To find a good nursing home, sometimes word of mouth will result in the best referral. If a nursing home is Medicare and Medicaid certified, it is obligated to provide skilled nursing care. However, there are many other types of facilities that provide nursing home services that are only licensed at the state level. In addition, some nursing homes that provide a full range of care choose not to participate in Medicare or Medicaid.
The official United States government site for Medicare Information has a page that will give detailed information about the performance and features of each nursing home that is Medicare or Medicaid certified. The information gives statistics about each listed nursing home such as the number of beds, type of ownership, a summary from the results of the last state inspection, the number of registered and licensed practical nurses in each home, and the percent of residents with pressure sores. For information on non-Medicare/Medicaid facilities, you can contact your state's Survey Center.