Medicare’s Care Compare is the official free tool and you should use it: it gives each home’s star ratings, its most recent inspection date and its address. What it does not put in front of you is whether the same problem was cited again at the next inspection, which citations came from a complaint rather than a routine survey, which are not yet recorded as corrected, how staffing compares with the rest of the state, or what the other homes run by the same owners look like. Those answers need the federal files joined together, and that is what you are paying for.
Where can I find nursing home inspection records for my state?
They are federal, not state: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publishes inspection, citation, penalty, staffing and ownership files covering every Medicare-certified nursing home in all US states and territories. This report is built from those files, and it names the file and load date for every figure it prints.
Isn’t all of this already on Medicare’s Care Compare?
The star ratings and the latest inspection date are. Repeat citations across inspections, complaint-sourced citations, citations not yet recorded as corrected, staffing against the state median, and the owners’ other homes are not, and they are the substance of this report.
How many homes can I compare?
One to three, in the same state, in a single report — which is how a shortlist after a discharge conversation actually arrives.
Do you rate or rank the homes?
No. The report prints CMS’s own ratings and the dated records behind them, side by side. We do not score, grade, rank or recommend a named facility, and there is no paid placement of any kind.
Does it cover assisted living or memory care?
No. Assisted living is licensed by states, not Medicare, so there is no federal inspection file for it. State-only license actions are not covered either, and the report says so rather than leaving you to assume the record is complete.
What does “Special Focus Facility” mean?
It is CMS’s own designation for a home with a persistent record of serious problems, which brings more frequent inspections. The report shows the status as CMS records it, on the date the file was loaded.
How quickly will I get it?
Emailed within 2 business days. If the discharge is sooner than that, say so when you order and we will tell you honestly whether we can help in time.
Is this medical advice?
No. It is a dated record of public federal data to take into your visit and your conversation with the discharge planner. CivicDelta is not affiliated with CMS or with any facility.