The Benedictine Living Community of Wausau was recently notified that it had attained the Five-Star Overall Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

“We are pleased to have our quality improvement efforts recognized by CMS,” said Gary Hixon, administrator/CEO, Benedictine Living Community of Wausau. “Our employees are dedicated to providing quality care every day, and our efforts to enhance the care we provide have made a demonstrated difference, not only for those in our care, but to those who evaluate our performance.”

The Five-Star Quality Rating system was developed by CMS as a simple way for consumers, their families and caregivers to compare nursing homes and to help identify areas they may want to ask questions about. The Nursing Home Compare website (www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare) ranks each nursing center with one to five stars based on how the nursing center has performed on health and fire safety inspections, its nurse and other health care professional staffing levels, and how well the nursing center cares for its residents. In general, consumers can presume that the higher the rating, the better the quality.

In addition to the overall rating, Nursing Home Compare also sets a rating for the nursing center’s performance on standard and complaint health inspections for the past three years; the center’s performance on 11 different physical and clinical measures for resident care; and average staffing levels.

“While Nursing Home Compare offers a lot of information, we advise families to also consider their loved one’s needs and important considerations such as location and special services that are available,” said Hixon. “And before you make that important decision, we really encourage you to visit the nursing centers you are considering. No website can capture the feeling of home in the building, the smiles on faces of compassionate caregivers, and smells and taste of homemade meals.”

Benedictine Living Community of Wausau, located at 1821 N. Fourth Ave., provides long-term skilled nursing services and short-term rehabilitation services. A member of the Benedictine Health System, the Benedictine Living Community of Wausau offers individualized care with the goal of bringing health, independence and choice to life for older adults. For more information, check out our website, www.blcwausau.org or give us a call at (715-204-5277).