Most Improved Nursing Homes in 2026

Methodology

This analysis uses the same frozen SunsetWell v2.3 model weights on both CMS data vintages: Oct 13, 2025 and Jun 10, 2026. That means a facility is not labeled improved or declined because the model changed; both vintages are scored through the same frozen formula, and percentile ranks are calculated within each vintage using the same state peer-group rule as the scorer.

To keep the comparison stable across CMS file vintages, MDS quality measures are matched by normalized measure name rather than numeric code, then resolved to each vintage's own code before scoring. Complaint and incident features whose definitions changed between the vintages are excluded from this frozen-trend run, and the remaining model weights are renormalized identically for both vintages.

Improved means the facility's frozen-model percentile rose by at least 10 points and its available MDS harm measures moved in the same direction on average, where lower harm-measure values are better. Declined means the percentile fell by at least 25 points and the available MDS harm measures worsened in the same direction on average. Facilities missing either vintage, or with fewer than four paired harm measures, are not included in these tables.

This does not prove causality, does not mean every resident had the same experience, and should not be read as a single-incident finding. It is a screening analysis from public CMS data. Families should still read the latest inspection reports, tour facilities, and confirm current conditions directly.