Less than one-fifth of 15,000 nursing homes evaluated earn recognition for high quality of care
Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center was named among the nation’s best nursing homes for short- and long-term rehabilitation in U.S. News’ annual “Best Nursing Homes” ratings, which recently were released.
“Since 2009, U.S. News has recognized the nation’s best nursing homes in every U.S. state and large metropolitan area to help prospective residents and their families make informed decisions about where to receive nursing home care,” a Sarasota Memorial Hospital news release explains. “In the 2023-2024 report, less than 20% of more than 15,000 skilled-nursing facilities evaluated were recognized as ‘Best Nursing Homes’ for ‘Short-Term Rehabilitation,’ ‘Long-Term Care,’ or both,” the release points out.
“Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center was recognized among an elite group of skilled nursing facilities that earned a ‘High Performing’ rating, the highest possible achievement, for both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care,” the release notes. The nursing homes were evaluated on the basis of patient and resident outcomes, such as infection rates, staffing levels, health inspection results and other indicators of quality, the release adds.
Located at 5640 Rand Blvd. in Sarasota, Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center offers skilled nursing and rehabilitation for people recovering from surgery, injury or illness, the release continues. “Its multi-disciplinary team cares for approximately 100 residents around the clock, 365 days a year.”
“This award is a testament to the care and commitment of our entire staff, who work day in and day out to provide the highest level of care in the most comfortable and healing environment possible,” said Maria DeCarlo, vice president of Sarasota Memorial Post-Acute and Rehabilitation Services, in the release.
“To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of quality measures obtained from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center also has earned CMS’ highest 5-star quality rating),” the release points out. The methodology factors in data involving resident care, safety, outcomes and other aspects of quality, the release notes.
“Both short- and long-term ratings include data on nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing emergency room and hospital visits,” the release continues. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well homes were staffed on weekends, the release notes.
“U.S. News’ ‘Best Nursing Homes’ ratings give patients, senior residents, their families and caregivers an objective assessment of quality, to help them choose the facility that best fits their individual needs,” said Daniel Lara Agudelo, health data analyst at U.S. News, in the release. “Nursing homes that have earned the recognition of U.S. News have a track record of achieving better outcomes for patients and residents, and maximizing the amount of care they receive from nurses and other staff.”