Guides

How to narrow down nursing homes using star ratings, inspection reports and staffing numbers, then what to check when you visit and before you sign.

How the government's 1-to-5 star rating for nursing homes is put together, what each of the three parts measures, and where the stars can mislead you.

What a nursing home deficiency is, how the A-to-L severity letters work, and which citations deserve a closer look.

What Medicare actually covers in a skilled nursing facility, why it won't pay for long-term care, and how Medicaid fills that gap.

Questions about staffing, care, daily life, rehab and money to bring on a nursing home tour, with notes on what the answers tell you.

Who to call about poor care, neglect or abuse in a nursing home, home health agency or hospice, from the facility itself to the state and the ombudsman.

What "nurse hours per resident per day" means, the difference between RNs, LPNs and aides, and why turnover matters as much as headcount.

How the government's overall hospital star rating is put together, how to read infection, readmission, death-rate and ER numbers, and the rating's limits.

The difference between hospice and home health care, who qualifies under Medicare for each, what they cost, and how to compare providers.

How skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and long-term care hospitals differ, and how to tell which one a patient actually needs.

What dialysis center star ratings and outcome measures mean, plus the practical questions that matter when you'll be there three times a week.