The best nursing homes in Georgia, according to US News

The U.S. News and World Report has identified the best nursing homes for the upcoming year, and few Georgia locations earned high recognition.

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Researchers evaluated more than 15,000 homes around the country, including in nearly 100 major metropolitan areas, and found 2,975 nursing homes earned the coveted designation of being a U.S. News Best Nursing Home.

All of the best homes are included in the U.S. News Nursing Home Finder, which offers public information on safety, health inspections, care, staffing and more.

This year, researchers added a Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating, which gives a clearer view of the quality of care for short-stay patients.

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"Every year we strive to improve upon the information we offer to caregivers making critical health care decisions for their loved ones," Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News, said in a news release. "We understand that nurse staffing is among the most important predictors of nursing home quality. With our new methodology and Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating, we have taken several steps to ensure that nursing homes that consistently provide high quality care to residents are highlighted."

To qualify as a U.S. News Best Nursing Home, homes must receive a High Performing rating in either the Short-Stay Rehabilitation or Overall ratings, and must rank at least Average in the other.

Of the 2,975 on U.S. News’ Best Nursing Homes list, Wisconsin had 176 nursing homes that received either an overall or short-stay rehabilitation High-Performing rating. Only 12 Georgia homes made the cut.

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Here are the 12 homes deemed a U.S. News Best Nursing Home for 2018-19:

Explore more from the U.S. News Nursing Home Finder at health.usnews.com.