Several states across the U.S. have introduced online navigation platforms to assist families and residents in making informed decisions on their search for a nursing home – after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that Care Compare needed fixes to better serve residents.
Both Missouri and Ohio have recently launched such tools, providing users with comprehensive data on nursing home availability, quality measures, and services.
Missouri has unveiled a user-friendly dashboard, developed by the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, to help individuals navigate the long-term care landscape. With the aging population expected to surge over the next decade, the dashboard aims to address the growing demand for elder care services.
Jenny Hollandsworth, Director of the Missouri Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, said the dashboard provides various filtering options, including specific services such as “Wound VAC” treatment, enabling users to tailor their search according to their needs.
“That’s a specialized treatment for people who have pressure sores,” Hollandsworth said in an article in KY3 news. “People would want to know up front which facilities would provide that Wound VAC treatment.”
However, despite its potential benefits, only a fraction of Missouri’s long-term care facilities – 131 out of a total of 1,100 such facilities – have currently provided their information for inclusion in the dashboard, which can be done at no cost.
In Ohio, AARP’s advocacy efforts have played a crucial role in driving the implementation of the Nursing Home Quality Navigator. Launched on the Department of Aging’s website, this tool allows residents to evaluate nursing homes based on factors such as staffing ratios, safety records, and quality ratings.
Holly Holtzen, State Director of AARP Ohio, said the navigator consolidates scattered public data into a single platform, enabling users to compare facilities and make well-informed choices.
“Having relevant and accurate information can help provide caregivers peace of mind,” Holtzen said in an AARP blog post.
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