Guides
Skilled nursing facilities explained
What a skilled nursing facility is, how it differs from a nursing home or assisted living, and how Medicare and Medicaid certification works.
How CMS star ratings work
A plain-English explanation of the Medicare nursing home ranking: the overall, health inspection, staffing and quality measure star ratings.
How to compare nursing homes
A step by step checklist for comparing nursing homes using ratings, staffing, fines, ownership and an in-person visit.
Staffing and what to ask
Understand nurse hours per resident day and staff turnover, and get a list of practical questions to ask a nursing home.