Whether you have decided to move into a senior living community or are just starting to weigh your options, the search for information online can quickly become overwhelming. Beyond the official websites of individual communities where can you go online for reliable information?
One research tool we recommend checking out is Nursing Home Compare, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Friendship Village of South Hills has a five-star rating on this website.
Let’s take a closer look at this tool and how it can help you in your search.
What Is the Medicare Rating System?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the Nursing Home Compare website to help people compare senior living communities across the United States. The service tracks Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes with skilled nursing providers. In 2008, the website added a five-star quality rating system to help people better interpret its data.
The website lists an overall five-star rating for each community, alongside a separate five-star rating for three different service areas. Learn more about those individual ratings below.
- Health inspections — This rating factors in the three most recent health inspections and investigations due to complaints. The most recent survey findings carry more weight
- Staffing — This rating factors in the number of hours of care provided on average to each resident each day by nursing staff. A nursing home with residents who require more care would be expected to have more nursing staff on duty at any given time.
- Quality of resident care measures — The quality measure factors in 15 different physical and clinical measures for nursing home residents. It rates the level of care provided.
Friendship Village of South Hills currently has a five-star rating on the CMS website. Our team members work hard to maintain the highest quality of care possible. We take health inspections very seriously and are always working to improve our residences and services.
Note that the Medicare website offers additional resources for making your search for a senior living community easier, including this nursing home guide and nursing home checklist.
Benefits of a Continuing Care Retirement Community
As a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), Friendship Village of South Hills provides its residents with priority access to a full continuum of care. For instance, most residents start out in our independent living apartments and carriage homes. We always encourage our residents to live independently for as long as possible. But in the event that your health needs do change, we also offer assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services on site.
And that’s where our five-star Medicare rating enters the picture. While many CCRCs claim to offer a higher level of Life Care, we have an outside Medicare evaluation to support the hard work that our team is putting in each and every day with our residents. Narrowing down your search to five-star communities puts you in a good position.
In addition to offering access to additional care for residents, most CCRCs also provide access to a wide range of services and amenities. Keep an eye out for offerings that cater to your lifestyle.
Friendship Village of South Hills’ Health Service Overview
Friendship Village of South Hill’s Health Center provides access to assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation services. Services include:
- 24-hour care from nurses and nursing assistants
- Physical, occupational and speech therapies
- Assistance with medication management
- Personalized care plan created with patient input
- Access to an on-site dietician for nutrition assistance
We also offer a number of specialized therapies for our rehabilitation, skilled nursing and assisted living residents. These include joint replacement therapy, IV therapy and VitalStim therapy.
Check Out Our Health Center in Person (or Virtually)
While we take pride in our five-star Medicare skilled nursing rating, we still believe the best way to learn more about our Life Care community is to schedule an in-person or virtual tour. Complete the form below or give us a call at 724-941-3100 and a member of our team will be in touch.
