December 19th, 2008

Nearly half the nursing homes in the Harrisburg area are deemed below average under a rating system unveiled by the federal government Thursday, reports the Patriot News.

Eighteen of the 40 homes serving Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry and Lebanon counties received one or two stars on the five-star scale, with five being the highest rating.

Some PA organizations criticized the system, calling it inaccurate and misleading.

“We think the star system misses the point. Not only is it based on a survey process that can be inconsistent on its best days, but stars alone can’t give you the entire story about a nursing home facility,” said Russ McDaid, vice president of public policy for Panpha, which represents nonprofit nursing homes in Pennsylvania.

Results in the Pittsburgh region are similar, reports the Post-Gazette. Out of 64 nursing homes in Allegheny County, only four received the top rating.

Paul Winkler, president of Presbyterian SeniorCare, said the CMS evaluation of staffing levels favors smaller nursing homes because they have a higher proportion of registered nurses. Larger institutions typically have patients with more complex medical needs that can affect the ratings, Mr. Winkler added.