Data Sources
Every fact on CareWitness comes from one of the sources below. We document our sources so families can evaluate the quality of the information themselves.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
The federal agency that certifies and regulates skilled nursing facilities. We use the CMS Provider Information dataset, which includes star ratings, staffing levels, inspection histories, and penalty records for all CMS-certified nursing homes in the United States.
Fields used
- —Overall star rating
- —Health inspection rating
- —Staffing rating
- —Quality measure rating
- —Penalty amounts and dates
- —Number of licensed beds
- —Ownership type
- —Provider certification status
Update frequency
Quarterly, following each CMS data release
Notes
CMS data is authoritative for skilled nursing facilities. Assisted living, memory care, and other care types are not regulated at the federal level and may not appear in CMS records.
Google Places
Google's business directory, used for discovering facilities not in the CMS dataset (assisted living, memory care, adult day care, etc.) and for capturing user-generated ratings and review counts.
Fields used
- —Business name and address
- —Phone number
- —Website URL
- —Google rating (1–5 stars)
- —Review count
- —Business category
Update frequency
Quarterly
Notes
Google ratings reflect user reviews and are unmodified. Review count is used as a confidence signal — facilities with very few reviews are flagged.
Facility websites
For facilities with a published website, we visit the site and extract structured information. This is the primary source for cultural competency and amenity data.
Fields used
- —Languages spoken by staff
- —Cultural programming offered
- —Dietary accommodations
- —Specialized care programs
- —Therapy services
- —Activities and programming
- —Bed count (when listed)
- —Religious affiliation
Update frequency
Quarterly, or when a website change is detected
Notes
Website-sourced data is self-reported by facilities. We extract and surface it as-is and encourage families to verify details directly with the facility.