How Nursing Homes are rated
What goes into the CMS rating for nursing homes — and how to use it.
The three building blocks
A nursing home's overall rating is built from three components: health inspections (on-site state surveys of safety and care), staffing (how many nurse and aide hours each resident gets per day, adjusted for resident needs), and quality measures (clinical outcomes for long- and short-stay residents).
How the overall star is calculated
CMS starts with the health-inspection rating, then moves the overall star up or down based on staffing and quality-measure performance. Strong staffing can add a star; poor inspections cap the overall rating.
What to watch for
Staffing and recent inspection results are often the most actionable. A facility flagged with an abuse icon, or with many fines and penalties, deserves extra scrutiny — but always confirm the current situation directly with the facility.
Source: CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System.