Q. We are looking for the right nursing home for my mother, but I’m having trouble knowing whether to trust the ratings I see online on the federal government’s Nursing Home Compare website. For instance, there’s a nursing home close to my house that would be convenient, but the ratings are perplexing.

Nine reviewers have given the place both laudatory five-star ratings and outraged one-star complaints. Overall, the place got an average of three stars.

To me, this seems to be a highly-flawed measurement. Can I really trust nine reviewers for a 300-plus-bed facility? What I’m asking is if the five-star ratings on the Nursing Home Compare website are trustworthy, or if we should go to Yelp or similar sites to find out what consumers really think. Or are there other ways we can determine which nursing home is best for our mother? Thanks for your help!

Dear Ribbit,

We are currently looking for a nursing home for my father and we narrowed it down to two. I have made several visits and interviewed staff and residents using your Nursing Home Evaluation Tool. There were certain things I think would make both a perfect fit, and a few things that I am not sure about. Are there any red flags I should watch out for when making my decision?

Thanks,

Candi Side