If you're looking for a nursing home, you might be wondering how in the world to choose between them. Every place claims to have great care, but which ones actually do?

U.S. News and World Report actually ranks nursing homes by state and metro area.

They get their information from a federal group called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which releases a website called Nursing Home Compare. As Medicare and Medicaid funding plays a big part in how nursing homes are held accountable, this federal center visits different homes every year to check on how they're doing and to follow up on serious complaints.

They take into account:

Health inspections: Based on state investigations every 1-2 years and follow-ups to official complaints. Includes food prep, hygiene, safety and many other elements that go into a safe and comfortable home.

Nurse staffing: How many nurses work in the home, and how much time do they give to patients? Out of that time, how much of it was spent with a registered nurse? How much time with physical therapists? A 5-star rating includes at least 4 1/2 hours with nursing staff every day, including about 43 minutes with a registered nurse.

Quality measures: How many nursing home residents had infections in a given year? How many were restrained to keep from falling out of bed? Nursing homes report on factors like this to CMS every year.

If you believe your loved one has been injured in a nursing home, don't wait. Contact the home and necessary authorities and then call us.

Call us today at 816-842-7100 to speak with an attorney that will fight for you. Or you can click here to email us and schedule your free consultation.