The 2022 Nursing Home Report

The US states with the best nursing homes

Old age can be a wonderful thing; a time to appreciate all the things that we have worked for in life and cherish time spent with loved ones.

However, with advanced age also often comes health issues that require prescription medications and physical deterioration. This means that many of us will need to rely on the care provided within a nursing home at some stage of life.

With this being such a vulnerable stage of life, we expect carers and nursing homes to take the utmost care of our elderly. However, according to the National Council on Aging, approximately 1-5 million seniors experience elder abuse every year, though the true figure may be much higher.

With this in mind, we wanted to find out which states have the best quality nursing homes and where neglect and abuse may be happening most often.

The states with the highest-rated nursing homes

Using the U.S. News nursing home ratings, we were able to discover which states have the highest proportion of top-rated care facilities. By looking at the number of nursing homes given a 5/5 rating compared to the total number of nursing homes, we can reveal the states with the highest-rated nursing homes.

1. Hawaii

67.44% of nursing homes rated 5/5

Out of the 43 listed nursing homes in Hawaii, an impressive 29 have been awarded top marks with a rating of 5/5. Hawaii is known for its idyllic beaches and easygoing lifestyle, and it seems as though Hawaiians are just as concerned with providing the best quality of life for their elderly residents as well as everyone else.

2. Alaska

40.00% of nursing homes rated 5/5

The top two states couldn’t be much more different in terms of climate and landscape, but one thing they do have in common is the care they provide for their elderly residents. A total of eight of the 20 listed nursing homes have the highest rating available, showing just how much they value their elders.

3. Maine

32.26% of nursing homes rated 5/5

From the northwesternmost US state to the northeasternmost state, rounding out the top three is the state of Maine. With 30% of their 93 listed nursing homes being awarded a 5/5 rating, 32.26% of their facilities take the highest rating.

The states with the fewest highly-rated nursing homes

At the other end of the scale, we have the nursing homes that fail to meet the highest standards. While these states may have nursing homes rated up to four out of five, they have the lowest proportion of homes with top marks.

1. Arkansas

0.00% of nursing homes rated 5/5 

Arkansas is the only state on our list that doesn’t have a single listed nursing home scoring top marks. While there are 224 homes to choose from, none achieved a 5/5 rating and only four achieved a 4/5 rating.

2. Oklahoma

0.67% of nursing homes rated 5/5 

With 298 listed nursing homes in Oklahoma, but just two rated as 5/5, this equates to less than 1% getting top marks. As with Arkansas nursing homes, only four are listed as achieving a 4/5 rating.

3. Alabama

1.75% of nursing homes rated 5/5

Taking third place with four top-rated nursing homes is the state of Alabama. With 228 listed nursing homes in the state, these top-rated nursing homes only account for 1.75% of facilities.

The states with the fewest searches for nursing home neglect lawyers

Looking at the number of Google searches made in each state for the phrases, ‘nursing home neglect lawyers’, ‘nursing home abuse lawyer’, ‘nursing home lawyers’, and ‘nursing home negligence lawyers’ we can see where residents are most likely to look for advice. We compared the number of these searches to the number of nursing homes to see how prevalent these issues may be.

1. Iowa

1.30 searches per nursing home 

Iowa saw the fewest searches related to nursing home lawyers from July 2021 to June 2022. While this doesn’t mean that the state is free of nursing home neglect and abuse, it suggests that it is at least not so prevalent as in other states where far more residents are searching for this type of advice. 

2. Kansas

1.33 searches per nursing home

With 560 searches in the past 12 months for nursing home neglect lawyers as well as other search terms, Kansas has just 1.33 searches per nursing home, suggesting that there are lower rates of neglect in Kansas facilities.

3. Minnesota

1.37 searches per nursing home

Minnesota has 364 listed nursing homes, and with 500 searches for nursing home neglect lawyers and other related terms, this equates to 1.37 searches per facility, showing that the issue seems to be less widespread in this state than in others.

The states with the most searches for nursing home neglect lawyers

On the other side of things, we have the states where the most nursing home neglect lawyers searches happen. 

1. South Carolina

32.12 searches per nursing home

With 189 listed nursing homes and a total of 6,070 searches during the past 12 months, South Carolina takes the top spot for the highest number of searches per nursing home.

2. Arizona

23.31 searches per nursing home 

Arizona has fewer nursing homes than South Carolina, and with 3,380 searches for nursing home neglect lawyers, the state takes the second spot.

3. Florida

19.60 searches per nursing home

Florida is home to a whopping 705 nursing homes and with 13,820 searches for terms related to nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers, it’s clear that there are important improvements to be made.

The states where searches for nursing home neglect lawyers are dropping

While high volumes of searches for nursing home neglect lawyers are a worrying trend, there are some states where searches are decreasing, suggesting that the issue is becoming less prevalent in these states. 

1. Idaho

52.2% YoY decrease in searches

Idaho has seen the largest decrease in searches, going from 670 searches to 320 searches comparing the past 12 months to the previous period. This equates to a decrease of 52.2%. 

2. Kentucky

46.0% YoY decrease in searches 

While 1,690 searches for nursing home lawyers and related phrases may seem like a lot, this has actually decreased by 46% as the state saw 3,130 searches in the previous 12-month period. 

3. Georgia

31.6% YoY decrease in searches

The state of Georgia has also seen a decrease in searches for nursing home neglect lawyers, going from 8,470 searches to 5,790 searches year on year.

The states where searches for nursing home neglect lawyers are rising

Unfortunately, not every state is seeing searches for nursing home neglect lawyers drop. In fact, in these states, searches are on the rise, suggesting that it is becoming increasingly problematic.

1. Arizona

271.4% YoY increase in searches 

Taking the top spot is Arizona where searches jumped from 910 to 3,380 in the past 12 months, making an increase of 271.4%. 

2. Maryland

196.7% YoY increase in searches

In the state of Maryland, searches increased by 196.7% over the past 12 months when compared to the previous period.

3. Illinois

183.6% YoY increase in searches 

Lastly, Illinois completes the top three with a 183.6% increase in searches for nursing home neglect lawyers and related terms, jumping from 4,260 searches to 12,080 searches.

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Methodology: 

Looking at all 50 states, we searched state by state for the number of nursing homes according to the US News Best Nursing Homes Ratings, also taking the number of nursing homes rated five out of five.

We also looked at the number of Google searches for the terms ‘nursing home neglect lawyers’, ‘nursing home abuse lawyer’, nursing home lawyers’ and ‘nursing home negligence lawyers’, comparing the July 2020 – June 2021 period to the July 2021 – June 2022 period, taking the totals for each and comparing the search increase or decrease.