Five-Star Care is the Goal
When it comes to senior living, five-star, quality care is always the goal. Everyone wants the best. Senior adults and their families and friends seek out only the best in care for themselves and their loved ones. Likewise, senior living communities (like us here at Springfield Masonic Community) work hard to provide quality care for our community members.
With so many senior living options out there, it can be both hard and overwhelming to choose a retirement community that provides the best. To help with this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare senior living communities. Measuring health inspections, staffing, and quality, a five-star rating is earned by scoring in the top 10% in Ohio. All of us here at Springfield Masonic Community couldn’t be prouder to have been given a five-star rating, and it just goes to show everyone that we have and know what it takes to provide quality senior living services.
Understanding the Five-Star Quality Rating System
The Five-Star Quality Rating system is an extremely complex system and understanding it can be quite complicated. So, let’s break it down and make it easier to digest. The Five-Star Quality Rating system is made up of three parts. These parts are also referred to as domains.
- Health Inspections
- Quality Measures
- Staffing
A rating of one to five stars is given to each of these three domains, which are combined into an overall score.
Health Inspections
The health inspection domain holds the most weight in the rating system. Any provider that participates in the Medicare or Medicaid program is subject to an on-site inspection each year. These inspections are also called surveys. Arriving unannounced, the Ohio state survey team spent a lot of time picking apart every single little detail and happening for an extended time at Springfield Masonic Community. State surveyors observed quality, procedures, and checked records for proper compliance on care, confidentiality, cleanliness, resident rights, and quality of services. The state survey team also interviewed our residents, residents’ families, and employees to get the inside scoop.
Our Five-Star health inspection rating was based on the results of three state health inspections over the course of three years. The final result—a nearly perfect score!
Staffing
The Five-Star Quality Rating System also takes into consideration staffing. Results are based on facility staffing levels and staff turnover. Nurse-to- patient ratios are especially important when it comes to providing higher quality care. The more patients a nurse is responsible for the less time he/ she has to provide care for each individual. Springfield Masonic Community has strived to keep proper staffing levels. In turn, nurses can provide the necessary time to provide better care for their residents. This also leads to our employees feeling much happier at work and wanting to stay. A place is only as good as its employees, and at Springfield Masonic Community we strive to ensure an excellent work environment that serves both our workers and community members.
Quality Measures
The last domain the Five-Star Quality Rating System takes into account is Quality Measures. This domain can be broken up into two categories: Long-Stay Quality Measures and Short-Stay Quality Measures. Both of these categories can can be viewed as the actions a senior living community is taking to ensure the safety and overall wellness of its community members. At Springfield Masonic Community we do this by providing excellent safety features including good lighting, handrails, and emergency call systems. We also provide opportunities to boost physical activity, fitness, health, and overall wellness. For example, clubs and activities, gardens, a fitness center, outings to local events and dining, art classes, themed-parties, are great for supporting and enhancing our community members’ lifestyles.
Putting It All Together Makes Five Stars
So, now you understand a bit more about what it takes for a senior living community to receive a five-star rating. When you put all the parts together, Springfield Masonic Community comes out on top with an overall quality of 5 stars!
So, what does earning a five-star rating mean for us at Springfield Masonic Community? A five-star rating sets us apart as a senior living campus of choice. It enforces that the care we provide for you or your loved one is never lacking.
We know the work we do is important and that it adds value to people’s lives, but that isn’t enough. People are at the core of everything we do. It isn’t enough for us to just show up every day. We keep going above and beyond.
Today. Tomorrow. Together.
For five-star quality senior living services, the Ohio Masonic Communities is a retirement community of choice. With three locations in Springfield, Waterville, and Medina, OH, their senior living communities offer 24/7 care and support for independent living, assisted living, and memory care. For more information schedule a tour at one of the scenic and active communities. Call (877) 881-1623 today to learn more about excellent senior living options.