Which nursing homes are the worst in Tacoma? Two ranked below the rest
The elderly population in Washington state is growing. Currently, 18% of the state’s population is 65 and older. According to the AARP, that’s a 7% increase since 2000, and is expected to rise past 23% by 2050.
More elderly folks means an increased need for nursing home care. According to independent health policy research organization KFF, more than 13,600 Washington residents are living in certified nursing facilities.
But how do you pick the right nursing home?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates facilities on a five-star scale. Every facility that accepts Medicaid and Medicare payments is rated, so the majority of locations are included. A score breakdown is available on the Medicare site, with full reports on each facility.
The Medicare site lists 11 nursing homes in the city of Tacoma.
Each was given a score out of five based on three primary metrics: health inspections, staffing and quality measures. Here’s how Tacoma nursing homes ranked.
Best Tacoma nursing homes
No nursing homes in Tacoma received a five-star score, but three were awarded four stars.
Avamere Transitional Care of Puget Sound
Avamere Transitional Care of Puget Sound received four stars:
Health inspections: Three stars
Staffing: Five stars
Quality measures: Four stars
Over its past three inspections, Avamere has had 10 total health citations. The average for that time frame is 9.6 in the country and 18.2 in Washington state.
One of those citations followed a complaint, and two followed a facility-reported issue. The nursing home has had no infection control inspections in the past three years, according to the Medicare site.
Staff at Avamere have more time for each resident than most nursing homes. The national average is three hours and 52 minutes per resident each day in the country, and four hours and 24 minutes in the state. Avamere staff has over five hours per day for each resident on average.
The nursing staff turnover rate at Avamere is 42.7%, which is nearly 5% lower than the national average and 7% lower than the state average.
Avamere got four stars for quality measures, based on four stars for short-stay quality measures and long-stay quality measures. It had high percentages for short-stay residents receiving flu shots and pneumonia vaccinations when needed, and a 56% successful return home rate for short-stay residents.
The nursing home was also better than the average in several long-stay quality measures, including the impressive 0% of residents with symptoms of depression, compared to the 9.8% national average and 15% state average.
Eliseo also received a four-star score:
Health inspections: Three stars
Staffing: Two stars
Quality measures: Five stars
Eliseo has had 17 health citations over the past three inspection periods, all following complaints (10) or facility-reported issues (7). The facility has not had any infection control inspections in that time, according to the Medicare site.
Its average number of residents per day is considerably higher than the state and national averages, at 123.2 compared to 83.8 across the country and 72.1 across the state. On average, staff has four hours and 44 minutes per resident each day. The nursing home’s staff turnover rate is 64.4%.
Eliseo received a five-star score for quality measures, reflecting five stars for short-stay measures and four stars for long-stay measures.
Short-stay residents at Eliseo have low re-hospitalization rates, and a high rate of residents are at or above their expected ability to care for themselves. The nursing home has a 60.6% successful return home rate for short-stay residents, compared to the national average of 49.9%.
Long-stay residents have comparatively low rates of major injury falls, new or worsened pressure injuries/ulcers and UTIs. But a whopping 82.8% of long-stay residents have symptoms of depression, compared to the national average of 9.8% and the state average of 15%.
The Oaks at Lakewood got a four-star rating as well:
Health inspections: Four stars
Staffing: Three stars
Quality measures: Four stars
The Oaks has had 14 health citations over the past three years, two following complaints and one following a facility-reported issue. The facility has not had an infection control inspection in that time.
The Oaks has an average of 69.3 residents per day, with staff generally spending four hours and 21 minutes with every resident each day. It has a 36% turnover rate among nursing staff.
The nursing home received four stars for quality measures, reflecting three stars for short-stay measures and five stars for long-stay measures.
Fewer residents overall have major injury falls, or new or worsened pressure ulcers/injuries than at the average home. Its rate of successful return home for short-stay residents is 61.7%.
Long-term residents are less likely to experience UTIs, catheter insertion or excess weight loss at The Oaks than the average nursing home.
Worst Tacoma nursing homes
Three nursing homes received three-star ratings:
- Alaska Gardens Health and Rehabilitation
- Birch Creek Post Acute and Rehabilitation
- Tacoma Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Tacoma Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is the only facility listed with a warning of an abuse citation.
Another three nursing homes received two-star ratings:
- Avamere at Pacific Ridge
- Orchard Park Health Care and Rehab Center
- Avamere Heritage Rehabilitation of Tacoma
But two facilities received only one star.
Park Rose Care Center received a score of one star, reflecting:
Health inspections: Two stars
Staffing: Two stars
Quality measures: One star
Park Rose has had 31 health citations over the past three inspection periods, 25 of which followed complaints against the facility. It has had one infection control citation in that time.
The nursing home averages 99.1 residents per day, with staff spending an average of five hours and 27 minutes with each resident per day. Park Rose has a 57.1% turnover rate among nursing staff.
The facility received two stars for its short-stay measures and one star for its long-stay quality measures. Only 25% of short-stay residents are at or above their expected ability to care for themselves after leaving, compared to the national average of 54.06%. Only 39.2% of short-term residents successfully return back home, compared to the national average of 49.9%.
Across the country, an average of 79% of short-stay nursing home residents receive flu shots when needed, and 45% of healthcare staff get a flu shot. At Park Rose, these rates drop to 54.5% and 34%, respectively.
Long-stay residents have higher rates of pressure ulcers and UTIs than at the average nursing home. More than 30% of long-stay residents see an increased need for help with daily activities, while the national average is 17% and the state average is 18.8%.
Heartwood Extended Healthcare also received one star overall:
Health inspections: One star
Staffing: Three stars
Quality measures: Three stars
Over the past three inspection periods, Heartwood has had 23 health citations, including 19 following complaints. It has not had any infection control inspections in that time.
The facility averages 89.4 residents per day, with staff spending four hours and 11 minutes with each resident per day. The staff turnover rate at Heartwood is 60.3% among nursing staff.
Heartwood received a two-star score for short-stay measures and a three- star score for long-stay quality measures.
Only 28.6% of short-stay residents got flu shots when they needed one, and only 15.7% of staff got a shot for the current season. Only 34.3% of long-stay residents needing a flu shot received one.
While short-stay residents have better mobility at discharge than at most nursing homes, only 29% successfully return home.
According to the Medicare site, 45.8% of long-stay Heartwood residents’ ability to walk independently has worsened, compared to a state average of 26.3% and a national average of 21.3%
How Medicare ranks nursing homes
The Medicare site gives a score out of five stars based on three primary metrics: health inspections, staffing and quality measures.
The health inspection metric looks at the annual compliance inspection report for each facility, plus the previous two years’ inspections. Nursing homes may be inspected in addition to their yearly checks, if they report an incident or receive a complaint. Such reports from the past three years are also taken into account, as well as the past three years of infection control inspections, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The staffing metric looks for high staffing levels and low turnover rates. The ratio of staffing hours per resident per day are calculated, describing the average time residents spend with staff every day.
The metric for quality looks at performance aspects among both short-stay and long-stay residents, like pain rates, flu shots, weight loss and more.
In these ratings, a short stay is considered any stay 100 days or less, with a typical goal of improving their health in order to return to their previous lifestyle. Long stays exceed 100 days and have a typical goal of keeping their highest possible well-being while in a long-term facility.