FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Randy McDaniel
Capitol: (405) 557-7409

McDaniel Calls for Better Rating System for Care Facilities

OKLAHOMA CITY (August 13, 2008) - One of the most important decisions families face is selecting a care facility for a loved one in need. Whether a family is choosing a day care center for a child or a nursing home for an elderly parent, information on quality of care is crucial.
State Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Oklahoma City, believes the state can do more to help those families.
In response to tragic events involving abuse and neglect, he noted that efforts have been made at the state level to better inform the public about the performance of day care centers, assisted living centers and nursing home facilities.

"While I applaud efforts to improve the information made publicly available so all Oklahomans can make an informed decision, I believe the system needs to be improved," McDaniel said.
He noted that the most common method for evaluation of a facility is the "star method." Under that system, the best facilities, in theory, receive five stars and the worst receive one or no star.
"Unfortunately, the criteria for making evaluations are flawed," McDaniel said. "One major problem is that there is only a limited distinction made between centers of excellence and centers barely meeting the criteria to retain their license under the current system for day care operations. They are all grouped closely together with nearly the same star rating."
He said another problem is the fact that private and faith-based facilities were not taken into consideration. In order to achieve the highest rating, facilities must belong to a national assembly. However, many day care centers that do not receive state or federal money do not join those groups because they require a membership fee costing thousands of dollars.
They do not join because the perceived benefits are limited and they already enjoy a large demand for their services. Because those facilities do not join national assemblies, they are able to keep overhead and prices lower, but they are also unable to receive a top rating from the state.
"As a consequence, some of the best facilities in Oklahoma are given a lower star rating than poorer-performing facilities that use state dollars to obtain membership in a state-selected national organization," McDaniel said. "There are similar problems in the rating systems used for assisted living centers and nursing homes.
"Quality of care should matter more than whether or not a facility receives state funding."
McDaniel plans to address this problem during the next legislative session.
"Oklahomans have a right to expect a rating system that is fair and impartial," McDaniel said. "When ratings are given by state agencies charged with monitoring all facilities, the ratings have an implied level of credibility and authority that many will use in their decision-making process. Until the rating system is improved, one should use caution and seek additional sources of information before making the critical decision about where to place a loved one."

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