Nebraska holds the distinction of having, on average, the highest-rated nursing homes in the Midwest. Twenty-three percent get five stars overall from Medicare, as of this writing. The national average is 18 percent.

Approximate number of facilities:

• Nursing homes: 222
• Assisted living residences: 276*

Types of care available:

• Adult day care
• Home care
• Home health-care
• Continuing-care retirement communities
• Assisted living facilities (including residential care)
• Nursing homes

Estimated average prices:**

• Adult day care: $56 per day
• Home care: $20 per hour
• Home health-care: $22 per hour
• Assisted living: $ 3,020 per month
• Nursing home, semi-private room: $169 per day
• Nursing home, private room: $183 per day

State websites for seniors:

• Fremont: information for senior citizens
• Regulations and licensing of assisted living facilities (PDF download)

Where to report elder abuse:

• In domestic/community care: 1-800-652-1999
• In nursing homes: 1-800-652-1999

Financial assistance (partial list):

• Medicaid
• Nebraska Senior Health Insurance Information Program

Top-10 largest cities:

• Omaha
• Lincoln
• Bellevue
• Grand Island
• Kearney
• Fremont
• Hastings
• North Platte
• Norfolk
• Columbus

Top nursing homes, based on Medicare ratings:***

Albion
Good Samaritan Society – Albion

Atkinson
Good Samaritan Society – Atkinson

Beemer
Colonial Haven

Brokwn Bow
Jennie M. Melham Medical Center

Butte
Butte Healthcare Center

Central City
Central City Care Center

Colderidge
Park View Haven Nursing Home

Creighton
Avera Creighton Care Centre

Crete
Tabitha Nursing Center at Crete

David City
David Place

Dodge
Parkview Home

Elkhorn
Brookestone Meadows Rehabilitation and Care Center
Life Care Center of Elkhorn

Elwood
Elwood Care Center

Fremont
Nye Legacy Health & Rehabilitation Center

Geneva
Heritage Crossings

Gordon
Gordon Countryside Care

Hastings
Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital

Hebron
Blue Valley Lutheran Care Home

Henderson
Henderson Care Center

Holdrege
Holdrege Memorial Homes

Hooper
Hooper Care Center

Kearney
Good Samaritan Hospital

Lincoln
Gateway Senior Living
Tabitha Nursing Home

Minden
Bethany Home

Norfolk
Heritage of Bel Air
St. Joseph's Rehabilitation & Care Center

Oakland
Oakland Heights

Omaha
Brighton Gardens of Omaha
Douglas County Health Center
Life Care Center of Omaha
Omaha Nursing Home
The Lighthouse Health Care Residences at Lakeside

Papillion
Hillcrest Country Estates

Pawnee City
Pawnee Manor

Plainview
Plainview Manor

Spalding
Friendship Villa

Stanton
Stanton Health Center

Stromsburg
Midwest Covenant Home

Syracuse
Good Samaritan Society – Syracuse

Verdigre
Alpine Village Retirement Center

Wahoo
Saunders Medical Center
South Haven Living Center

Wakefield
Wakefield Health Care Center

Wausa
Golden LivingCenter – Wausa

West Point
West Point Living Center

Wilber
Wilber Care Center

Wisner
Wisner Care Center

Wymore
Good Samaritan Society – Wymore

*Assisted-living residence numbers are from the Department of Health and Human Services’ 2007 Residential Care and Assisted Living Compendium. According to the National Center for Assisted Living, this is the industry’s only resource for such data. Depending on the state, the number may or may not include small residential-care homes, such as adult foster care.

**Senior-care price estimates are based on the 2011 MetLife Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs, which reports average rates,and the Genworth 2011 Cost of Care Survey, which reports median rates.

***Medicare rates nursing homes in four categories using a five-star system. These are the nursing homes with five stars in the “Overall” category. The ratings were accessed on Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare site in November or December 2011 and are subject to change. The Medicare ratings system isn’t perfect, so use additional criteria to evaluate nursing homes as well.