• Ask for referrals from doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals.

• Check with the local or statewide agency on aging for lists of facilities and information about their performance.

• If the patient plans to apply for Medicaid or some other form of public assistance, check with the relevant agency to see which nursing homes are eligible for reimbursement.

• Charitable organizations, such as the United Way, and associations connected with the nursing home industry also can provide lists of facilities.

RATING CARE AT NURSING HOMES

The federal Medicare program provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country. This list is searchable by state, city, zip code, etc. http://www.medicare.gov/