Top 10 Worst Nursing Homes in New Jersey

Updated as of May 01, 2023

A list of the ten worst skilled nursing homes in New Jersey. Based on the Weighted Health Inspection Score developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Click here to see the best skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey.

Compare the Worst Nursing Homes in New Jersey

Every year, thousands of seniors, their families and friends have to make a decision involving a skilled nursing facility, either because someone is recupering after a hospital visit or for end-of-life care. This is usually an issue that arises suddenly, and the decision makers are not equipped with the right knowledge and information to make a good decision. Not knowing how to decide, they turn to others for recommendations. Word of mouth, along with geography, are constantly cited as the single most important factors in choosing a skilled nursing facility. This lack of understanding and lack of information can lead to significant problems because not all skilled nursing facilities are the same and the people that you trust to recommend a facility may not know enough about the facility and the alternatives to be a competent guide.

Providing the type of care that residents of skilled nursing facilities require is very difficult. The range of issues that are being treated is vast and the needs cover both people recuperating and recovering as well as those facing end-of-life issues. Residents require significant help with basic daily activities as well as supplemental needs like oxygen and 24/7 monitoring.

To help people who are facing this difficult situation, we have compiled a list of the both the best and the worst skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey. Additionally we have compiled the best and worst nursing homes by city for most cities in the United States. The lists are based on data compiled by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (“CMS”) and include information gathered from detailed annual inspections, monthly reporting, complaint histories, deficiency reports and much more.

The list below calls out the worst skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey. For the most part these facilities should be avoided. All of the facilities have issues with cleanliness and safety and a large number of the facilities have been flagged by CMS as locations where abuse has either occurred or is highly likely.

Avoiding these facilities may not always be an option either because of geographic, monetary, or occupancy constraints. However, being in a bad nursing home does not mean that the resident will not improve. If you have a loved one in one of these facilities, we encourage you to visit often and to ask that friends and other family visit too. It is well documented that positive outcomes for skilled nursing residents is highly correlated with the number and diversity of people visiting the resident. Being there, getting to know the staff, showing the staff that the resident has people that care about him or her is critical. There may not always be a better option, but your direct involvement can make a difference.

Nursing Home Rating
Silver Healthcare Center
1417 BRACE ROAD
CHERRY HILL, NJ 		940.50
Rating Not Available /
Avant Rehabilitation and Care Center
1314 BRUNSWICK AVENUE
TRENTON, NJ 		881.50
/
New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home Menlo
132 EVERGREEN RD
EDISON, NJ 		600.17
/
Promedica Total Rehab + (piscataway)
10 STERLING DRIVE
PISCATAWAY, NJ 		290.33
Cranford Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center
600 LINCOLN PARK EAST
CRANFORD, NJ 		175.33
Rating Not Available
South Jersey Extended Care
99 MANHEIM AVENUE
BRIDGETON, NJ 		171.83
Deptford Center For Rehabilitation and Healthcare
1511 CLEMENTS BRIDGE RD
DEPTFORD, NJ 		160.33
Cambridge Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center
255 EAST MAIN ST
MOORESTOWN, NJ 		108.50
Complete Care at Shorrock
75 OLD TOMS RIVER ROAD
BRICK, NJ 		107.67
Excel Care at Dover
65 NORTH SUSSEX STREET
DOVER, NJ 		103.17

Nursing Homes with the warning icon () have been flagged by CMS for abuse.

How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in New Jersey

Every month, we rank all of the skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey. These rankings are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid measures ("CMS"), including the CMS 5-Star Rating System and the Health Inspection Scores. The list of the Worst Skilled Nursing Facilities in New Jersey is based on the weighted overall health inspection score which is a composite of CMS's three most recent skilled nursing home inspection scores weighted to give the most recent inspection more importance.

The CMS 5-Star Rating System rates skilled nursing facilities from one to five stars, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. The rating system also rates New Jersey nursing homes across five different dimensions including overall rating, health inspection rating, quality measures rating, overall staffing rating, and RN staffing rating (RN is an acronym for Registered Nurse).

In addition to the 5-Star Rating System, CMS provides numerical metrics that summarize:

  • Health Inspection Domain. The health inspection rating is based on the three most recent standard surveys for each nursing home, results from any complaint investigations during the most recent three-year period, and any repeat revisits needed to verify that required corrections have brought the facility back into compliance. CMS calculates a weighted deficiency score based on points assigned to health deficiencies identified in each active provider’s current health inspection survey and the two prior surveys (including revisits), as well as deficiency findings from the most recent three years of complaint investigations. More recent surveys are weighted more heavily than older surveys: the most recent period (cycle 1) is assigned a weighting factor of 1/2, the previous period (cycle 2) has a weighting factor of 1/3, and the second prior survey (cycle 3) has a weighting factor of 1/6. The weighted time period scores are then summed to create the survey score for each facility.
  • Staffing Domain. Using multiple reporting methods, CMS calculates the amount of time that the nursing staff spends with residents. This is measured across multiple dimensions, one each for three different levels of nursing, including Registered Nurses (“RNs”), Licensed Practical Nurses (“LPNs”), and Certified Nursing Assistants (“CNAs”), plus one metric that totals all contributions. These metrics are expressed in hours per resident per day. CMS also provides state-level and national averages for the metrics to allow for additional comparisons.
  • Quality Measures Domain. A set of quality measures (QMs) has been developed from MDS-based indicators to describe the quality of care provided in nursing homes. These measures address a broad range of functioning and health status in multiple care areas. The facility rating for the QM domain is based on performance on a subset of 11 (out of 18) of the QMs. Ratings for the QM domain are calculated using the three most recent quarters for which data are available. This time period specification was selected to increase the number of assessments available for calculating the QM rating, increasing the stability of estimates and reducing the number of facilities that do not have enough data to report QM ratings.
  • Abuse Flag. Abuse is always a concern in skilled nursing facilities. To highlight the issue, CMS has extracted this feature as its own flag. Facilities with an actual abuse event or where the potential for abuse has been shown for the past two years are flagged. The Health Inspection Score is capped at 2-stars for nursing homes that have been flagged for abuse.

Skilled nursing facilities that are new and do not have at least two surveys completed are not rated by CMS. These facilities may have health inspection scores that can be used to evaluate the facility.

One complication in New Jersey nursing home inspections is the COVID-19 pandemic. Although inspections should be performed every 12 months, COVID has decreased this frequency. While CMS admits that only in “rare cases” do these inspections increase to 15 months, our analysis suggests that this time frame may be even longer. This report shows that the time between inspections is now just under 500 days (more than sixteen months). There are now hundreds of skilled nursing homes in the United States that have not been inspected in more than 24 months. This list shows the skilled nursing homes with the longest period since being inspected. According to the CMS data, these homes have not been inspected since 2018!

Skilled Nursing Home Abuse in New Jersey

Abuse is always going to be an issue with skilled nursing facilities. Skilled nursing facility residents need help with so many basic things and they are suffering, confused, and frustrated. If you are the friend or relative of a nursing home resident, we guarantee that you will be constantly fretting about whether your loved one is receiving proper and timely care. Abuse feels like a violation of your trust, but it happens. CMS actively monitors nursing homes not just for actual abuse but also for indicators that suggest that abuse might be occurring. Homes where abuse has either occurred or might be occurring are flagged. A very high percentage of the worst skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey have been flagged for abuse. We have marked these facilities both on the list of the worst skilled nursing facilities and on the detailed page for each of the facilities.

Skilled Nursing Homes in New Jersey Compared to Nationwide

We have compared New Jersey nursing homes to the nationwide average on several metrics. New Jersey performed better than the national average on several metrics and worse on other metrics.

Cycle 1 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies 5.30 Lower
Cycle 1 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies 3.90 Lower
Cycle 2 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies 3.40 Lower
Cycle 2 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies 1.10 Lower
Cycle 3 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies 4.70 Lower
Cycle 3 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies 1.40 Lower
Average Number Of Residents Per Day 111.40 Higher
Reported Nurse Aide Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 2.12 Lower
Reported Lpn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.92 Higher
Reported Rn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.73 Higher
Reported Licensed Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 1.65 Higher
Reported Total Nurse Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 3.77 Higher
Total Number Of Nurse Staff Hours Per Resident Per Day On The Weekend 3.31 Higher
Registered Nurse Hours Per Resident Per Day On The Weekend 0.50 Higher
Reported Physical Therapist Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.10 Higher
Total Nursing Staff Turnover 49.10 Lower
Registered Nurse Turnover 49.10 Lower
Number Of Administrators Who Have Left The Nursing Home 1.00 Higher
Case-mix Rn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.38 Lower
Case-mix Total Nurse Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 3.06 Lower
Number Of Fines 2.30 Lower
Fine Amount In Dollars 27,346.00 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Whose Need For Help With Daily Activities Has Increased 10.21 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Lose Too Much Weight 6.16 Higher
Percentage Of Low Risk Long Stay Residents Who Lose Control Of Their Bowels Or Bladder 42.12 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents With A Catheter Inserted And Left In Their Bladder 1.25 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents With A Urinary Tract Infection 1.43 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Have Depressive Symptoms 6.96 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Were Physically Restrained 0.10 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Experiencing One Or More Falls With Major Injury 2.64 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Pneumococcal Vaccine 93.35 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Received An Antipsychotic Medication 10.55 Lower
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Pneumococcal Vaccine 79.85 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Newly Received An Antipsychotic Medication 1.20 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Whose Ability To Move Independently Worsened 9.91 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Received An Antianxiety Or Hypnotic Medication 17.49 Lower
Percentage Of High Risk Long Stay Residents With Pressure Ulcers 9.02 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine 96.27 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Made Improvements In Function 82.08 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Were Assessed And Appropriately Given The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine 78.67 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Were Rehospitalized After A Nursing Home Admission 23.85 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Had An Outpatient Emergency Department Visit 9.28 Lower
Number Of Hospitalizations Per 1000 Long-stay Resident Days 1.89 Higher
Number Of Outpatient Emergency Department Visits Per 1000 Long-stay Resident Days 0.76 Lower

FAQs About Nursing Homes in New Jersey

How Many Nursing Homes in New Jersey

There are 349 skilled nursing facilities registered with CMS in New Jersey with a total of 51,305 beds. Average occupancy was 75.54% in May 2023.

New Jersey has 42 homes that are rated as having one star on the CMS 5-Star Rating System. Approximately 13.32 percent of the total number of available skilled nursing beds in New Jersey are in one-star facilities. In New Jersey, occupancy is higher in skilled nursing facilities where the CMS 5-Star Raing is higher than one-star.

There are 2 skilled nursing facilities in New Jersey that are not rated.

How to Report a Nursing Homes in New Jersey

If you run into an issue at a New Jersey nursing home, there are a few steps you can take to make sure the issue is reported. First, speak with the immediate staff. If the problem is not solved, speak with a director or administrator, doctor, or any other employee of a high level.

As required by Medicare and Medicaid, reports and complaints must go through a grievance procedure. Per the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a grievance is “an expression of dissatisfaction (other than an organization determination) with any aspect of the operations, activities, or behavior of a Medicare health plan, or its providers, regardless of whether remedial action is requested”. All grievances must be filed in writing or verbally within 60 days of the event prompting the grievance.

To report a New Jersey nursing home for quality of care, go through a grievance procedure through your Medicare or Medicaid plan. You can also go through the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIO). These groups serve to help with complaints made regarding the quality of care by Medicare providers. You can also choose to go through both Medicare and a BFCC-QIO.

Worst Nursing Homes in the Largest New Jersey Cities

All of the following nursing homes have been given a Weighted Health Inspection Score by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Every year, nursing homes in New Jersey go through an unannounced inspection performed by independent state examiners. These examiners look at factors such as cleanliness, hazards, and safety to perform the inspection. Points are given to nursing homes based on their deficiency in a certain category. Thus, a higher Weighted All Cycles Score means more problems and lower quality of care.

The list below ranks the homes with the highest (worst) weighted scores. The score is shown next to the facility name. The list also shows the two most recent deficiencies for each of the nursing homes.

Worst Nursing Homes in Trenton

  • Avant Rehabilitation and Care Center (881.5)
    • Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2023-02-21)
    • Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2022-12-06)
  • Eastview Manor Care Center (337.833)
    • Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited. (2023-01-30)
    • Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2022-10-29)
  • El Dorado Manor Nursing Home (118.667)
    • Ensure residents have reasonable access to and privacy in their use of communication methods. (2023-01-31)
    • Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered. (2023-01-31)
  • Sunnyview Nursing Home and Apartments (114.667)
    • Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. (2022-12-13)
    • Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. (2022-07-29)
  • Belle Care Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (82.667)
    • Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. (2022-12-05)
    • Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment. (2022-12-05)
  • Aberdeen Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center (67.333)
    • Have a registered nurse on duty 8 hours a day; and select a registered nurse to be the director of nurses on a full time basis. (2022-12-23)
    • Provide timely, approved x-ray services, or have an agreement with an approved provider to obtain them. (2022-12-23)
  • Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (34)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-02-20)
    • Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2021-11-03)
  • Tri-County Nursing Home (20.667)
    • Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. (2022-08-02)
    • Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2022-04-05)
  • Waters Edge Healthcare and Rehab (19.333)
    • Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. (2022-05-16)
    • Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered. (2022-05-16)
  • Greenwood House Home For The Jewish Aged (17.333)
    • Try different approaches before using a bed rail. If a bed rail is needed, the facility must (1) assess a resident for safety risk; (2) review these risks and benefits with the resident/representative; (3) get informed consent; and (4) Correctly install and maintain the bed rail. (2023-01-04)
    • Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. (2023-01-04)

Worst Nursing Homes in Newark

  • Embassy of Newark (205.667)
    • Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2023-03-21)
    • Hire a qualified full-time social worker in a facility with more than 120 beds. (2023-03-21)
  • Flint Ridge Nrsg and Rehab Ctr (117.333)
    • Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health. (2023-02-20)
    • Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2021-09-03)
  • Millcroft Living (86.667)
    • Perform COVID19 testing on residents and staff. (2021-11-01)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2021-11-01)
  • Altercare Newark North Inc. (82)
    • Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2023-01-06)
    • Allow resident to participate in the development and implementation of his or her person-centered plan of care. (2023-01-06)
  • New Vista Nursing and Rehabilitation Ctr (72)
    • Perform COVID19 testing on residents and staff. (2022-09-13)
    • Ensure staff are vaccinated for COVID-19 (2022-09-13)
  • Newark Manor Nursing Home (61.667)
    • Ensure staff are vaccinated for COVID-19 (2022-04-10)
    • Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2022-04-10)
  • Altercare Newark South Inc. (52.667)
    • Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2022-10-21)
    • Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2022-10-21)
  • Wayne Health Care (48.833)
    • Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health. (2022-07-22)
    • Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2022-07-22)
  • Arlington Care Center (48.667)
    • Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. (2022-09-21)
    • Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health. (2022-09-21)
  • Churchman Village (46)
    • Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2022-10-10)
    • Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency. (2022-10-10)

Worst Nursing Homes in Jersey City

  • Optima Care Harborview (32.667)
    • Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. (2022-12-07)
    • Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident. (2022-10-28)
  • Peace Care St Ann's (24)
    • Install a fire alarm system that can be heard throughout the facility. (2023-01-27)
    • Install an approved automatic sprinkler system. (2023-01-20)
  • Acclaim Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (15.333)
    • Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (2023-02-23)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2022-06-30)
  • Alaris Health at Hamilton Park (13.333)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2021-05-25)
    • Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas. (2021-04-23)
  • Peace Care St Joseph's (8.667)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2022-03-15)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2020-12-21)

Worst Nursing Homes in Atlantic City

  • Excel Care at The Pines (0)
    • Add doors in an exit area that do not require the use of a key from the exit side unless in case of special locking arrangements. (2021-08-30)
    • Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours. (2021-08-30)

Worst Nursing Homes in Paterson

  • Complete Care at Fair Lawn Edge (54.667)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2022-06-03)
    • Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems. (2022-05-17)
  • Barnert Subacute Rehabilitation Center, LLC (14.667)
    • Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights. (2023-03-24)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2023-03-24)
  • Doctors Subacute Healthcare, LLC (14)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2022-02-11)
    • Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed. (2021-12-25)

Worst Skilled Nursing Homes in Other States

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