If the Department determines that there are violations of the State or Federal regulations, a Statement of Deficiencies is sent to the nursing home.  A Statement of Deficiencies includes information about both the violated regulations and the facts found by the Department which demonstrate the violation of the regulations. The nursing home is required to prepare a plan to correct the violations, unless they are very minor, and submit it to the Division of Nursing Care Facilities. This is called a Plan of Correction. 

This website contains the Statements of Deficiencies sent to the nursing homes and the Plans of Correction submitted by the nursing homes.  This information is updated on a daily basis.  Information about specific nursing homes becomes available approximately 45 days after the surveyors have completed a visit to the nursing home.  Each nursing home is required to have the latest survey results available for public inspection.

Before the Department posts a Statement of Deficiencies on this website, the nursing home is given the opportunity to convince the Department that its surveyors erred in their findings.  If the Department is convinced that there was an error, an Amended Statement of Deficiencies is issued to the nursing home and the Amended Statement of Deficiencies, instead of the original, is posted here along with an Amended Plan of Correction if the nursing home submitted one.

If the nursing home continues to believe that the Department erred in its findings, and/or disagrees with the Department's findings, it may file a written response with the Department averring facts that rebut or refute the factual findings supporting the Department's determinations.   If the nursing home chooses to file such a response, that will also be posted on this website with the Statement of Deficiencies and the Plan of Correction.  If the nursing home refused to file a Plan of Correction, or filed a Plan of Correction that was unacceptable to the Department, that will also be noted on this website.

When the regulatory violations are serious in nature, the Department may decide to impose one or more sanctions against the nursing home, such as a civil money penalty or a provisional license.  If a sanction is imposed, the nursing home has the right to appeal.  If there is an appeal, the Statement of Deficiencies, as well as its decision to impose the sanctions against the nursing home, are not final and may change as a result of the appeal.