Miami University

Where might one find information about specific nursing facilities in Ohio and nationwide?

In the past consumers had to rely on their own research to find appropriate long-term care solutions. This personal research included word-of-mouth referrals, and facility visits. Today, more tools are available to the consumer for making informed choices.
Area Agencies on Aging have a Care Choice Ohio program, which makes consultants available for evaluating a consumer’s need, matching this need with available services, discussing eligibility requirements, determining adequacy of financial resources, and creating a plan of care.

Two websites make information concerning specific nursing facilities available to the public. The first, The Ohio Long-Term Care Consumer Guide was developed by the Ohio Department of Aging by legislative mandate in order to provide consumers with information about long-term care services in the state. This website includes results of resident and family satisfaction surveys, state-collected information on deficiencies, quality measures, self-reported facility characteristics (descriptions), as well as contact information. A search may be made by location, religious or other affiliation, or for a specific service such as Alzheimer’s care.

The second website Nursing Home Compare is hosted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and provides nationwide comparative nursing facility information. Nursing Home Compare reports facility characteristics, inspection results, staffing information, and quality measures for certified nursing facilities nationwide. This site is less comprehensive than the Ohio website.