7 IE Nursing Homes Make 'Best' List In 2023: U.S. News & World Report

RIVERSIDE, CA —The U.S. News & World Report’s annual rating of assisted living and nursing homes showed that 154 California facilities received the highest possible rating — five out of five. But there is more to the story than just the numbers, according to experts.

The rankings service rated more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide based on patient and resident outcomes, such as infection rates; staffing levels; reliance on antipsychotic drugs; health inspection results, and other quality indicators.

In the report, it was found that nearly one in five of the evaluated nursing homes were recognized as “Best Nursing Homes” in “Short-Term Rehabilitation,” “Long-Term Care,” or both. In the Golden State, 1169 nursing homes in California were reviewed. Of those, 154 received an overall "high performing" rating of 5 out of 5.

In the Inland Empire, seven nursing homes were recognized as “high performing” for both "short stays" and "long stays.

1. Extended Care Hospital of Riverside, Riverside
2. Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Medical Center Skilled Nursing Facility, Reseda.
3. Legacy Post-Acute Rehabilitation, San Bernardino.
4. Palm Terrace Care Center, Riverside.
5. Premier Care Center for Palm Springs, Palm Springs.
6. Ramona Rehabilitation and Post-Acute Care Center, Hemet.
7. Temecula Healthcare Center, Temecula.

Beyond Nursing Homes, U.S. News reported the ratings for the top Senior Assisted Living communities in California.

"Assisted living communities, sometimes called residential care or personal care communities, are for older adults who need help with activities of daily living, such as medication management, personal hygiene and dressing," according to the report.

Top 10 Senior Living, Assisted Living Communities In California:

1. Val Verde, Best Independent Living, Santa Barbara.
2. Piedmont Gardens, Best Independent Living, Oakland.
3. Plymouth Village, Best Independent Living, Redlands.
4. Vi at Palo Alto, Best Independent Living, Palo Alto.
5. Drake Terrace, Best Independent Living, San Rafael.
6. Rosewood, Best Independent Living, Bakersfield.
7. AlmaVia of Camarillo, Best Assisted Living, Camarillo.
8. Carmel Valley Manor, Best Independent Living, Carmel.
9. The Linden at Murrieta, Best Assisted Living, Murrieta.
10. Sunrise of Fair Oaks, Best Assisted Living, Fair Oaks.

More than 1.4 million people live in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes nationwide, Dr. Michael Tehrani, a geriatric physician and founder and CEO of MedWell Medical in Long Beach, California, told U.S. News last month. Most people who use long-term care services are at least 65 years old, with 83 percent of nursing home residents being in that older age bracket.

Residents typically have a chronic condition — such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s disease — that requires ongoing care.

The U.S. News authors said the latest data showed that fewer than 5 percent of evaluated nursing homes met existing and newly proposed staffing requirements by the Biden administration.

Over 2,500 cities and towns have at least one nursing home rated as “below average.” Furthermore, over 400 nursing homes consistently failed to have a registered nurse available for at least eight hours a day, seven days a week — as required by federal regulators — and only 701 met both existing requirements and more stringent staffing requirements recently proposed by the Biden administration, the report found.

Nursing homes that met both staffing standards are 54 times more likely to be rated a “Best Nursing Home” by U.S. News than those that consistently failed to meet the current standard, the U.S. News said in a news release. Additionally, 445 nursing homes that received 4 or 5 stars from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were rated 1 or 2 out of 5 by U.S. News.

Methodology

U.S. News evaluated nursing homes using various quality measures from CMS. This includes data on resident care, safety, outcomes and other quality aspects. Short- and long-term ratings include data on nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing emergency room and hospital visits.

The long-term care rating also included whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends.

“U.S. News’ Best Nursing Homes ratings give patients, senior residents, their families and caregivers an objective assessment of quality, to help them choose the facility that best fits their individual needs,” Daniel Lara Agudelo, health data analyst at U.S. News, said in a statement.

“Nursing homes that have earned the recognition of U.S. News have a track record of achieving better outcomes for patients and residents and maximizing the amount of care they receive from nurses and other staff.”

Related:

Best Nursing Homes In California Ranked 'High Performing' By U.S. News: 2022