Ohio nursing home and assisted living residents are generally satisfied with the care they receive, according to the results of the 2013 Long-term Care Resident Satisfaction Survey, released by the Ohio Department of Aging. 

Maple Crest Senior Living Village, part of Mennonite Communities of Ohio (MHCO) in Bluffton, scored a 97.6 (out of a possible 100), which ranked it in the top 25 in the State of Ohio out of 598 assisted living facilities that participated. 

Mennonite Memorial Home and Hilty Home, both also of MHCO, received 96.3 and 94.3 satisfaction scores respectively. The statewide overall satisfaction score for assisted living facilities was 92.3 with 11,013 assisted living residents in Ohio participating in the survey.

Residents were asked to rate their satisfaction with the facility's environment, activities, administration, direct care/nursing assistants, laundry, meals and dining, social services, therapy, laundry and general satisfaction with the facility.

Researchers identified two key questions for residents to consider: 
• "Overall, do you like this facility?" and
• "Would you recommend this facility to a family member or friend?" 
Only 40 facilities in Ohio scored a 100% on both questions and Maple Crest Senior Living Village and Mennonite Memorial Home were two of those facilities.

“Every Ohioan deserves access to a wide array of high quality services and supports, no matter their age or care needs,” said Bonnie K. Burman, Sc.D., director of the Ohio Department of Aging.  “We know care that is person-centered and well-coordinated not only increases resident satisfaction, but also creates a more rewarding environment for workers.”

The survey was conducted between August, 2013, and January, 2014, by Vital Research, LLC under contract with the Ohio Department of Aging.  Vital Research, the Scripps Gerontology Center of Miami University and the Margaret Blenkner Institute trained interviewers, who met face-to-face with residents.

In addition to assisted living facilities, the survey also was conducted in Ohio nursing homes. The average nursing home satisfaction score statewide was 87.5 (out of a possible 100). Mennonite Memorial Home’s nursing satisfaction received a 91.9 with Willow Ridge scoring a 90.9 and Hilty Home scoring an 89. 

“The Resident Satisfaction Survey has long been a tool for Ohio consumers and their families to identify which facilities in their communities can best meet their needs, but it also has evolved to be a valuable resource for facility leadership and staff as well,” said Beverly Laubert, the State Long-term Care Ombudsman, whose office directed the survey. 

“The new priority index included in this survey helps facilities focus their quality improvement efforts on areas that matter most to residents.”

The full survey results are available on the Ohio Long-term Care Consumer Guide Web site (www.ltcohio.org).