151 nursing home facilities in Illinois have received one-star ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This is the lowest rating available and reflects the much below average quality of care that these facilities provide residents. These ratings are a warning to residents and their family members that there is significant potential for harm within these nursing home facilities.
Changes to Nursing Home Compare Ratings
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changed the rating system following considerable criticism that the existing guidelines for rating nursing home facilities allowed many clear violators to avoid accountability. CMS currently provides ratings for nearly 15,000 nursing home facilities in the United States. Starting in October, CMS began placing red “abuse” icon beside ratings within the nursing home compare tool for facilities with a record of abuse, neglect, and elder exploitation.
This is a significant improvement that makes it easier for residents and their family members to identify facilities that provide substandard services. Previously, this required extensive research through the facility’s records. The change creates transparency that makes it difficult for facilities to avoid accountability for their bad acts or the negligent actions of their employees.
The Worst of the Worst in Illinois
151 nursing home facilities in Illinois have been branded with CMS’s lowest one-star rating. For comparison, nearly 2,900 nursing homes nationwide share the same one-star rating. The rating is a direct reflection of the cleanliness and resident safety within the facility which is considered substandard and inadequate for basic care needs. Nationwide, nearly 400 facilities are listed as consistently underperforming violators; of these, 22 are in Illinois.
Among the worst offenders in Illinois are Accolade Healthcare of Pontiac, Alden Terrace of McHenry Rehabilitation, Burgin Manor, Gardenview Manor, and Generations at McKinley Place. They are joined by Helia Healthcare of Belleville, Helia Healthcare of Champaign, South Elgin Rehab and HCC, Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion, and more than a dozen others.
Families with loved ones in these nursing home facilities or others with a similarly low rating should watch closely for signs of nursing home abuse if moving their loved ones to another facility is not possible. That is the best way to protect them from nursing home neglect and abuse. While the new ratings may encourage some to change their modus operandi, it is unlikely that these poor ratings with cause them to improve the quality of care or enhance operational oversight anytime soon.