A nursing home for veterans in Prescott ranks among the worst in the nation, according to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The agency's Community Living Center in Prescott got a one-star rating from the department — the lowest possible score in the five-star system, The Arizona Republic reported.
The nursing home provides short-term rehabilitation and stabilization for veterans, including medical care, nursing and multiple therapies. It has 85 beds, but the most recently available records indicate only 45 are typically in use.
Patients reported a lower ratio of falls, bedsores and ulcers than the VA average at nursing homes But some 45 percent of patients report frequent severe or moderate pain, or horrible pain within the previous five days, VA data showed.
By comparison, 33 percent of patients in other VA living centers and only 6 percent in private care facilities report that level of discomfort,
A spokesperson for the center says improvements have been made since the evaluation was conducted, and new scores are set to be released next month.
The VA center in Phoenix, with 104 beds, received four stars overall involving care and patient satisfaction. It scored above the VA average in all 11 quality measurements and was listed eighth among the 133 veterans living centers nationwide.
The veterans nursing home in Tucson, with 90 beds, got two stars.
