Mary Marzari disputes a new federal government rating system that ranks Nottingham Village nursing home below average and says the care she's received at the assisted-living center has been "exceptional" over the years.
She and her husband, Richard, have lived at the Northumberland-area center for 13 years, moving from independent to assisted-living quarters and may eventually move to the skilled nursing facility.
The couple has never had a complaint about the care.
"I have no quibble with the nursing staff," said Marzari, who is partially blind and gets around with the use of a walker. "The nurses are nice and capable and the care is exceptional."
Nottingham Village is among 11 area nursing homes rated below average in the new five-star ranking system that is coming under a bit of fire from administrators.
"It still needs more development," Nottingham skilled nurse administrator Linda Krebs said of the system, adding that it doesn't take into account special features each nursing home provides its clients. "We believe the system could be misleading and can't emphasize enough that people should tour the facility, visit with staff and ask questions."
About 22 percent of the nation's nearly 16,000 nursing homes received the lowest rating in the system unveiled Thursday, while 12 percent received the highest ranking possible.
The ratings reflect three major criteria based on self-reporting: state inspections, staffing levels and quality measures, such as the percentage of residents with bed sores. The nursing homes will receive stars for each of those categories as well as for their overall quality.
Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the agency was merely taking existing data already on the agency's Web site and making it easier for patients and families to evaluate a nursing home. He said it can be difficult for people to understand all the aspects of an inspection.
"This should help consumers in narrowing their choices, but nothing should substitute for visiting a nursing home when making a decision," Weems said.
Mark Monahan, administrator at Golden Living Center Mansion on Market Street in Sunbury, said the information used to rate the nursing home was based on 3-year-old data and doesn't take into account ongoing quality improvements.
"Our rating is not as high as we'd like it, but our facility is improving every year," he said of the 70-bed home's two-star overall quality rating out of five stars.
While the nursing home's 70 employees meet state requirements, he said staffing is currently under review and the rating system will prompt even more improvements.
"In the end, it's about improving care for the elderly," Monahan said.
Consumer groups like the concept, but agreed there are some potential problems with the data. For example, the staffing data is self-reported just before state surveys and is widely recognized as unreliable.
"From a consumer viewpoint, it's not stringent enough," said Alice H. Hedt, executive director of the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform. "It's basically taking information already available on Medicare's Nursing Home Compare Web site and pulling it into an easier system for consumers to use, and that is a good thing."
Shamokin Area Community Hospital's 15-bed skilled nursing facility got rave reviews, with five stars for health inspections, staffing and quality measures.
"It's a reflection on the job the staff do," hospital President and CEO Thomas Harlow said.
While the new rating system provides a "good indication" to patients and families on how a facility is managed, he said, "It's not an exact science."
Pleased with the nursing home's top rating, Harlow said there is always room for improvement and the facility will not rest on its laurels.
"Reducing infections is clearly and area of emphasis," he said.
Other area nursing homes that received the lowest overall ranking of one out of five stars included Manor at Penn Village in Selinsgrove; Riverwoods and Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village, both in Lewisburg.
n Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
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