U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in health care rankings, has named Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton, to its 2018-19 “Best Nursing Homes” list. 

This year, 2,975 nursing homes earned the designation by being rated High Performing in either Short-Stay Rehabilitation or Overall ratings and at least Average in the other.

The U.S. News & World Report website reports that on any given morning this year, roughly 1.4 million individuals, including 1 in 10 individuals age 85 and above, will wake up in a U.S. nursing home. 

The quality of care provided at the more than 15,000 facilities varies widely.  U.S. News wants to help families research facilities and find a nursing home that excels in the type of care they need. 

Since its inception in 2009, the U.S. News nursing home ratings have relied on data from Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes.  This year, U.S. News changed its overall rating methodology to put more emphasis on staffing quality. 

“We understand that nurse staffing is among the most important predictors of nursing home quality,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News. 

According to Laura Voth, CEO, Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio, her organization prides itself on maintaining high staff-to-resident ratios.  “We are mission driven to deliver the best person-centered care,” said Voth.  “We need the number of staff necessary to deliver that quality of care.” 

Serving the northwest Ohio community since 1955, Mennonite Memorial Home is a non-profit, faith-based organization, located at 410 W. Elm Street in Bluffton, Ohio. It provides skilled nursing care, assisted living apartments, independent living cottages, rehabilitation, and dementia care.  For more information, visit mhcoliving.org or call 419-358-1015.