Care Guides: How to Choose Nursing Homes, Home Health & Hospice

Straightforward guides to comparing Medicare-certified care providers with public CMS data - star ratings, inspection findings, fines, staffing, and ownership - plus the questions to ask before you decide.

Categories: Picking a Care Setting · Ratings & Inspections · Costs & Who Pays · Visiting & Assessing · Staffing & Quality · Safety & Wellness · Rights & Complaints · Moves & Transitions · Supporting Caregivers

choosing-care Assisted Living or Nursing Home: Making the Choice A nursing home delivers round-the-clock skilled nursing, while assisted living assists with everyday tasks. Weigh care needs, prices, oversight, and how to decide. choosing-care Senior Care Levels: Independent Living Through Skilled Nursing A plain-language tour of the senior care levels, from independent and assisted living through memory care, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice. choosing-care Nursing Home or Home Health: Which Setting Fits? Home health delivers intermittent skilled care at home, while a nursing home supplies care around the clock. Compare who qualifies, coverage, price, and safety. choosing-care Nursing Home or Memory Care: What Sets Them Apart? Memory care centers on dementia; a nursing home delivers 24-hour skilled nursing. Compare staffing, price, security, and how to choose. choosing-care Palliative Care vs Hospice: How They Differ Palliative care can begin at any stage alongside treatment; hospice is comfort care under a terminal prognosis. Learn how each works and who pays. ratings-inspections Understanding the CMS Five-Star Ratings CMS gives nursing homes one to five stars for inspections, staffing, and quality. Here is what each star reflects, and where the ratings fall short. ratings-inspections Reading a Nursing Home Inspection Report State surveyors inspect nursing homes at least once every 15 months. Learn to interpret the deficiencies, the scope-and-severity grid, and complaint findings. ratings-inspections Special Focus Facilities: What the CMS Program Involves CMS flags nursing homes with a persistent record of poor performance as Special Focus Facilities. Learn how the program works and how to check a facility's status. ratings-inspections Red Flags to Spot in CMS Nursing Home Data Learn the CMS data patterns that point to risk: low staffing, high turnover, repeat deficiencies, fines, denials, and the abuse icon on Care Compare. costs-and-payment What a Nursing Home Costs Nursing home prices turn on room type, care level, and location. Learn the real cost components and how to obtain a written rate before committing. costs-and-payment Will Medicare Cover Nursing Home Care? Medicare Part A covers as many as 100 days of skilled nursing per benefit period after a hospital stay, but never long-term custodial care. Learn the rules. costs-and-payment How Medicaid Covers Nursing Home Care Medicaid is the largest payer of long-term nursing home care. Learn eligibility, income and asset rules, spousal protections, waivers, and estate recovery. costs-and-payment VA Long-Term Care Benefits for Veterans Veterans may qualify for VA nursing homes, community care, and Aid and Attendance. Learn which programs exist and who can use them. costs-and-payment Long-Term Care Insurance and Other Ways to Pay Long-term care insurance may cover nursing home, assisted living, and home care. Compare it with hybrid policies, Medicaid, reverse mortgages, and family care. touring-and-evaluation Nursing Home Tour Checklist: What to Look For What to inspect and ask on a nursing home tour: odors, staffing, safety, meals, activities, and the questions that reveal how a facility really runs. touring-and-evaluation Questions to Ask on a Senior Care Facility Tour Questions that produce real answers: staffing, turnover, care planning, safety, complaints, cost, and what happens when needs change. touring-and-evaluation Evaluating Assisted Living: A Family Guide Assisted living is licensed by each state and varies widely. Learn to compare communities on care, staffing, contracts, cost, and what happens when needs rise. touring-and-evaluation What to Look For in a Memory Care Unit Evaluating a memory care unit: staffing, training, security, activities, medical limits, and the questions that reveal genuine dementia care. staffing-and-quality CMS Staffing Ratings for Nursing Homes Explained CMS staffing stars derive from payroll-based nurse hours and turnover. Learn what the staffing domain measures and why hours alone can mislead. staffing-and-quality Staff Turnover at Nursing Homes: What the Numbers Mean Frequent staff turnover breaks up care continuity and often points to deeper problems. Here is what CMS reports and how to use turnover data when picking a facility. staffing-and-quality Reading the CMS Nursing Home Quality Measure Rating The CMS quality measure rating is built from clinical assessment data. Here is what it captures, how it is adjusted, and where it falls short. staffing-and-quality Comparing Nursing Homes: A Step-by-Step Method A repeatable way to compare nursing homes using CMS ratings, staffing, inspections, cost, location, and the care needs of your family member. safety-and-health Stopping Falls Before They Happen in Nursing Homes Falls are frequent and serious in nursing homes. Here are the risk factors, what the CDC advises, and the questions that prod a facility to act. safety-and-health Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes Nursing homes must run an infection prevention and control program. Here is what the CDC and federal rules require and what families should watch for. safety-and-health Medication Safety for Older Adults in Care Medication errors and needless drugs are serious concerns in nursing homes. Here are the federal pharmacy rules, the antipsychotic focus, and questions to ask. safety-and-health When Nursing Home Residents Return to the Hospital Why nursing home residents are sent back to the hospital, how CMS measures readmissions, and what families can do to support a safer recovery. resident-rights Nursing Home Resident Rights Under Federal Law Federal law protects nursing home residents: care planning, privacy, visitors, freedom from abuse, and the right to voice complaints without retaliation. resident-rights How to File a Nursing Home Complaint Step by step, how to complain about a nursing home to the state survey agency, CMS, or the ombudsman — what to document and what happens afterward. resident-rights What Is a Long-Term Care Ombudsman? A long-term care ombudsman advocates for nursing home and assisted living residents. Learn what they do, how to reach one, and what they cannot do. resident-rights Nursing Home Eviction and Discharge Rights A nursing home may only discharge a resident for specific legal reasons and must give notice. Learn the permitted reasons, notice rules, and how to appeal. moving-and-transitions Planning a Move to a Care Facility A practical move-in plan for a nursing home or assisted living community: paperwork, transportation, medications, belongings, and the first weeks. moving-and-transitions Hospital to Nursing Home: Managing the Discharge A guide to hospital discharge to a skilled nursing facility: the 3-day rule, observation status, choosing a facility, and what to sign and ask. moving-and-transitions Downsizing for a Care Facility: What to Bring How to downsize for a move into senior care: what to bring, what to store, how to label belongings, and how to make the new room feel like home. caregiver-support Caregiver Burnout and Respite Care Family caregivers shoulder heavy stress and real health risks. Learn the warning signs of burnout, how respite care works, and where to find support. caregiver-support Paying Family Caregivers: Programs and Rules Some programs let families pay relatives for caregiving. Learn how Medicaid self-direction, VA programs, and tax rules work, with safeguards to avoid problems. caregiver-support Legal and Financial Planning for Caregivers Advance directives, power of attorney, guardianship, and the money steps caregivers should take before a health crisis forces the issue. costs-and-payment What Assisted Living Costs: A Practical Guide for Families What assisted living costs depends on location, room type, and how much daily help a resident needs. See what the base rate covers, where extras add up, and the usual ways families cover the monthly bill. costs-and-payment Memory Care Pricing: Why It Costs More Than Assisted Living Higher staffing levels and secure design make memory care pricier than assisted living. See what pushes the cost up and the ways families cover it. costs-and-payment Home Care Pricing: Hourly and Live-In Rates Explained What home care costs hinges on the number of hours, the caregiver's skill, and whether the worker comes through an agency or is hired directly. Here are the pricing models and the usual payment sources. costs-and-payment Paying for Senior Care: Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and Other Options A mix of programs funds senior care. See how Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, and long-term care insurance overlap, and which one covers what. choosing-care Adult Day Care: Who It Serves and What It Costs Adult day care offers caregivers relief and gives older adults organized daytime support. See the program types, who benefits, how it is funded, and how to pick one. choosing-care Understanding CCRCs: Continuing Care Retirement Communities A CCRC bundles independent living, assisted living, and nursing care onto a single campus. See how its contracts, entrance fees, and continuing care model function. caregiver-support Respite Care: How to Arrange a Break for Caregivers Respite care provides family caregivers with scheduled time away. See the options, how to set up short-term coverage, the cost, and how to get ready. choosing-care When Is It Time for Memory Care? Signs for Families Recognize the signals that dementia care may have outgrown what home can safely offer, and learn to plan a memory care move before a crisis forces it. choosing-care Home Care or Home Health? Telling the Two Apart The names are similar, yet home care and home health differ in who delivers the service, what it includes, and who pays. Understand the distinction before hiring or requesting help. moving-and-transitions Moving a Parent Into Care: Managing the Transition A parent's move into a care facility calls for planning, candid conversations, and a measured transition. See how to ready the room, the family, and yourself.

Comparing care providers

CMS publishes a Five-Star rating for many certified providers. The overall score combines health inspections, quality measures, and staffing. Each domain reveals something different: inspections reflect compliance with federal standards, quality measures reflect clinical outcomes, and staffing reflects the level of nurse care available. A provider with a strong overall score can still have a weak domain - so read the underlying numbers.

Begin with the care type you need. Nursing homes provide 24-hour skilled nursing and rehabilitation in a licensed facility. Home health agencies deliver skilled care where a person lives. Hospice programs focus on comfort and quality of life for people with terminal illness. The right setting depends on medical need, coverage, and personal preference.

Next, narrow by location. State, county, and city pages in this directory list every certified provider in the current CMS data, with links to full profiles. Facility profiles show the rating breakdown, fines and enforcement records published by CMS, staffing details, ownership, and contact information, plus nearby alternatives.

What the data does and does not tell you

CMS data is standardized and verifiable, which makes it a solid starting point for comparison. It cannot tell you whether a provider feels right for a specific person, whether a bed or admission is currently available, or what your out-of-pocket costs will be. Use the data to build a shortlist, then call, visit, and ask direct questions.

The strongest comparisons weigh several signals together - inspection history, nurse staffing, quality measures, and the particular services someone requires. Ratings pull those signals into a single number, but they cannot stand in for a visit or a conversation with the staff.

Where you can, visit each option in the United States, ask how care plans are created and revisited, and get costs, coverage, and availability confirmed in writing. Steady staffing and open communication with families count for as much as any published rating.

Frequently asked questions

What do these care guides cover?

These guides walk through comparing nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospice programs with CMS star ratings, inspection findings, staffing data, and ownership records - plus the questions to ask before choosing a provider.

Are the guides medical advice?

No. They are plain-language explanations of public CMS data and general care-selection considerations. They are not medical advice; consult a physician or care professional about individual care decisions.

How often are guides updated?

Guides are reviewed whenever CMS data is refreshed. The most recent data processing date for this site is 2026-10-06.

Data sources

Guides are built on public CMS datasets: CMS Provider Data Catalog and Medicare Care Compare. CMS has not reviewed or endorsed this site. Data as of 2026-10-06.

Required disclosures

For general information only, not medical advice. This website shares public data and general information. It does not offer medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment guidance, and it cannot replace a consultation with a qualified health care professional or with Medicare.

Independent and unaffiliated. MedicalFacilities.org is a private, independently run directory. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed or operated by, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare, or any government agency. CMS has not reviewed or endorsed this site.

Confirm details before acting. Facility records come from public federal datasets and may lag or contain errors. Always verify current ratings, services, availability, and coverage directly with the provider and on Medicare.gov.

Certain outbound links on this site are partner or affiliate links. If you use them we may receive a commission, and your price does not change. This never influences the data we publish.