The decision to place a loved one in a Florida nursing home can be challenging. The Florida Health Care Association’s Long Term Care Quality Dashboard provides a snapshot of what is happening statistically in over 700 nursing homes serving over 275,000 residents.
Activities of daily living
Florida is far below the national average in the number of nursing home residents needing help with daily living skills. These skills include feeding themselves, bathing and transferring from one location to another. After reaching a high of about 15% in March and April 2022, in April 2023, the total has fallen to 13% compared to the national average of 15%.
Residents with urinary tract infections
Long-term care residents who stay well-hydrated experience fewer urinary tract infections and need fewer trips to the emergency room. Since March 2018, the number has fallen in the state and nationally. As of April 2023, the national average is about 2.4% while it is only 1.7% in Florida.
Residents receiving antipsychotics
Nationally, the use of antipsychotic drugs is on the rise, with 14% of long-term care residents receiving them. In Florida, however, the number continues to fall as it has since April 2000. Only 10% of residents receive these medications.
Hospitalizations per 1,000 stays
Going to the hospital can be traumatizing for the resident and their family, even though these stays are not always preventable. Unfortunately, Florida nursing home residents have more hospital stays than the national average.
As of April 2022, 1.82% of long-term care residents were hospitalized compared to 1.7% nationally, according to the dashboard’s chart. Experts look at this figure as one of the signs to watch to see if nursing home abuse or neglect is happening.
The Florida Health Care Association’s Long Term Care Quality Dashboard contains other data providing a snapshot of the state’s nursing home care. The dashboard is a useful tool that families and lawmakers can use frequently.
