Best Practices

  • Compared with residents of other states, far fewer Floridians are residents of skilled nursing centers. Rather, home- and community-based care programs provide affordable and comfortable options for families.
  • For those residents who do seek and need skilled nursing care, Florida facilities have become nationally noted for their quality.
  • In 2014, U.S. News & World Report named 205 Florida skilled nursing centers to its “Best in Nursing Homes” list, amounting to almost 30 percent of all Florida centers. This marked a 10 percent increase in the number of five-star nursing centers in Florida from the previous year.
  • A far smaller share of Florida nursing centers (9.4 percent) receive deficiencies for actual harm or jeopardy than the national average (21.9 percent).
  • According to federal reports, just 5.5 percent of Florida skilled nursing center residents were found to have moderate to severe pain compared with 7.4 percent nationally; 12 percent of Florida residents were receiving anti-psychotics (absent condition), compared with 18.4 percent nationally; and just 1.6 percent of Florida residents were reported to have little to no activity, compared with 5.5 percent nationally.

For more, see the Florida Health Finder.