Saturday, January 23, 2010

Nursing homes lag in Bend, Central Oregon

Surprisingly, no nursing homes in Bend or Central Oregon make the list of the best nursing homes in Oregon, according to a recent issue from U.S. News and World Report.

It’s surprising because this area has so many nursing homes and Bend has received positive national notice in recent years for its end-of-life care.

In a list that includes the top 24 nursing homes from around the state, places like Lakeview and Prairie City make the list, but nothing from Bend or Central Oregon.

In another list, the magazine lists nursing homes alphabetically and three from Bend make that list, based on 5-star ratings (1=worst, 5=best): Cascade View Nursing (3 stars), Harmony House Nursing Home (2 stars) and Pilot Butte Rehabilitation Center (4 stars).

Also on the list from Central Oregon are: Mountain View Living Center in Madras (2 stars), Ochoco Care Center in Prineville (4 stars) and Redmond Health Care Center (2 stars).

Check this link for more details about each nursing home: http://www.usnews.com/listings/nursing-homes/OR

“U.S. News rankings rely on Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,” according to the magazine.

The rankings look at health inspections, nurse staffing and quality measures.

Details of each nursing home points out deficiencies in categories: administrative, environmental, mistreatment, nutrition/dietary and pharmacy.

For example, the Redmond Health Care Center posted 27 deficiencies. Oregon averages 8 deficiencies and the national average is 10.

Ochoco Care Center had just 2 deficiencies while Mountain View Living Center also only had 2.

In Bend, Pilot Butte Rehabilitation Center had 5 deficiencies, Harmony House had 8 and Cascade View Nursing had 5.

Yes, these rankings like the magazine’s rankings on colleges and high schools are flawed, as any ranking would be.

Still, there are no 5-star nursing homes in Central Oregon and that is not good.

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