CareGrade™ OriginalAt the core of CareGrade™ is the SeniorTrust™ scoring model — a transparent, data-driven system that evaluates every senior living community on the same objective criteria and assigns a letter grade from A to D.
This is the methodology behind every grade on the platform.
The Six Scoring Categories
SeniorTrust™ evaluates communities across six weighted categories. Each category produces a 0–100 score based on verifiable data from authoritative sources.
1. Care Quality (30% Weight)
The largest single factor. Care Quality scores are derived from:
- State inspection results — CCLD deficiency counts, Type A and Type B citations
- Federal quality measures — CMS health inspection ratings for skilled nursing facilities
- Complaint histories — Substantiated complaints and enforcement actions
- Clinical outcomes — Where available, resident health outcomes and incident reports
Communities with clean inspection histories and low deficiency counts score highest.
2. Staffing & Engagement (20% Weight)
Staffing is one of the strongest predictors of care quality. This category evaluates:
- Nurse-to-resident ratios — RN hours per resident day, total nurse hours
- Staff turnover — Nursing staff turnover rates, RN turnover, administrator turnover
- Weekend coverage — Weekend RN hours and total nurse staffing
- Engagement programs — Activity calendars, social programs, and resident engagement initiatives
Communities with consistent, well-trained staff and robust engagement programs score highest.
3. Environment & Comfort (15% Weight)
The physical environment directly impacts quality of life. This category considers:
- Facility condition — Renovation status and age of updates
- Amenities — Dining programs, outdoor spaces, fitness facilities, common areas
- Living spaces — Room types, privacy options, and accessibility
- Pet policies — Pet-friendly status, breed and size restrictions, pet amenities
4. Reputation & Reviews (10% Weight)
CareGrade™ analyzes family and resident review sentiment from public sources — but goes beyond star ratings. The system extracts signals about:
- Staffing sentiment — Comments about staff responsiveness, kindness, and competence
- Environment sentiment — Comments about cleanliness, food, and living conditions
- Value sentiment — Comments about pricing, fees, and perceived value
This sentiment analysis converts qualitative feedback into quantified adjustments.
5. Value & Affordability (10% Weight)
Pricing transparency is rare in senior living. CareGrade™ tracks:
- Starting prices and ranges
- Pricing confidence scores — How reliable is the pricing data?
- Source transparency — Where did the pricing come from?
- Value relative to quality — Does the price align with the grade?
6. Transparency & Trust (15% Weight)
Communities that are transparent about their data earn higher scores. This category evaluates:
- Data completeness — How many fields are populated and verified?
- Verified status — Has the community's data been independently verified?
- Regulatory link availability — Are inspection reports and licensing records accessible?
- Digital presence — Website quality, social media presence, and online transparency
How Grades Are Assigned
The six category scores are weighted and combined into a composite score from 0 to 100:
| Grade | Score Range | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90–100 | Exceptional, top-tier community |
| B | 80–89 | Strong performer with minor gaps |
| C | 70–79 | Adequate, with areas needing improvement |
| D | Below 70 | Below standard, requires careful review |
Additionally, communities with limited data coverage may receive a BV (Basic Verified) grade rather than a full letter grade — indicating that while the community is verified, insufficient data exists for a complete evaluation.
Data Sources
SeniorTrust™ draws from authoritative, publicly available sources:
- California Department of Social Services (CCLD) — RCFE licensing, inspections, complaints
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — Skilled nursing facility ratings, staffing data, quality measures
- Google Reviews — Public family and resident review sentiment
- Community websites — Amenity information, pricing, and photos
- Direct verification — CareGrade's own verification processes
Why This Matters
The SeniorTrust™ scoring model exists because families deserve more than marketing. They deserve objective, verifiable, transparent evaluation — the same standard applied to every community, regardless of size, brand, or referral relationship.
When you see a CareGrade™ letter grade, you know exactly what it means, exactly how it was calculated, and exactly where to verify the underlying data. That's trust by design.