Jefferson House, a skilled nursing, outpatient rehabilitation and palliative care community located at 1 John H. Stewart Drive, recently received an overall Five Star Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Jefferson House has been rated overall Five Star for a number of years, but this year they achieved the highest tier in each of the five categories measured as well as overall. Jefferson House was one of only seven of more than 200 skilled nursing communities in Connecticut that merited the top performing status based on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale.
“This report is not a simple snapshot in time but is reflective of the work done and the quality of the care provided daily in our community,” said Susan Vinal, Jefferson House executive director. “We are truly dedicated to caring for the senior population and of our long history in being a leader in senior care.”
The Five Star Quality Rating was established by CMS to assist consumers, families and caregivers with comparing long-term skilled nursing facilities and identifying specific areas of evaluation. It also allows the staff the opportunity to review and improve the overall care they provide. CMS is the federal agency that establishes and enforces the standing.
Vinal noted that staff in every department played a role in achieving the Five Star Quality Rating including social work, business office, rehabilitation, food and nutrition, engineering, housekeeping, admissions and recreation as well as nursing, which is the largest department. The nursing director and staff, including the certified nursing assistants, are dedicated to meeting residents’ needs in relation to personal care plans, medication management and achieving the best quality of life.
“Thank you to everyone who has worked hard to get Jefferson House to this level of excellence,” Vinal said.