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"Selecting the right nursing home may not be an easy task, but there are sources which can help you," said Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

Naples Community Hospital (NCH) healthcare specialists report that during "tourist season" they have a significant increase in inquiries about nursing home facilities in the area. They attribute this seasonal increase in inquiries to people visiting family members already living in this area who are, or will be, in need of assisted living facilities. Since this is a major decision, NCH healthcare specialists recommend a very thorough and exhaustive study of all available data, as well as having discussions with them and/or other healthcare specialists in Southwest Florida. One of the sources they also recommend is the Five-star rating program that Medicare does on nursing homes. New data was released by Medicare mid-December 2014. This information should be part of your evaluation of which nursing homes to consider.

Medicare compares the quality of care information on nursing homes throughout the United States. The current Medicare database includes information on over 15,000 nursing homes certified to participate in Medicaid or Medicare.

The quality of care information is compiled into a convenient list using a Five-star quality rating for each facility. The quality rating is based upon health inspections made by Medicare, information about staffing obtained from each facility, and quality measures which Medicare has developed and found important. Medicare explains that this information provides a snapshot of the care provided by each of these facilities which can be used in the evaluation of them but should not be the final decision-making tool. They also suggest making your own visit to the nursing home on an unannounced basis, as well as speaking with doctors and other people in the medical profession such as social workers with knowledge in this field. More details about the rating program and how it works will be found on the medicare.gov website "Nursing Home Compare".

When, as part of nursing home evaluations, you visit facilities, you can ask them for copies of the latest ratings, which they are required by law to provide. Also, here is a link to: Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home or Other Long‑Term Care. This guide was prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services. The checklist in the guide will help you remember the important subjects which need to be evaluated.

Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Attorney,  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.