Nursing Home Important Information

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

A housing community that provides different levels of care based on what each resident needs over time. This is sometimes called "life care" and can range from independent living in an apartment to assisted living to full-time care in a nursing home. Residents move from one setting to another based on their needs but continue to live as part of the community. Care in CCRCs is usually expensive. Generally, CCRCs require a large payment before you move in and charge monthly fees.

Initial Date of Certification

The date that Medicare or Medicaid certified that the nursing home met all the requirements to provide nursing home care. This date may differ from the date the state licensed the agency. This information is included because you may wish to know how long the nursing home has met all Medicare and/or Medicaid requirements. This date is associated with the current Medicare and/or Medicaid provider number. A nursing home may request to change their provider number if there is a change in ownership. You should contact the agency to find out how long it has been in the Medicare and/or Medicaid program.

New Owner

If a nursing home’s owner changed in the last 12 months, you will see the term “new owner” where applicable. This information may be of interest to you when visiting a nursing home.

Participates in Medicaid

This nursing home participates in the Medicaid program and can care for people with Medicaid. If a nursing home doesn’t participate in the Medicaid program or no longer participates in the Medicaid program, and the resident runs out of other funds/coverage, the resident will have to move to another nursing home if he/she wants to be on Medicaid.

Resident and Family Councils

Resident and family councils can facilitate communications with staff. The law requires nursing homes to allow councils to be set up by residents and families. If a nursing home doesn’t have a resident and family council, ask the administrator why. Ask to talk with council presidents to get a sense of how the nursing home has acted on their concerns.

Type of Ownership

Nursing homes can be run by private for-profit corporations, non-profit corporations, religious affiliated organizations or government entities. Quality can vary in nursing homes within each of the different types of ownership. Each nursing home needs to be judged on its own merits.