Skilled Nursing Facility Near You: How to Choose & What Medicare Covers

When choosing a skilled nursing facility near you, you'll need to weigh cost, location, services, and insurance when making a time sensitive decision. Families usually have 1-2 days only to make that important SNF selection before their loved one is discharged from the hospital, a time that is too brief to make the best selection. The 2026 U.S. News rankings show that only about 19% of Medicare-certified nursing facilities across the country received a Best Nursing Home designation, and there are wide variations in how good or bad facilities are. The most best way to begin is the Medicare.gov Care Compare tool, which rates facilities from 1 to 5 stars depending on health inspections, staffing and quality measures. The best SNFs offer 20% more staffing per resident per day than the national average, and have a 33% lower rate of rehabilitation patients visiting the emergency room.

This guide provides information for locating skilled nursing facilities in your area, what to consider when looking at a facility, what it means by the quality rating, and questions to ask before deciding on a facility. Medicare.gov, CMS, U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings and patient advocacy sources provide information. 

Where to start your SNF search

The best way to locate skilled nursing facilities in your area is to use Medicare's Care Compare tool at medicare.gov/care-compare. Just enter your ZIP code or city, narrow down the results by choosing “Nursing Homes” and you'll see a list of all Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes in your area and their 5-star Quality Ratings.

Deerhinance planners are also important because they are involved in the time just before and after discharge. List of nearby hospital facilities, up to date availability of hospital beds, and knowledge of which hospital works well for certain conditions for case managers and social workers at hospitals. Have them assist you in determining more facilities that meet your requirements, rather than simply the first one that has availability.

At health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes rankings include expanded quality measures (19 measures for short-term rehab facilities and 17 in long-term care facilities) and detailed comparison data. The 2026 rankings evaluated almost 15,000 facilities across the country.

Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116 or eldercare.acl.gov) is a service of the U.S. Administration on Aging that helps callers find local resources, such as SNF referrals.

Local Area Agencies on Aging have lists of vetted facilities and can give you some direction that is specific to your geographic location. Long-term care ombudsmen stand up for residents and can refer residents to facilities or help residents with complaints.

For Medicare coverage information refer to our SNF Medicare guide. 

Understanding the 5-Star Quality Rating System

The Five-Star Quality Rating System (5-star) from CMS is a composite of three component ratings, each of which is based on a 1-5 star scale.

The Health Inspections rating is based on results of the state survey of deficiencies and citations. Surveys are conducted on an average basis about every 12-15 months and will search for federal compliance issues. The most serious deficiencies (those that result in actual harm or immediate jeopardy) have a significant impact on the rating. This component is the most significant of all the components in the total score.

The Staffing rating is a combination of registered nurse hours per resident day and total staffing hours per resident day (registered nurse, LPN/LVN and certified nurse aides combined). Staffing information is reported from facilities and adjusted to meet residents' needs. The more staff, the more the outcomes are favorable.

The Quality Measures rating includes both short-stay and long-stay metrics like hospitalizations per 1,000 resident days, emergency department visits, falls with major injury, pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, weight loss, and behavioral symptoms. The metrics directly influence ratings.

The overall rating is based on the first rating (Health Inspections) and then adjusted according to the other ratings. If Staffing is 4 or 5 stars (and higher than Health Inspections), add 1 star. Subtract 1 star if Staffing is rated at 1 star. Add 1 star to Quality Measures if it is rated as 5 stars. If 1 star, then deduct 1 star. Overall rating cannot be raised by more than 1 star if the Health Inspections is 1 star.

A practical interpretation: facilities rating as 4-5 overall stars are in the above average range; facilities rating 3 stars are in the average range; facilities rating 1-2 stars should be approached with caution. The national average rating across all is around 2.9 stars.

CMS updates ratings on a quarterly basis. Care Compare now has the January 2026 SNF QRP refresh available. 

What to look for beyond ratings

While star ratings are a good indicator, there are other important considerations. When your loved one has special needs, specialty care is important. Some SNFs focus on stroke rehabilitation, others orthopedic recovery, dementia care, ventilator care or wound care. The specialisation of the facility should correspond to the patient's main needs.

Recent inspection reports provide specific details of deficiencies, citations and corrective actions. These reports are made available by state health departments and directly connected to Care Compare. Patterns can be identified in recent reports that ratings cannot. Check for patient harm or abuse issues, multiple similar issues, and how quickly the facility resolved citations.

Staff turnover and weekend staffing levels were added to Care Compare in 2022 – and have grown in significance. Turnover and quality problems frequently go hand-in-hand. Weekend staffing levels indicate if the quality of care is poorer on weekends when there is less supervision.

The availability of the doctors is important for the patients who have continuous medical relations. If the current doctor does not provide services at the facility, ask if they admit patients and how often they see patients at the facility. 

Visit checklist: what to observe during tours

Before making a final decision, visit each facility you're seriously considering. Ideally, make one planned visit and one unannounced visit at different times of day. The contrast often reveals significant information about staff consistency.

During visits, observe staff interactions with residents. Are staff friendly and respectful, or do they appear rushed and dismissive? Do residents seem comfortable with staff or uncomfortable? Do staff knock before entering residents' rooms?

Check the cleanliness and condition of the facility. Look beyond the lobby into resident rooms, common areas, and dining rooms. Are residents' rooms clean and personalized? Are common areas welcoming or institutional?

Observe meal service. Mealtime reveals significant information about resident care quality. Are residents helped appropriately? Is the food appealing and appropriate for residents' diets? Are residents who need help with feeding receiving it?

Note staff-to-resident ratios on the unit you'd be on. Higher staffing means more attention per resident. Ask specifically about RN coverage at night and weekends.

Talk with residents and families if possible. Their direct experience reveals more about daily life than any tour can. Ask current families specific questions about responsiveness to concerns, communication, and care quality.

Check on rehabilitation facilities and equipment if rehabilitation is your purpose. Is the therapy space adequate? Does it have appropriate equipment? Are therapists visible and engaged?

Take notes during each visit. After visiting 2-3 facilities, the details blur together quickly. Use a consistent checklist to compare facilities objectively.

For complete checklist details, Medicare.gov provides a printable Nursing Home Checklist.

Questions to ask before choosing

Before making a final decision, ask each facility specific questions. What is the staff-to-resident ratio on the unit my loved one would be on? Do you accept new Medicare patients? What is your average length of stay for rehabilitation patients?

What therapy services are available, how many hours per week, and which therapists provide care? Does the facility offer specialized programs (dementia, stroke recovery, orthopedic rehabilitation) relevant to my loved one's needs? What is the protocol when residents have medical emergencies?

What is the policy for family visits, including evening and weekend hours? How does the facility communicate with families about residents' status and any concerns? How is medication management handled?

Specifically for Medicare coverage: Does the facility verify Medicare coverage before admission? Will I receive written notification if Medicare coverage is expected to end? What is your bed-hold policy if my loved one needs to return to the hospital?

What is the discharge planning process? When and how is discharge planning initiated? Who's involved (social worker, family, physician, therapist)?

For Medicare providers and verifying provider acceptance, see our providers guide.