VA Community Living Centers Health Care Reports Are Now Public

Although VA nursing homes, on the whole, have sicker patients than do those in private sector nursing homes, they compare closely in terms of quality of care—and in some cases, VA health care gets higher marks. VA has more higher performing facilities (17% vs 11%) and fewer low-performing facilities (17% vs 20%).

Those figures come from the health care inspection reports and staffing data for its 134 community living centers (CLCs) that the VA is, for the first time, posting publicly. So far, VA has posted 101 health inspection reports; the remainder are scheduled for later this year. The reports cover April 2018 to the present.

The VA reports are based on yearly, unannounced inspections conducted by an outside contracted agency. The survey teams assess a variety of aspects of life at VA nursing homes, such as the care of residents and the processes used to give that care, how the staff and residents interact, and the nursing home environment. The surveyors also review residents’ clinical records and interview residents, family members, caregivers, and staff.

VA nursing homes also had a significantly lower percentage (6%) of 1-star (lowest rated) nursing homes compared with 15,487 private sector nursing homes rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Both Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities and VA CLCs must meet federal standards, such as having enough staff to provide adequate care. “There is significant evidence of a relationship between resident outcomes and staffing levels in nursing homes,” the VA says in its description of survey criteria.

Many VA nursing home residents are being treated for conditions rarely seen in private sector nursing homes, the VA says, including veteran-specific conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (12% vs 0.5%) and traumatic brain injury (2% vs 0.8%). In 2018, 42% of 41,076 VA CLC residents had a service-connected disability rating of ≥ 50%. CLCs also provide more hospice care and care for conditions related to homelessness.

However, the VA notes that “quality measures are not the same as quality standards.” According to Medicare Nursing Home Compare, the quality of resident care measures are not benchmarks, thresholds, guidelines, or standards of care—they are a “snapshot at a point in time” of the average condition of residents. For instance, individual CLCs may serve special populations and have a higher rate of certain conditions. A CLC that specializes in complex skin and wound care may admit veterans with severe pressure ulcers that occurred at home or another hospital.

Detailed information on individual quality measures and how VA facilities compare with others in their areas are available at www.accesstocare.va.gov/healthcare/qualityofcare. That site also has an interactive searchable map that can be used to locate CLCs by zip code or distance. The health inspection reports are available at www.va.gov/qualityofcare/apps/aspire/clcsurvey.aspx.

Although VA nursing homes, on the whole, have sicker patients than do those in private sector nursing homes, they compare closely in terms of quality of care—and in some cases, VA health care gets higher marks. VA has more higher performing facilities (17% vs 11%) and fewer low-performing facilities (17% vs 20%).

Those figures come from the health care inspection reports and staffing data for its 134 community living centers (CLCs) that the VA is, for the first time, posting publicly. So far, VA has posted 101 health inspection reports; the remainder are scheduled for later this year. The reports cover April 2018 to the present.

The VA reports are based on yearly, unannounced inspections conducted by an outside contracted agency. The survey teams assess a variety of aspects of life at VA nursing homes, such as the care of residents and the processes used to give that care, how the staff and residents interact, and the nursing home environment. The surveyors also review residents’ clinical records and interview residents, family members, caregivers, and staff.

VA nursing homes also had a significantly lower percentage (6%) of 1-star (lowest rated) nursing homes compared with 15,487 private sector nursing homes rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Both Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities and VA CLCs must meet federal standards, such as having enough staff to provide adequate care. “There is significant evidence of a relationship between resident outcomes and staffing levels in nursing homes,” the VA says in its description of survey criteria.

Many VA nursing home residents are being treated for conditions rarely seen in private sector nursing homes, the VA says, including veteran-specific conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (12% vs 0.5%) and traumatic brain injury (2% vs 0.8%). In 2018, 42% of 41,076 VA CLC residents had a service-connected disability rating of ≥ 50%. CLCs also provide more hospice care and care for conditions related to homelessness.

However, the VA notes that “quality measures are not the same as quality standards.” According to Medicare Nursing Home Compare, the quality of resident care measures are not benchmarks, thresholds, guidelines, or standards of care—they are a “snapshot at a point in time” of the average condition of residents. For instance, individual CLCs may serve special populations and have a higher rate of certain conditions. A CLC that specializes in complex skin and wound care may admit veterans with severe pressure ulcers that occurred at home or another hospital.

Detailed information on individual quality measures and how VA facilities compare with others in their areas are available at www.accesstocare.va.gov/healthcare/qualityofcare. That site also has an interactive searchable map that can be used to locate CLCs by zip code or distance. The health inspection reports are available at www.va.gov/qualityofcare/apps/aspire/clcsurvey.aspx.

Although VA nursing homes, on the whole, have sicker patients than do those in private sector nursing homes, they compare closely in terms of quality of care—and in some cases, VA health care gets higher marks. VA has more higher performing facilities (17% vs 11%) and fewer low-performing facilities (17% vs 20%).

Those figures come from the health care inspection reports and staffing data for its 134 community living centers (CLCs) that the VA is, for the first time, posting publicly. So far, VA has posted 101 health inspection reports; the remainder are scheduled for later this year. The reports cover April 2018 to the present.

The VA reports are based on yearly, unannounced inspections conducted by an outside contracted agency. The survey teams assess a variety of aspects of life at VA nursing homes, such as the care of residents and the processes used to give that care, how the staff and residents interact, and the nursing home environment. The surveyors also review residents’ clinical records and interview residents, family members, caregivers, and staff.

VA nursing homes also had a significantly lower percentage (6%) of 1-star (lowest rated) nursing homes compared with 15,487 private sector nursing homes rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Both Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities and VA CLCs must meet federal standards, such as having enough staff to provide adequate care. “There is significant evidence of a relationship between resident outcomes and staffing levels in nursing homes,” the VA says in its description of survey criteria.

Many VA nursing home residents are being treated for conditions rarely seen in private sector nursing homes, the VA says, including veteran-specific conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (12% vs 0.5%) and traumatic brain injury (2% vs 0.8%). In 2018, 42% of 41,076 VA CLC residents had a service-connected disability rating of ≥ 50%. CLCs also provide more hospice care and care for conditions related to homelessness.

However, the VA notes that “quality measures are not the same as quality standards.” According to Medicare Nursing Home Compare, the quality of resident care measures are not benchmarks, thresholds, guidelines, or standards of care—they are a “snapshot at a point in time” of the average condition of residents. For instance, individual CLCs may serve special populations and have a higher rate of certain conditions. A CLC that specializes in complex skin and wound care may admit veterans with severe pressure ulcers that occurred at home or another hospital.

Detailed information on individual quality measures and how VA facilities compare with others in their areas are available at www.accesstocare.va.gov/healthcare/qualityofcare. That site also has an interactive searchable map that can be used to locate CLCs by zip code or distance. The health inspection reports are available at www.va.gov/qualityofcare/apps/aspire/clcsurvey.aspx.