10 Tips: Finding a nursing home Take wise steps when choosing a nursing home LAURA T. COFFEY, Times Correspondent Published February 18, 2007 Who knew that so many people have to make decisions about nursing homes while under severe time constraints? These tips can help: 1 Know your rights. If a hospital tells you your

(Data are for U.S. for year indicated) Number of nursing homes: 18,000 Number of beds: 1.9 million Number of current residents: 1.6 million Average length of stay (current resident): 892 days Number of discharged residents: 2.5 million Average length of stay (discharged resident): 272 days Occupancy rate: 87 percent Source: The National Nursing Home Survey: