“We’re excited about this positive trend, and will continue to work with CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) to do more in these critical areas.” Was the statement made by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) President and CEO Mark Parkinson in a recent release in regards to the government announcing that more skilled nursing facilities are achieving higher Five-Star Quality Rating System scores.

The primary goal in having a Five-Star scoring system is to provide residents and their families with an easy way to understand the assessment of nursing home quality and to assist in making meaningful distinctions between high and low performing nursing homes. This Five-Star rating system is based on the fulfillment of federal requirements, which include performance ratings completed by state surveyors, and ensure compliance through a health inspection survey, staffing information and quality care measures.

With the analyzing of 15,000 facilities nationwide CMS has found that four-star and five-star centers have respectively increased 4% and 4.1%. The federal data also revealed that there has been an overall 7% decrease in a number of one-star facilities. This information is a great indication of quality improvement in the field of skilled nursing facilities.  With improvements in the overall quality of nursing homes we can be sure to see great progress in the residents and their quality of life.