Most US nursing homes receive a ‘poor’ rating for quality of care, according to a recent poll.

Americans’ Perception of Nursing Home Care

A recent ‍Gallup poll has revealed that Americans have a substandard perception regarding⁤ the quality of nursing home care in the country, especially after the pandemic. Many citizens are‍ “largely uncomfortable” about the prospect of spending their old age in such facilities.

“More than four in 10 U.S. adults grade nursing homes negatively​ for overall quality of care—36 percent give them a ‘D’ (poor) and 6 percent an ‘F’ (fail),” said a Sept. 12 post by​ Gallup. ⁢”Another 33 percent⁤ grade⁢ nursing homes as satisfactory, a ‘C’, ⁤while few rate ‍them positively with an excellent ‘A’ (1 percent) or⁣ good ‘B’ (8 percent) grade. These ratings ‍average out to a D+ grade for nursing-home ⁣quality of care overall.”

Currently,⁢ there are over 1.3 million individuals residing in around ​15,600 nursing homes across the United States.

The Need for Public Confidence

Gallup states, ⁢”Americans are largely uncomfortable with the thought of ever needing one (nursing home) in their later years or using one for‍ family. The new poll makes it clear that nursing homes ‍have ⁤much work to do ​to instill more⁣ public confidence in their facilities.”

According to the poll, seven out of 10 respondents claim ⁤they would be “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable about getting admitted⁤ to a nursing home if they can no longer take care of themselves. Sixty-one percent felt the same way about admitting a relative or a family member.

Quality of care was cited as the ‍top reason why respondents felt uncomfortable about living in nursing homes, with 70 percent citing it. The cost of nursing home care was the second biggest worry, followed by the potential mental and emotional negative impact of living in ‌such facilities.

Some expressed fears about losing independence while others‍ insisted they do not wish to die in a nursing home. Certain respondents were also concerned about their physical safety.

Only one in five Americans said they are “somewhat” comfortable with⁤ living ​in a nursing home or having their relative or family member‌ in the facility.

Interestingly, more women than men raised concerns about quality and personal safety at nursing homes. Men were more likely to be worried about losing independence or dying there.

Gallup reports, “Just one in four (26 percent) think nursing homes are safe ⁢places, while 41 percent think they ⁢are not.⁣ In addition, more than four in 10 U.S. adults (42 percent) ​say nursing homes⁤ are ⁢not very or not at all effective in keeping residents safe from avoidable harms such as⁤ infections, pressure wounds, and abuse and neglect. ​A similar percentage (44 percent)‌ consider them at least somewhat effective.”

The survey was conducted in July.

Distrust in Nursing Homes

Nursing homes came under increased scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic following a series of deaths.

In 2021, a data disclosure revealed that almost ⁣15,000 nursing ⁢home residents in‌ New York had died due to the COVID-19 virus after people who were recovering from it were released ​into nursing homes at the beginning of the pandemic.

A​ Harvard University study from 2021 found that delayed reporting requirements from the government caused as many as 16,623 COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes⁣ to be omitted from the official count.

In New York, several civil lawsuits have been filed on behalf of those who ​died at nursing homes, some alleging that such facilities or top state officials are to blame for ​the incidents.

During ⁣the pandemic,‌ the state’s​ Department of Health issued a directive that nursing homes could not deny admission or readmission to​ a resident just⁣ on the basis of a suspected or confirmed ⁤diagnosis of COVID-19.

Nursing homes⁣ saw the directive ⁤to mean that they were required to take in COVID-positive residents. The lawsuits against nursing homes‍ allege that even with ⁢the directive, the ultimate responsibility of caring for residents fell with ⁤these facilities.

State Failure in Ensuring Quality, Understaffing

The issue of poor ⁢nursing home quality was raised by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the‌ Inspector General (OIG) last year.

States are responsible for ensuring the safety of people‍ in nursing homes. The report (pdf) found that most states failed in this regard.

“Over half of states—28 of 52—failed to ⁣meet the same performance measure or measures ​in 3 or 4 consecutive years during FYs 2015–2018,” the report said.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) imposed a requirement on such failed states to submit corrective action plans. However, “10 percent of plans were missing from⁢ CMS files and ⁣many others lacked substantive detail.”

According⁣ to advocacy group Nursing⁤ Home Abuse Justice, understaffing at nursing homes “leads to poor quality care” and puts residents at risk.​ On the ⁣other hand, a ⁣”good ratio of staff to residents” boosts the ⁢quality of care,⁢ it said citing studies.

“Nursing homes are staffed on a ratio of residents to ‍staff. Fewer resident