24 NJ Nursing Homes Receive Lowest Rating From U.S. News

NEW JERSEY – Twenty-four nursing homes in New Jersey received the lowest rating in a recently released U.S. News & World Report publication that evaluated nursing homes across the country.

Homes were given an overall rating, a rating for short-term rehabilitation care and a new rating this year that evaluates long-term care. Twenty-four received an overall rating of "1" or "2" and "below average" label for either short- or long-term care, according to the report.

In New Jersey, 38 homes received the highest overall rating of five, 125 homes received a high-performing rating for short-term care and 22 homes received a high-performing rating for long-term care. Read more: 137 NJ Nursing Homes Make U.S. News 'Best' Ratings

"This year, we introduced a long-term care rating," Zach Adams, a senior health data analyst at U.S. News, told Patch. "This is for people who need ongoing daily assistance in stuff like health-related and personal care."

The report follows another one released by the federal government earlier this year that gave 29 nursing homes in New Jersey a one-star rating. Read more: 29 NJ Nursing Homes Receive Lowest Rating From Federal Gov't

In the U.S. News report, the overall ratings for nursing homes in 2019-20 are based exclusively on the short-term and long-term care ratings, Adams said.

A strong emphasis was placed on staffing in methodology to compile the "U.S. News Best Nursing Home" ranking for 2019-20. Adams said staffing levels are strongly associated with quality and safety.

"We think everyone deserves to get the right amount of time and attention," Adams said, explaining that the publication measured the percentage of days a nursing home met the federal standards for registered nurse staffing. In addition to having sufficient staff overall, the publication wanted to make sure nursing homes are still meeting some threshold on their less well-staffed days.

Patient outcomes — both positive and negative — are also a key part of the methodology.

Here are all the New Jersey nursing homes rated as "below average" in either short- or long-term care (in parenthesis is the rating and the level of care performance):

• Lakeview Rehabilitation and Care Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), WAYNE
• Providence Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), TRENTON
• Crystal Lake Healthcare & Rehabilitation (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), BAYVILLE
• Rehabilitation at River’s Edge (2, Average short-term, Below Average long-term), RARITAN
• Sterling Manor (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), MAPLE SHADE
• Gateway Care Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), EATONTOWN
• Windsor Gardens Care Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), EAST ORANGE
• Linwood Care Center (2, Average short-term, Below Average long-term), LINWOOD
• Forest Manor Health Care Center (2, Average short-term, Below Average long-term), HOPE
• Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — Trenton (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), TRENTON
• Sinai Post-Acute Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), NEWARK
• Andover Sub-Acute and Rehabilitation II (2. Below Average short-term, Average long-term), ANDOVER
• Meadowview Nursing & Respiratory Care (2, Average short-term, Below Average long-term), WILLIAMSTOWN
• The Palace Rehabilitation and Care Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term) MAPLE SHADE
• Silver Healthcare Center (2, Average short-term, Below Average long-term) CHERRY HILL
• Majestic Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at Red Bank (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), RED BANK
• New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home Paramus (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), PARAMUS
• The Actors Fund Home (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), ENGLEWOOD
• Laurel Bay Health & Rehabilitation Center (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), KEANSBURG
• New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home Menlo (2, Below Average short-term, Average long-term), EDISON
• South Jersey Extended Care (1, Below Average for short- and long-term care), BRIDGETON
• Wardell Gardens at Tinton Falls (1, Below Average for short- and long-term care), TINTON FALLS
• Little Brook Nursing and Convalescent Home (1, Below Average long-term care), CALIFON