Surveys are unannounced

 Surveyors are health care professionals such as registered nurses, social workers and dieticians

 A survey report is sent to the nursing home after each survey

 If standards are not met, then the nursing home must submit a plan of correction to the Division

 In some cases, a follow-up survey is made to verify that compliance has been achieved

 Surveys look at the care provided to a sample of residents

 Surveys only reflect a snapshot in time

 The report card system has been developed to aid consumers in their choice of a nursing home

 The system uses existing data collected through the Division's surveys

 Consumers can evaluate and compare facilities in five categories:

       Click here to see information on category:  Administration
       Click here to see information on category:  Care and Services
       Click here to see information on category : Resident Rights
       Click here to see information on category:  Dietary
       Click here to see information on category:  Environment

 The report card summary is available only for certified nursing homes that have received four standard health certification surveys. Facilities will be added to the system as surveys are completed.

 The scoring system evaluates 45 requirements of compliance that have been reviewed during each of the last three standard health surveys. After thorough statistical validation, these were determined to be most indicative of quality of care of residents in nursing facilities.

 The scoring system reflects the number of requirements in each category that were not in compliance, as weighted by scope and severity of the problem. See the Scope and Severity Matrix.

 Individual scores for each of the last three survey periods are shown, and an overall score is calculated. See Scoring Methodology to see how report card scores are calculated.

 Findings of Substandard Quality of Care or Immediate Jeopardy which were cited as a result of any survey occurring during the time period between two annual health surveys are included in the scoring. Complaints and investigations not resulting in SSQC or IJ are not reflected in the scoring; however, that information can be obtained by contacting the Division directly at (317) 233-7442.

 Consumers can use these reports to compare a nursing home's performance to itself over the previous three annual health surveys, compare its score to the calculated statewide average, or to compare it to the performance of other nursing homes.

 Scores are recalculated on a monthly basis.

 Facilities that are licensed only and do not participate in Medicare or Medicaid are not included in the report card summaries. Consumers may call the Division at (317) 233-7442 to obtain survey information on facilities for which no report card is available.

 The report cards are generated every two weeks and the information selected must be properly aged to insure that it is public information. At the time the report cards are generated a page is produced to show the number of facilities that fall within groups of scores by fifty (50) also, percentages of IJ, SSQC, and no deficiencies for each of the three survey periods looked at. To view the groupings of scores click here. Score Summary