Study Reveals ‘Best and Worst’ Nursing Homes in Louisiana

(KMDL-FM) America's population is getting older. In just a few short years, the socio-economic life group known as "Baby Boomers" will all be over the age of 65 and contemplating retirement. This has made the need for "elder care" and "nursing homes" an even more pressing subject for some families. So here is some important information about which Louisiana facilities are the best at what they do and which facilities in our state could use "some help".

The study was orchestrated by the highly respected periodical U.S. News and World Report. They took a look at all 266 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities in Louisiana. They graded each facility in five key areas.

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The study looked at staffing levels at each facility. Were there enough staff to handle the patient load adequately? The study also looked at medical outcomes. Did the patients in the facilities care experience the expected outcome while in treatment?

The study also took into account resident complaints. Did the facility have a displeased clientele, and when the clients were displeased, what was done to satisfy their needs? The study also looked at the kinds of medications that were prescribed to the residents in the facilities in question. Does the facility use antipsychotic drugs, for example?

The study also looked at long-term and short-term care options offered by each facility. They then used a formula to combine these data and create an index. From that index, we can tell you that seven Louisiana facilities topped the study results with five stars in each of the study's assessment criteria.

Which Louisiana Nursing Homes Scored Highest in U.S. News & World Report Study

Baton Rouge General Medical Center Skilled Nursing Facility on Florida Boulevard earned a 5 of 5 rating and was recognized as a High Performing Facility.

East Jefferson General Hospital on Houma Boulevard in Metairie earned a 5 of 5 rating. This short-term facility has 49 beds and is part of East Jefferson General Hospital. It earned a rating of High Performing.

Louisiana Extended Care Hospital of Lafayette on Ambassador Caffery Parkway earned a 5 of 5 rating. The facility has 18 beds. It has a short-term rating of High Performing.

Ochsner Medical Center Skilled Nursing Facility on Jefferson Highway in Jefferson, Louisiana earned a 5 of 5 rating. The facility has 30 beds and is owned by a non-profit corporation. It earned a rating of High Performing.

Ollie Steele Burden Manor on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge earned a 5 of 5 rating. This is a larger facility and features 174 beds. Its ownership group is non-profit and church related. The facility earned a High Performing rating.

Progressive Care Center on Bicknell Drive in Shreveport earned a 5 of 5 rating. The facility has 131 beds. It is owned by a non-profit corporation. It earned a rating of High Performing.

Willis-Knighton Extended Care Center on Kings Highway in Shreveport earned a 5 of 5 rating. The facility is small compared to others; it only has 24 beds. It is owned by a non-profit corporation. It earned a rating of High Performing.

Which Louisiana Nursing Homes Scored Poorly in U.S. News & World Report?

Those facilities are the best nursing homes in Louisiana, according to U.S. News and World Report. Now, for every best, there has to be a worst. And unfortunately, what might be misconstrued as "worst" might actually be incomplete data, so we won't list the facilities that did not do well in this study for that reason.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the "worst facilities" study was the fact that so many Veterans' homes were listed at the bottom. You would think we as a country could do better by the people who fought for our freedom, but that's a different soapbox for a different day.