One of the hardest decisions adult children have to make is deciding to put their aging parents in a nursing home and selecting just the right one. As Sarasota nursing home abuse attorneys, we often report on the nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have been reprimanded, fined, and found on the state’s “Watch List.” And while one in five nursing homes in Florida is on that list, we decided to give recognition to those that top the list year after year.

The South Florida Business Journal recently released the Top 25 South Florida Nursing Homes list for 2013. For the complete list, visit this South Florida Business Journal website. The top five South Florida nursing homes include:

  1. Miami Jewish Health Systems – 462 beds, also ranked first in 2012
  2. Sunrise Health & Rehabilitation Center – 325 beds, also ranked second in 2012
  3. Unity Health & Rehabilitation Center – 294 beds, also ranked third in 2012
  4. Joseph L. Morse Geriatric Center – 280 beds, also ranked fourth in 2012
  5. Hialeah Nursing & Rehabilitation Center – 276 beds, also ranked fifth in 2012

While it may seem surprising to find that all top five remained in the same positions as the previous year, the facilities that top the list time and time again know the importance of reinvesting their resources in quality workers in order to prevent nursing home abuse and neglect and ensure that their patients receive quality care. Riviera Health Resort was the only newcomer to the top 25 list this year.

The Difference Between These Top-5 Homes and Those on the State’s Watch List

Many advocates for the elderly feel that the state’s nursing home industry has failed to protect elderly residents from abuse and neglect. According to Brian Lee, Executive Director of Families for Better Care, “Nursing home owners have the resources to dramatically curb resident abuse and neglect.” The difference between the facilities that top the list and those on the watch list is that those on the top identify and correct problems, abide by the standards of care, and reinvest some of their earnings into hiring more staff and quality staff; those on the watch list don’t. Lee stated, “More staff, better care—it’s that simple.”

If you have been mistreated, neglected, or abused, or if you suspect your loved one is being neglected or abused, call a knowledgeable and experienced South Florida nursing home abuse attorney at Mallard Perez for a free consultation at 888-409-3805, and request a copy of our free book The Florida Nursing Home Abuse Handbook: Ways to Recognize & Prevent Abuse and Neglect.

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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Board Certified Sarasota Personal Injury Attorney