14 Brookdale Skilled Nursing Communities Ranked Among Nation's Best

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Skilled nursing centers at 14 Brookdale (NYSE: BKD) communities were ranked among U.S. News' Best Nursing Homes. All received five stars – the highest overall rating – from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which sets and enforces federal requirements and standards for nursing homes certified to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments. A facility's overall rating is based on its performance in health inspections, nurse staffing, medical care and quality.

Brookdale communities included in this year's ranking are:

• Arizona – Park Regency in Chandler
• Colorado
  • Heritage Club Greenwood Village
  • Heritage Club Mountain View in Denver
  • Village at Skyline in Colorado Springs
• Florida
  • The Atrium Jacksonville
  • Freedom Pointe at The Villages
  • Freedom Square in Seminole
  • Glenview at Pelican Bay in Naples
  • Westwood Retirement Resort in Fort Walton Beach
• Illinois – Westbury Care Center in Lisle
• Kansas – Sweet Life at Brookdale Place Overland Park
• North Carolina – Carriage Club of Charlotte
• Pennsylvania – Freedom Village at Brandywine
• Texas – Broadway Plaza in Ft. Worth

"Brookdale is committed to high quality and person-centered health care for our residents.  This commitment is reflected in the excellent ratings of these 14 Brookdale nursing communities," said Kevin W. O'Neil, MD, FACP, CMD, Brookdale's chief medical officer.  "However, we will never be complacent.  We will always strive for excellence and improvement in the quality of care we provide in all our care settings."

The U.S. News rankings use data available on CMS's Nursing Home Compare consumer website. Nursing Home Compare assigns an overall rating from one to five stars, based upon data from regular health inspections carried out by state inspection and licensing agencies, as well as the communities themselves.  Communities are also scored on how well they do in health inspections, nurse staffing and providing a high level of quality care. 

As defined by the federal government, a nursing home is a Medicare or Medicaid facility that provides 24-hour nursing care and other medical services. Health inspections are conducted about every 12-15 months and investigate health-related complaints from residents, their families and other members of the public.  Findings from these inspections are used for ratings based on the any issues identified and their scope, meaning the relative number of residents who were or could have been affected.  Retirement and assisted living communities are not ranked since they are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid.

Nursing staffing is rated by comparing the average number of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certified nurse aides who were on the payroll during the two weeks prior to the most recent health inspection and the number of hours worked, with the average number of minutes of nursing time residents received per day.  To receive five stars, nurses and aides must provide slightly more than four hours of care a day to each resident, including 33 minutes from registered nurses. Quality measures are rated based on clinical data the CMS requires nursing homes to submit for the most recent three quarters detailing the status of each individual Medicare or Medicaid resident in 19 indictors.

For more information about Brookdale, visit www.brookdaleliving.com.

Contact: Andrea Turner, Public Relations Manager, 615-564-6829, [email protected]

SOURCE Brookdale Senior Living Inc.