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Tennessee Nursing Homes Get Low Marks-Erika Lathon
Tennessee nursing homes are getting low marks when it comes to staffing.
A federal survey ranks Tennessee near the bottom of the list for long term care.
But the news isn't all bad.
The Health Center at Richland Place offers everything from assisted living to hospice care.
The facility stands out not only because of the upscale surroundings, but because of the care it gives patients.
Resident Dunklin Bowman says, "The care here is excellent. I can see why they're ranked the way they are."
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluated nursing homes in Tennessee based on a five star rating system.
Richland Place is one of the few facilities that got a 5 star rating.
But that's not the case for most of the state's long term care facilities.
Patrick Willard, the AARP Advocacy Director, says, "About 1 in 4 of the 319 nursing homes in Tennessee just received one star so that's a very serious concern."
According to CMS, Tennessee has one of the lowest staffing requirements in the country, less than half of what Medicaid recommends.
It's one of the reasons why the state is ranked 5th worst in the nation for long-term care.
Willard says, "It can be a range of problems from pressure ulcers that sort of thing, pain management when you don't have the staff to check on somebody problems develop."
Officials with AARP say whether a nursing homes receives one star or five, it's just one factor that should be taken into consideration when choosing a facility.
Willard says, "The best thing is to use it as a measuring stick to go out and see where a nursing home is rated and then visit it yourself and find out if the place you think is good."
Bowman says, "I'm too old to be driving. I'm too old to be living by myself and this is a wonderful place my daughter found for me."
Bowman says there's no trading the five star care at Richland Place.
To find out more about the report on Tennessee nursing homes, go to www.fox17.com, click on FOX Links and look for Nursing Home Report. Tennessee Nursing Homes Get Low Marks-Erika Lathon
Posted: Wednesday, February 3 2010, 08:17 PM CST
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