News-Record.com

Wednesday's No. 2 editorial.

The state’s star-rating system for adult-care homes, which takes effect Jan. 1, may not be perfect but it should provide a valuable tool for families trying to decide how best to care for aging parents.

If it doesn’t live up to expectations, the General Assembly always can tweak it later.
Advocates for the elderly are more in tune with the final product than long-term health care providers. Despite their differences, both sides rightly agreed to allow the state to move forward and rate adult-care facilities just as it does those offering child care.

Star ratings, which will be easily accessible online, will be based on reported facility violations and annual state inspection scores. When deficiencies are corrected, scores will be adjusted.
Yet some providers worry that updating delays might unfairly penalize well-run facilities docked for minor violations that were quickly remedied. They suggest families go a step beyond and visit a number of care locations before making a decision.

That’s sound advice, but on short notice, those families’ options could be limited. A star-rating system can help narrow their choices.

With only a handful of states rating residential adult care, North Carolina has the opportunity to move to the forefront. And as baby boomers age and more out-of-state retirees choose to move here, serving and protecting a growing segment of the population becomes even more important.

In the long run, favorable ratings also could benefit providers financially. For instance, the state might consider making higher Medicaid reimbursements to those registering top scores.

But in the short term, star ratings will help take some of the guesswork out of the daunting task of finding the right place for a loved one.