Cooperstown News Bureau

PHOENIX MILLS - If you want to check out nursing homes from the privacy of your computer, you might want to log on to www.medicare.gov/nhcompare/Home.asp.

This website, the "official U.S. government site for people with Medicare," has information about most — if not all — of the nation's nursing homes, although some data are not up to date.

The listings include three nursing homes in Otsego County — the county-run Meadows, the Oneonta Nursing Home and the A.O. Fox Memorial Nursing Home.

These nursing homes, and others in the database, are compared to national and state averages in a number of categories. Among the categories are deficiencies found during annual inspections of the nursing homes.

According to the website, the Oneonta Nursing Home, which is at 330 Chestnut St., had just two deficiencies noted during a May 16 inspection. Inspectors found the facility failed to "make sure each resident is being watched and has assistance devices, when needed to prevent accidents" and failed to "make sure that residents with reduced range of motion get proper treatment and services to increase range of motion."

The two deficiencies, the fewest found in Otsego County nursing homes, compare favorably with the state average of six deficiencies found, and the national average of seven.

Each of the county's other two homes were listed as having more deficiencies, although data for both were from last year.

Jonathan Done, Oneonta Nursing Home administrator, said his nursing home's success comes from its relatively small size, 80 beds, and the hard work of staff members.

"I think it's a little easier to be on top of everything when you have a smaller facility, and our staff members work extremely hard," he said.

The two deficiencies have been corrected, Done said.

The Meadows, which has 174 beds, did not do well during a 2001 inspection, but did much better this year, Administrator Dennis Smith said. The data listed on the Medicare website show The Meadows had 11 deficiencies in 2001, but that number was cut to five this year, he said.

"Last year was not a good year, but we addressed those problems, and this year's inspection was much better for us," said Smith, who was hired by the county in November 2001. Among problems noted this year was a malfunctioning flow control switch in the sprinkler system, Smith said.

He said he is addressing all problems noted this year, and last year's problems were corrected.

In 2001, The Meadows had two problems related to medications that rated a three in severity on a scale of one-to-four, with four being the most serious. Smith said the deficiencies noted this year were less serious.

Otsego County Rep. Sam Dubben, who chairs The Meadows Committee, said, "Last year wasn't a good year, but I think this year's inspection shows we've made progress. I'm very confident that we have a good management team in place at The Meadows, and this year's report backs that up."

Information on the Medicare site for the A.O. Fox Memorial Nursing Home also is more than a year old, said Gary Smith, vice president for long-term care.

"I think it should be noted that all this information is prominently displayed in nursing homes," Smith said.

In 2001, the Fox nursing home, which has 131 beds, was cited for eight deficiencies, although none was considered above a two in severity. This year's inspection turned up six deficiencies, and none led to any harm to residents, Smith said.

All problems noted during inspections have been addressed, and none of the problems noted in 2001 recurred in 2002, he said.

All three administrators said the Medicare site is a useful tool for people who are comparing nursing homes but no substitute for visiting in person.

"I think that before choosing a nursing home, people should come and visit, and speak to friends who've had a resident in their families," Smith said. By visiting and observing, people may learn a lot about how the facility operates, he said.

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Tom Grace can be reached at grace@ascent.net or (607) 547-2431.