Resources I've Found Helpful Analyzing and Gaining Perspective on SNC's

Research has been a part of my professional and personal life for years. Sharing what I find and enabling others to be enlightened as a means of changing the world, even the small part we each inhabit, is important to me.

The internet is amazing but it's also limited to what's posted, the source of the posting and finding that one or more specific site with just the right info. In my numerous journeys into googleland and beyond I've found some exceptional websites sheding light on dark areas I've found myself trapped inside.

I'll start a list I invite you to explore if you have a loved one in a Skilled Nursing Center. Some sites will be specific to my State of Residence, some to areas of personal interest as my life is involved therein and some will be places I see as providing great insight into an area of life most of us enter without any real training or information -- it's a lot like parenting.

In this case, the adults we're responsible for have specific individual rights that we didn't face with our children (at least not until they also became adults) like self determination and making choices that endanger them while our hands are tied. Even with a guardianship, the Courts still control what can be done and can make life very challenging; I know, I was a Guardian for a child and it was a nightmare.

propublica.org tools and data; nursing home deficiency reports; they seem to be a little behind but what I do like is you can see at a glance a list of historic reports and other facts

carepathways.com   go to Nursing Home Inspector for information on inspection deficiences, resident condition and nursing home staffing info

ourparents.com   latest figures on occupancy and capacity of facilities and other statistics including how much time was spent each day by various service providers like Nurses, CNA's and RN's on average. Most interesting and shows how "bottom line" business focused even the Not For Profit facilities actually are.

guidestar.org   great website for evaluating Not For Profits; if your SNC is for profit you won't find any info here but if it is NPO you can pull up previously filed tax forms and really get your eyes opened as you read through the financial pages listing expenses and payroll along with information on Mission and other areas.

medicare.gov  Info on your rights and protections in a nursing home. Each State has their own rules and regs that conform to the Federal guidelines but there may be inclusions and even ommissions you'll find.  One big ommission in my state, Missouri, is the lack of Family Councils which was provided by the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act (more on that in another blog).

theconsumervoice.com   great resource about starting a Family Council and about the culture change provided in the 1987 NHRA where the change is directed from being institutional care to personalized care and self directed care in SNC's along with Family Involvement in the Nursing Home.

Missouri Coalition for Quality Care  or mcqc.com  Nursing home violations up to 2011 (a little behind) Each state may have a coalition; don't have time to check out that possibility. This is actually a part of Eta Sigma Gamma and some chapters have Student Ombudsmen (more on the Ombudsman at another time)