More than a third of the 67 nursing homes in the Dayton area received the lowest one-star rating from the federal government's new five-star rating system released this week.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services' new system is already under attack by nursing home representatives.

"It's half-baked and misleading to consumers," said Pete Van Runkle, head of the Ohio Health Care Association, which represents 750 homes. "They rushed to get this out so it could be part of the Bush administration's legacy and not Obama's."

Ohio ranked among the nation's five worst states with 29 percent of its homes receiving one-star ratings. In Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Warren counties, 23 of 67 homes, or 34 percent, received a single star.

Federal officials say the rankings will put nursing homes "on the path to improvement" because they know family members will re-think putting someone in a one-star home.

The ratings are based on state inspections, staffing levels and quality measures, such as the percentage of residents with pressure sores. The nursing homes receive stars for those categories and overall quality.

Consumer groups like the concept, but said the staffing data is self-reported and is widely recognized as unreliable.

"From a consumer viewpoint, it's not stringent enough," said Alice H. Hedt, executive director of the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform.

New ratings Web site

To compare nursing homes, go online to www.Medicare.gov.