Rhode Island Ranked #2 on National Nursing Homes Report Card

Rhode Island Ranked #2 on National Nursing Homes Report Card

Rhode Island recently received an "A" ranking for nursing home quality of care from "Families for Better Care," a national nursing home resident advocacy group -- and earned the #2 top spot in the country overall.

The group published the nation’s "first-ever state-by-state nursing home report card" by analyzing eight federal measures to gauge nursing home quality.

Slideshow:  See How All Six New England States Ranked Below

According to the findings, Rhode Island is one of two states that scored an above average grade in every statistical measure, which looked at percentage of facilities with deficiencies, direct care staffing quality and levels, nursing hours and staffing, health inspections above average, and verified ombudsman complaints.

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“Rhode Islanders should be proud of their accomplishment,” said Brian Lee, Families for Better Care’s Executive Director. “The state exemplifies what can be achieved when operators, regulators and consumers strive for quality nursing home care for residents.”

Families for Better Care, Inc. is a non-profit citizen advocacy group dedicated to creating public awareness of the conditions in our nation’s nursing homes and other long-term care settings and developing effective solutions for improving quality of life and care.

Highlights of the report card findings include that almost 25% of Rhode Island’s nursing home inspections were deficiency free—a record eclipsed only by two other states, and that Rhode Island surveyors cited the lowest percentage of severe deficiencies.

Rhode Island Healthcare Experts Respond

"In Rhode Island we have maintained a significant focus on Long Term Care facilities and have had a strong enforcement strategy for the last 6 to 7 years. We also have a strong resident-centered culture within Rhode Island facilities and an active "culture change" coalition called RI Generations. Our staff is active in collaborative training that includes our inspectors training with Long Term Care facility staff. This is supported by the major trade associations - making for a better overall working relationship," said Andrea Bagnall Degos, Communications with the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Degos continued, "For three years in a row Rhode Island has been number one out of 39 states who conduct a Resident-Family Satisfaction Survey of nursing homes. In Rhode Island, that survey is coordinated through the Health Care Quality Steering Committee."

Gail Patry, RN, who is Senior Director of Quality Programs at Healthcentric Advisors, spoke to the collaborative environment in the state as being a key component to its success

Healthcentric Advisors is a locally-based nonprofit consulting group which uses "innovative and evidence-based strategies to assist health care providers in improving the quality, value, and safety of the care they provide," according to their website.

"Nursing homes in Rhode Island have achieved a good level of quality because of a lot of things. In general, one thing that nursing homes done here very well is look for ways to improve quality," said Patry.

"We're constantly running quality improvement collaboratives that nursing homes voluntarily come together for. In January we launched a collaborative to improve the care that homes provide to dementia patients. We had 51 homes agree to participate in 3 learning sessions, calls, and and outcome congress, and actually do things when they go back to homes."

"They do homework, collect data. They're actively participating, no one's doing it because they're in trouble, or for financial incentives. We have other collaboratives working on efforts such as avoiding readmissions to hospitals," Patry said.  

Elderly Affairs, Ombudsman Weigh In on Ranking

Director of Elderly Affairs Catherine Taylor said that the rankings affirmed the work being done by the state.

"This is truly great day. It re-energizes our efforts since it shows that they're paying off."

Taylor continued, "There are so many efforts in the state to ensure quality nursing home care  -- and so many eyes looking at nursing homes including Lieutenant Governor Roberts' Long Term Care Coordinating Council."

Taylor cited collaboration as being key in a current initiative in the state.  "We just finished a state plan on Alzheimer's, which can be viewed on the Lt. Gov's website. We'll reconvene the work in September."

"These rankings are a boost in the arm for the work we do, and especially as an indicator that we're further along than maybe we even thought."

Kathy Heren, Ombudsman with the Alliance for Better Long Term Care, saw Rhode Island's size as providing an advantage.

"I think because we're a small state, we're able to monitor things well. Despite cutbacks at the Department of Health, inspections have still kept up," said Heren.

Said Heren, "The long term care council also deserves the credit, as do the trade associations, Jim Nyberg and Virginia Burke."

"If complaints are justified, they're justified. Everyone who does this job is very dedicated. I'm proud of my office staff...they can work under tough conditions."