Ohio Nursing Homes: Violations, Fines and Worst Records

According to federal records from CMS, Medicare's federal agency, 722 of the 910 Ohio nursing homes that reported gave fewer nurse hours than their residents' needs called for. In the state's 922 facilities, nursing staff averaged 3.69 care hours for each resident daily. Ohio is lower than the U.S. average, 3.86 hours, and stands 44th when the 50 states are counted with the District of Columbia. Ohio homes saw 48.7% of nursing staff leave within a year; the national figure was 45.8%.

Inspectors recorded 1,481 citations for accident hazards and supervision in Ohio facilities during recent inspection cycles. It also led to 324 state citations involving resident harm or immediate danger, the highest count for any federal rule. About 34.0% of the state's inspection citations stemmed from complaint visits instead of routine checks. Severe violations can lead federal regulators to impose financial penalties; in February 2026, Ohio's largest single fine, $327,850, went to Widows Home of Dayton.

Families can see federal and state records in one place on Ohio's Long-Term Care Quality Navigator, an Ohio Department of Aging tool that pairs federal health deficiencies and star ratings with state survey scores on resident and family satisfaction. Federal reports giving the full inspection findings for any of the 922 homes in the state open from each facility's profile in Medicare's Care Compare, a search tool once called Nursing Home Compare. Known as the Form CMS-2567 statement of deficiencies, these reports lay out the specific facts behind all 28,578 citations issued across the state.

Anyone worried about unsafe care can report it to the state through the Ohio Department of Health. The agency also takes calls on its complaint line, 1-800-342-0553. To resolve day-to-day care disputes, call 1-800-282-1206 for the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman within the Ohio Department of Aging, which serves as a resident advocate. People can also report suspected elder maltreatment to state adult protective services at 1-855-OHIO-APS (1-855-644-6277).