Nursing homes deserve positive attention

Recently the U.S. News and World Report published a listing of America's Best Nursing Homes February issue). Out of 15,000 nursing homes in America, the report listed the best 173. Iowa had six; two were facilities that had won the Governor's Award for excellence in health care: Riceville Family Care & Therapy Center of Riceville and the Westview Care Center of Britt.

To win the Governor's Award and then make the U.S. News & World Report's list is amazing. Yet the media has made little of these accomplishments.

More likely, a nursing home gets media attention if someone in the facility makes an error. The media is fixated on selling papers and airtime, and focuses on the negatives.

Each day, thousands of men and women risk their lives traveling through dangerous conditions to get to their job in a nursing facility to provide care for the state's elderly and disabled population. Little recognition is given to these hard-working, dedicated people.

Each year, state and federal government regulations add to the workload of these people. And now the government has decided that since they do not have the money, nursing homes will be paid less for what they do. Recent funding reductions are going to place high-quality facilities at risk of financial disaster.

It would be nice if the media would visit a local nursing home and focus on the good stories for a change.

John Mulder

Administrator