The Ohio Department of Aging has launched a new online tool to empower Ohioans when considering a nursing home for themselves or a loved one.
The Ohio Nursing Home Quality Navigator is an online tool that provides users with detailed information about nursing homes across the state.
The tool allows Ohioans to find nursing homes in their area by searching for the facility’s name or nearby facilities by entering a zip code or city name.
Those making long-term care decisions for their elderly loved ones deserve transparency about the quality of nursing homes in Ohio. That’s why we’ve now launched @OhioDeptofAging’s new Ohio Nursing Home Quality Navigator – an online tool with detailed information about Ohio… pic.twitter.com/YnkY1nqyWD
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) February 22, 2024
The online tool provides users with a wide range of data for each nursing home facility, including the number of beds available, its Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating, resident and family satisfaction survey scores, and staffing data.
Users of the tool can also access general information about the facilities, such as whether they allow pets, alcohol, or smoking, any religious affiliation, what special care services they might offer, and contact information.
The creation of the Ohio Nursing Home Quality Navigator resulted from a recommendation by Governor Mike DeWine’s Nursing Home Quality & Accountability Task Force.
“Our Task Force traveled to every corner of the state, listening to nursing home residents, their family members, friends, and caregivers. Time and again, these people told us that the information they needed to make one of the most important decisions of their lives – where to live and receive care – was scattered across a variety of sources,” DeWine said in a statement. “We heard loud and clear that Ohioans making these decisions want an accessible, trusted, single source of information about nursing homes available at their fingertips. Our new online Navigator will accomplish just that, providing an unprecedented level of transparency about the quality of Ohio’s nursing homes so people can make informed choices.”
The launch of the online tool follows a recent report by WalletHub that shows Ohio as among the top three states with the best elder abuse protections in place.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Nursing Home” by doctress neutopia. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
