Older Adults See Room for Improvement in How CMS Communicates About the Poorest Performing Nursing Homes, the Special Focus Facilities

In the USA, the government certifies nursing homes to receive government funding and uses a 5-star rating system to share information about the quality of care in these nursing homes with the public on the CMS website. However, a star rating is not posted for the poorest performing nursing homes, the "Special Focus Facilities." We interviewed older adults to get their perspectives on the information posted online about SFFs. Respondents reported the term "Special Focus Facility" is misleading and confusing and the posted information incomplete and inadequate. Their suggestions for communication improvement about SFFs are included.