actually pay for.
Nursing home vs assisted living
The difference in care, cost, and who each one is for.
Assisted living vs nursing home cost
What each runs a month and a year, why the gap is wide, and who pays.
When to move a parent to a nursing home
The honest signs it's time, and how to start the conversation.