Making the choice to place your loved one in a nursing home can be difficult. How will you know they’ll be safe? What if they aren’t being cared for properly? Will they be happy? Thankfully, our federal government has a vested interest in making sure that people choose the nursing home that is right for them, and so has set up rating systems that can be used to determine which nursing homes are the worst at proving adequate care.
Which Nursing Homes Rank Lowest
The rating is compiled by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for all Medicare and Medicaid certified homes, and anyone can do their own research through Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare system. The five-star rating system, with one being the lowest and five being the highest, has three sections: health inspections, staff ability, and quality measures. There is also an overall score that reflects the home’s average. It is important to note that because this system rates specifically Medicare and Medicaid certified facilities, it does not include private nursing homes.
The top ten worst nursing homes in Colorado according to the Department of Health and Human Services are:
- Yuma Life Care Center: with an overall score of 1 star
- Woodridge Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation: with an overall score of 1 star
- Windsor Health Care Center: with an overall score of 1 star
- Vista Garden Inn: with an overall score of 1 star
- Union Printers Home: with an overall score of 1 star
- Terrace Gardens Health Care Center: with an overall score of 1 star
- Sierra Vista Health Care Center: with an overall score of 1 star
- Parkmoor Village Healthcare Center: with an overall score of 1 star
- Palisades Living Center: with an overall score of 1 star
- Monaco Parkway Health and Rehabilitation Center: with an overall score of 1 star
Finding A Safe Nursing Home
This list is a useful resource, as it can guide you away from the worst nursing homes in Colorado. But that is only one step in the long process of finding a good facility. What should you do next? How do you go about finding a nursing home that will take proper care of your loved one? Making a bad choice could result in your loved one becoming ill, injured, or even abused. At the Tenge Law Firm, LLC, we understand just how stressful this process can be, so we’ve compiled some tips for you.
Ask questions: Talk to everyone, and we mean everyone. Talk to staff, administrators, residents, friends, and other family members. The more people you talk to, the better a picture you’ll get about the facilities you are considering. Ask about the activities provided, their health and care plans, how many staff members are present, how many residents the facility holds, and any other question that may aid you in making an educated decision. If staff members try to avoid answering or seem upset with your questions, take into consideration why that might be and what they might be trying to avoid or hide.
Take multiple tours: Don’t just settle for one tour of the facility. What looks good one day may be eye-opening the next. Also, be sure to take surprise tours. Don’t tell the management that you’re coming. They may be putting up a front to try to convince you they’re a good facility, when the reality is their residents are mistreated and miserable.
Inspect health facilities and kitchens: Are the kitchen clean and well-stocked? Are the health care facilities up to date? Good food and proper medication are very important factors in keeping your elderly loved one safe, healthy, and happy.
Check government resources: The best part about the rating system put out by the Department of Health and Human Services is that it also includes the best nursing homes in Colorado. Looking into these homes could be a good idea and may lead you to pick you the perfect facility for your loved one. In addition, some U.S. senators have launched in-depth reviews of nursing homes to keep families and residents informed on the issue.
One of the scariest aspects of nursing homes is the possible abuse and neglect that your loved one could face if the facility doesn’t care to keep its residents safe. Elder abuse is common in nursing homes and heartbreaking for both the victim and their family. If you believe your loved one has been abused in a nursing home, contact the Tenge Law Firm, LLC at (303) 665-2929. We have years of experience as Boulder nursing home abuse attorneys and believe that facilities and staff members should be held accountable when they neglect or harm their residents.