AARP Eye Center
The Takeaway: Nursing Home Care Improving-Mostly
By Elizabeth Nolan Brown, February 10, 2012 09:44 AM
1-Star Nursing Homes Not Getting Better: Nursing home care in the United States is improving ... except where it's worst. An analysis of federal nursing home ratings by USA Today found that as most nursing homes improved, those given the lowest, one-star rating didn't improve at all over the past three years. According to the ratings-which come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-more than 560 1-star nursing homes haven't budged in that time. 
"You'd like to think the marketplace would deal with it and residents wouldn't get placed there, but sometimes they don't have a choice," said Larry Minnix, president and CEO of LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit nursing homes.
Among the consistently low performers, almost two-thirds were for-profit nursing homes that are owned by chains.
Overall, however, nursing home quality is improving. The share of nursing homes receiving one or two stars dropped from 2009 to 2011, while those receiving four- or five-stars increased 5 percent.
Friday Quick Hits:
- Brian Wilson will join the Beach Boys in kicking off a 50th anniversary tour with a performance at the Grammys on Sunday.
- A battle over dining rooms being segregated by health status in a Virginia retirement community is raising questions about just how much autonomy assisted living or retirement facility residents have.
- A national survey from trade publisher Hanley Wood found 30 percent of homeowners were "doubling up," sharing a living space with roommates or relatives.
- Boomers outpace Gen Y at online shopping: 40- and 50-somethings are the most likely to purchase health, beauty, food and beverage products on the Internet.
- U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said loneliness is more dangerous for older adults than smoking, making a bid to encourage Britons to keep working beyond traditional retirement age.
- And Paul McCartney finally got his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame Thursday, becoming the last of the four Beatles to do so.
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