Our Mission: Why We Started Elder Guide

The United States Faces a Nursing Home Crisis on Two Fronts

Demographic Crisis

Our population is getting older rapidly.

• With more than 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day and many of the oldest baby boomers nearing 75 years of age, the United States is experiencing a massive shift in demographics. 
• Thanks to modern medicine and widespread vaccinations, Americans are also living longer than ever, with the number of Americans aged 85 or older projected to more than double over the next few decades from around 6.7 million today to more than 14 million in 2040.  

The day will eventually come when most of us will find ourselves in the position of caring for and being responsible for the very people who once nurtured us in our youths.

• Nearly 70 percent of all people over age 65 will eventually require some form of long-term care.
• Around 35 percent of all people over age 65 will eventually end up in a nursing home.
• Sadly, the growing demand brought on by the demographic shifts outlined above is outpacing the supply of nursing home beds.
• The immense competition for nursing home beds has driven prices up and sadly in many cases, the quality of care down. We were saddened to learn that some of these facilities are understaffed, dirty and in some cases even abusive to residents.

Information Crisis

Nobody intentionally places their loved one in the nursing home where one quarter of the residents suffer from pressure ulcers because they haven’t physically moved in days or where they failed to provide some of their residents with crucial vaccines to protect against life threatening respiratory viruses. In spite of this, we routinely find that some of the worst nursing homes which have repeatedly failed to take even basic safety precautions are often full of residents. In our quest to evaluate nursing homes, we have learned that shining a light on these bad nursing homes may be every bit as important as identifying the good ones. Tragically, placements in nursing homes are too often made either blindly, out of convenience or at the recommendation of placement agents who merely refer you to the nursing home that pays the highest placement fee. Our mission begins with a commitment to do better.

Our Six Guiding Principles

No Fees: We provide information free of charge to the consumer.

Transparency: We share our data sources and much of our methodology, allowing you to see how we reached our evaluations.

No Commissions: We do not receive commissions from nursing homes for placing you in a facility. This keeps our incentives aligned with yours rather than with the "highest bidder". We will never sell out.

Data-Driven Assessments: Our evaluations are based on data obtained from government databases, much of which is collected by independent government inspectors. Our grades are based solely on this data. We will always remain objective.

Fairness: We rate non-profit and government-owned facilities with little or no marketing budgets on the same scale as for-profit nursing homes with deep pockets. This is another reason why we do not accept commissions. We will never stack the deck.

Champions for the Seniors: This may be redundant at this point, but we will always be in your corner. This starts with helping you find the best nursing home, but it doesn't stop there. We provide information on related topics, such as helping you navigate paying for nursing home care and even nursing home alternatives such as assisted living or home health care. We want what's best for you.

Core Missions

1) Trusted Advisor

We will always provide you with the most thorough and accurate information we can find. We launched Elder Guide to help people navigate the process of finding a quality nursing home, but we aren't stopping there. We compiled lists of hospitals and dialysis centers across the nation and we feature a list of these local medical facilities on every nursing home page. We also provide information on alternatives to nursing home care, as well as strategies for paying for your long-term care. We are currently building a 50-state guide to assist people in understanding how long-term care Medicaid works and how to qualify to have your nursing home bills paid your state's Medicaid program. We will go the extra mile for you.

2) Future-Focused

We are already scanning the long-term care market place and looking ahead five to ten years. We intend to do everything in our power to make state and local governments aware of local nursing home shortages, as well as quality issues that arise in the future. If nursing home demand outpaces supply and the market shifts more towards assisted living and home health care, we will be there to provide you with all of the information we can find on those subjects as well. We truly believe what we have built is just the beginning.

3) People Over Profits

This should feel like a recurring theme by now, but we can't emphasize this enough: We value people over profits. We will not sell out your best interests to make more money. When you go to our website, we will always show you the highest-quality nursing homes, as well as the dirt on the worst nursing homes. We are honored that you have chosen us to help guide you through this difficult and trying process of finding a nursing home for yourself or your loved one and we will not let you down.