From News & Record of Greensboro, Dec. 26

New star rating systems for nursing homes and long-term facilities won’t tell the entire story, but they can help families better make difficult choices, often on very short notice.

And troubling is North Carolina’s initial ranking in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid new five-star program released recently. More than one in four of the state’s 419 nursing homes, including several in Greensboro, were listed as “much below average.” Another 16 were ranked “below average,” based on inspections and patient records used in the evaluation.

Industry officials blame flawed information with too much emphasis on staff turnover. Consumer groups counter that residents too often get substandard care in facilities.

The new federal ratings and a similar state effort, to be unveiled in January, don’t have all of the answers, but they can go a long way toward making the best choices less complicated.

While pertinent information already is available online from consumer groups, state agencies and the industry itself, negotiating those Web sites can be intimidating and confusing, particularly for the elderly.

For too long, openness and convenience have taken a back seat. By working together, the industry, regulators and rights groups have an opportunity to come up with fair and accurate ratings in the public’s best interests.

Congress also can help by passing the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act, which would end mandatory arbitration provisions under which patients and their families relinquish the right to sue care facilities in cases of abuse or neglect. Legal redress should never be bargained away.

Hopefully, the soon-to-be released state rankings will shed more light and demand even more accountability.

As our population ages, families face life-altering decisions on how to care for loved ones. There must be an accurate, concise accounting of the facts.