Care Guides: Choosing Nursing Homes, Home Health & Hospice

Plain-language guides to comparing Medicare-certified care providers using public CMS data - star ratings, inspection findings, fines, staffing, and ownership - plus the questions worth asking before you decide.

Categories: Choosing Care · Ratings & Inspections · Costs & Who Pays · Touring & Evaluating · Staffing & Quality · Safety & Health · Rights & Complaints · Moving & Transitions · Caregiver Support

choosing-care Nursing Home vs Assisted Living: How to Choose Nursing homes provide 24-hour skilled nursing; assisted living helps with daily activities. Compare care levels, cost, oversight, and how to decide. choosing-care Levels of Senior Care Explained: Independent to Skilled Nursing A plain-language map of senior care levels, from independent living and assisted living to memory care, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice. choosing-care Home Health vs Nursing Home: Which Setting Fits? Home health brings intermittent skilled care into the home; a nursing home provides 24-hour care. Compare eligibility, coverage, cost, and safety. choosing-care Memory Care vs Nursing Home: What's the Difference? Memory care is a dementia-focused setting; a nursing home provides 24-hour skilled nursing. Compare staffing, cost, security, and how to decide. choosing-care Hospice vs Palliative Care: Understanding the Difference Palliative care can be provided at any stage alongside treatment; hospice is comfort care for a terminal prognosis. Learn how each works and is paid for. ratings-inspections CMS Five-Star Ratings Explained CMS rates nursing homes one to five stars on inspections, staffing, and quality. Learn what each star rating measures and where it falls short. ratings-inspections How to Read a Nursing Home Inspection Report State surveyors inspect nursing homes every 15 months. Learn how to read the deficiencies, scope-and-severity grid, and complaint findings. ratings-inspections Special Focus Facilities: What the CMS Program Means CMS flags persistently poor-performing nursing homes as Special Focus Facilities. Learn how the program works and how to check a facility's status. ratings-inspections Spotting Red Flags in CMS Nursing Home Data Learn the CMS data patterns that signal risk: low staffing, high turnover, repeat deficiencies, fines, denials, and the abuse icon on Care Compare. costs-and-payment How Much Does a Nursing Home Cost? Nursing home costs depend on room type, care level, and location. Learn the real cost components and how to get a written rate before you commit. costs-and-payment Does Medicare Pay for Nursing Home Care? Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing per benefit period after a hospital stay, but not long-term custodial care. Learn the rules. costs-and-payment Medicaid and Nursing Home Coverage: How It Works Medicaid is the main payer for long-term nursing home care. Learn eligibility, income and asset rules, spousal protections, waivers, and estate recovery. costs-and-payment VA Benefits for Long-Term Care: What Veterans Can Use Veterans may qualify for VA nursing homes, community care, and Aid and Attendance. Learn which benefits exist and who is eligible. costs-and-payment Long-Term Care Insurance and Other Ways to Pay Long-term care insurance can 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 A practical nursing home tour checklist covering smells, staffing, safety, food, activities, and the questions to ask before you leave. touring-and-evaluation Questions to Ask on a Senior Care Facility Tour The questions that surface 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 state-licensed and varies widely. Learn how 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 How to evaluate a memory care unit: staffing, training, security, activities, medical limits, and the questions that reveal real dementia care. staffing-and-quality CMS Staffing Ratings for Nursing Homes Explained CMS staffing stars come from payroll-based nurse hours and turnover. Learn what the staffing domain measures and why hours alone can mislead. staffing-and-quality Nursing Home Staff Turnover: Why It Matters High staff turnover disrupts care continuity and can signal deeper problems. Learn what CMS reports and how to use turnover data when choosing a facility. staffing-and-quality CMS Quality Measures for Nursing Homes Explained The CMS quality measure rating comes from clinical assessment data. Learn what it measures, how it is adjusted, and where its limits are. staffing-and-quality How to Compare Nursing Homes Side by Side A step-by-step method for comparing nursing homes using CMS ratings, staffing, inspections, cost, location, and the care needs of your family member. safety-and-health Preventing Falls in Nursing Homes Falls are common and serious in nursing homes. Learn the risk factors, what CDC recommends, and the questions that push a facility to act. safety-and-health Infection Control in Nursing Homes Nursing homes must run an infection prevention and control program. Learn what CDC and federal rules require and what families can watch for. safety-and-health Medication Safety in Senior Care Medication errors and unnecessary drugs are serious concerns in nursing homes. Learn federal pharmacy rules, antipsychotic use, and questions to ask. safety-and-health Hospital Readmissions and Nursing Homes Why nursing home residents return to the hospital, how CMS measures it, and what families can do to support a safer transition and 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 complain without retaliation. resident-rights How to File a Nursing Home Complaint A step-by-step guide to complaining about a nursing home to the state survey agency, CMS, or the ombudsman, with what to document and what happens next. resident-rights What Is a Long-Term Care Ombudsman? The long-term care ombudsman advocates for nursing home and assisted living residents. Learn what they do, how to reach one, and what they can and cannot do. resident-rights Nursing Home Eviction and Discharge Rights Nursing homes can only discharge residents for specific legal reasons and must give notice. Learn the allowed 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, transport, 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 face high stress and health risks. Learn the signs of burnout, how respite care works, and where to find support through public programs. 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 financial planning steps that help caregivers act legally and avoid crises later. costs-and-payment Assisted Living Costs: What Families Should Expect Assisted living costs depend on care level, room type, and location. Learn what is typically included, what adds up, and how families pay the bill each month. costs-and-payment Memory Care Cost: Why It Runs Higher Than Assisted Living Memory care usually costs more than assisted living because of higher staffing and secure design. Learn what drives the price and how families pay the bill. costs-and-payment Home Care Costs: What Hourly and Live-In Care Cost Home care costs depend on hours, skill level, and whether you hire an agency or a worker directly. Learn the pricing models and how families pay for it. costs-and-payment How to Pay for Senior Care: Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and More Senior care is paid for by a patchwork of programs. Learn how Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, and long-term care insurance fit together and who pays for what. choosing-care Adult Day Care Explained: Who It Helps and What It Costs Adult day care gives caregivers a break and gives older adults structured daytime support. Learn the types, who it suits, funding sources, and how to choose. choosing-care What Is a CCRC? Continuing Care Retirement Explained A CCRC offers independent living, assisted living, and nursing care on one campus. Learn how contracts, entrance fees, and continuing care actually work. caregiver-support Respite Care Explained: Arranging a Caregiver Break Respite care gives family caregivers regular planned time off. Learn the types, how to arrange short-term coverage, what it costs, and how to prepare for it. choosing-care Signs It May Be Time for Memory Care: A Family Guide Learn the signs that dementia care needs may exceed what home can safely provide, and how to plan a memory care move without making a crisis decision. choosing-care Home Care vs Home Health: What Families Need to Know Home care and home health sound alike but differ in who provides care, what they do, and who pays. Learn the difference before you hire or request services. moving-and-transitions Moving a Parent Into a Care Facility: The Transition Moving a parent into a care facility takes planning, honest conversations, and a careful transition. Learn how to prepare the room, the family, and yourself.

How to compare care providers

CMS publishes a Five-Star rating for many certified providers. The overall score combines health inspections, quality measures, and staffing. Each domain tells you 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.

Start 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.

Then narrow by location. State, county, and city pages in this directory list every certified provider in the current CMS snapshot, 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 can and cannot 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 visit, call, and ask direct questions.

The best comparison uses several signals at once: inspection history, nurse staffing, quality measures, and the specific services a person needs. Ratings summarize those signals but never replace a visit or a conversation with staff.

Visit candidates in the United States when possible, ask how care plans are set and reviewed, and confirm costs, coverage, and availability in writing. Staffing consistency and clear family communication matter as much as any published score.

Frequently asked questions

What do these care guides cover?
The guides explain how to compare nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospice programs using CMS star ratings, inspection findings, staffing data, and ownership records - and what questions to ask before choosing a provider.
Are the guides medical advice?
No. They are informational 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 alongside CMS data refreshes. The most recent data processing date for this site is 2026-10-05.

Data sources

Guides draw on public CMS datasets: CMS Provider Data Catalog and Medicare Care Compare. CMS has not reviewed or endorsed this site. Processing date: 2026-10-05.

Important disclosures

Informational only, not medical advice. This directory publishes public data and general information. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations, and it is not a substitute for consulting a qualified health care professional or Medicare.

Not affiliated. FacilityDirectory.org is an independent, privately operated directory. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare, or any government agency. CMS has not reviewed or endorsed this site.

Verify before you act. Facility information is derived from public federal datasets and may lag or contain errors. Always confirm current ratings, services, availability, and coverage directly with the provider and at Medicare.gov.

Some outbound links may be partner or affiliate links - we may earn a commission at no cost to you. This never affects the data we publish.