The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) released the third annual survey on resident and family satisfaction with nursing home care Rhode Island. The survey results indicate that in 2008, nursing homes, on average, outperformed nursing homes nationwide. In Rhode Island, 91% of residents and 91% of family members rated their satisfaction with the facility as either “Good” or “Excellent.” In comparison, 87% of residents and 85% of family members in the national database rated their satisfaction as either “Good” or “Excellent.” “These comparative data show how well Rhode Island nursing homes are doing in making improvements that focus on quality of life and the individual choices of residents,” said Director of Health, David R. Gifford, MD, MPH. “This process allows individuals to give feedback about nursing homes. The report provides information that will assist families in making the best choices for long-term care for loved ones.” Together with the publicly available quality measure scores and survey performance, the satisfaction scores provide additional information consumers can use to make informed choices when selecting a nursing home. “Importantly, the results also show that more than 90% of residents and family members would recommend their nursing home to people needing skilled care. This testifies to the quality of nursing homes in our state,” said Gail Patry, Director of Long Term Care at Quality Partners of Rhode Island and Chair of the public reporting program’s Nursing Home Subcommittee. To view the nursing home satisfaction report or the Supplemental Information Report, visit http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/performance/nursinghome.php . This project is the result of a collaboration by all of the licensed nursing homes in Rhode Island; the Rhode Island Health Care Association; the Rhode Island Association of Facilities and Services for the Aging; the Alliance for Better Long Term Care; the Rhode Island Department of Human Services; the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs; the Rhode Island Long Term Care Coordinating Council; and the Department of Health's contractor, Quality Partners of Rhode Island.
