I am disappointed that during this election season, no candidate — neither Democrat nor Republican — is addressing the need for nursing home reforms.

A total of 150 nursing homes in New York received the lowest overall rating in a recently released federal government review of safety, staffing and quality measures. Included among these substandard nursing homes: Elm Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canandaigua; Ontario Center for Rehabilitation in Canandaigua; Sodus Rehabilitation and Nursing Center; and Wayne Health Care in Newark. The most recent tally of lowest-rated one-star nursing homes in New York has increased about 40% from 2019.

By contrast, 106 nursing homes received the highest rating possible, five stars. Included among those highest-rated nursing homes locally: MM Ewing Continuing Care Center in Canandaigua and Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic Extended Care in Clifton Springs.

But even some of the “best” nursing homes don’t always provide high quality care after the inspectors depart. In her 2022 book “Old And Thrown Away: One Woman’s Journey With Her Mom Through the Nursing Home Experience in the United States,” Marie Thunderwest writes that although health department inspector visits are supposed to be unannounced, the 5-star nursing home where her mother was a resident “was always able to predict when a visit would be imminent. I could always tell when an inspection was about to happen because suddenly things changed at the nursing home. Kitchen staff started wearing hair nets and serving meals in........

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