The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in Delaware

Compare the Worst Nursing Homes in Delaware

Every year, thousands of seniors, their families, and friends are faced with the difficult decision of choosing a skilled nursing facility, either because someone is recuperating 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 most important factors in choosing a skilled nursing facility. Choosing a facility with such limited information can lead to significant problems. 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 worst Delaware skilled nursing facilities and the the best skilled nursing facilities. (We have also compiled the best and worst nursing homes by city for most cities in the United States, links are shown at the bottom on this page.) The lists are based on data provided 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 Delaware. For the most part these facilities should be avoided. All 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.

To see a more detailed analysis of the performance on skilled nursing facilities in Delaware, including staffing, COVID-19 infections, historical occupancy levels and recent trends, look at our detailed analysis page.

Nursing Home	Rating
Wilmington Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 700 FOULK ROAD WILMINGTON, DE	525.50
Pike Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 5651 LIMESTONE ROAD WILMINGTON, DE	363.17
Seaford Center 1100 NORMAN ESKRIDGE HIGHWAY SEAFORD, DE	205.50
Milford Center 700 MARVEL ROAD MILFORD, DE	166.67
Regal Heights Healthcare and Rehab Center 6525 LANCASTER PIKE HOCKESSIN, DE	163.83
Shipley Living 2723 SHIPLEY ROAD WILMINGTON, DE	136.33
Atlantic Shores Rehabilitation and Health Center 231 SOUTH WASHINGTON STREET MILLSBORO, DE	117.33
Kentmere Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center 1900 LOVERING AVENUE WILMINGTON, DE	112.67
Pinnacle Rehabilitation and Health Center 3034 SOUTH DUPONT BLVD SMYRNA, DE	106.00
Springs Rehabilitation at Brandywine 505 GREENBANK ROAD WILMINGTON, DE	103.33

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

How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in Delaware

Every month, we rank all of the skilled nursing facilities in Delaware. 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 Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware

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 Delaware 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.

How to Report a Nursing Homes in Delaware

If you run into an issue at a Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Dover

Hennis Care Centre of Dover (145)

Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds. (2024-06-20)
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2023-06-02)

Country Club Center I (141.333)

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-09-25)
Protect each resident from the wrongful use of the resident's belongings or money. (2024-08-09)

Excel Care at Dover (116.333)

Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems. (2024-08-16)
Provide at least two remote exits on each floor or fire section of the building. (2024-08-16)

New Dawn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (84)

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. (2024-07-25)
Notify each resident of certain balances and convey resident funds upon discharge, eviction, or death. (2024-07-25)

Cadia Rehabilitation Capitol (76.667)

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2023-12-08)
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (2023-12-08)

Park Village Health Care Center Inc (72.167)

PASARR screening for Mental disorders or Intellectual Disabilities (2024-05-10)
Notify the resident or the resident?s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident?s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave. (2024-05-10)

Complete Care at Silver Lake LLC (60)

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-03-25)
Install an approved automatic sprinkler system. (2024-03-25)

Westminster Village Health (59.333)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-01-03)
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. (2024-01-03)

Bay Terrace Rehabilitation and Health Center (41.333)

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-04-01)
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2024-04-01)

Center at Eden Hill, LLC (31.333)

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-08-01)
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. (2024-08-01)

Worst Nursing Homes in Wilmington

Wilmington Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (525.5)

Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food that accommodates resident allergies, intolerances, and preferences, as well as appealing options. (2024-01-31)
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2023-12-06)

Pike Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (363.167)

Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-03-07)
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2024-01-29)

Aperion Care Wilmington (257.833)

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2024-09-10)
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-04-30)

Azalea Health and Rehab Center (139.333)

Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. (2024-08-07)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-07-12)

Shipley Living (136.333)

Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. (2024-09-17)
Meet requirements for sections of health care facilities separated by fire resistive construction. (2024-09-17)

Autumn Care of Myrtle Grove (128.833)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-08-21)
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. (2024-08-21)

Kentmere Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (112.667)

Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights. (2023-12-13)
Notify the resident or the resident?s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident?s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave. (2023-12-13)

Wilmington Rehab Center (106.667)

Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment. (2024-04-17)
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2023-10-15)

Springs Rehabilitation at Brandywine (103.333)

Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. (2024-01-03)
Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted (2024-01-03)

Kutz Rehabilitation and Nursing (101.833)

Install smoke barrier doors that can resist smoke for at least 20 minutes. (2024-04-16)
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke. (2024-04-16)

Worst Nursing Homes in Middletown

Majestic Care of Middletown LLC (265)

Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2024-06-19)
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. (2024-06-19)

Oak Hill Center For Rehabilitation and Nursing (222)

Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-06-09)
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-04-30)

Grand Islander Center (157)

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. (2024-09-26)
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2024-08-30)

Hawthorn Glen Nursing Center (84.667)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-09-06)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-06-16)

Wadsworth Glen Health Care and Rehabilitation Cent (82.5)

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-07-31)
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-07-31)

Water's Edge Center For Health and Rehab (76.833)

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. (2024-08-09)
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2024-08-09)

Apple Rehab Middletown (75.333)

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-05-14)
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. (2023-12-22)

The Laurels of Middletown (74)

Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (2024-08-06)
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. (2024-08-06)

Royal Middletown Nursing Center (48.667)

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2024-04-30)
Ensure each resident?s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs. (2024-04-30)

Highland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (40)

Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident. (2023-10-18)
Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered. (2023-10-18)

Worst Nursing Homes in Newark

Embassy of Newark (137.333)

Notify the resident or the resident?s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident?s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave. (2024-10-24)
Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights. (2024-10-24)

New Vista Nursing and Rehabilitation Ctr (114.667)

Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating. (2024-06-03)
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems. (2024-05-13)

Flint Ridge Nrsg and Rehab Ctr (106.667)

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-10-03)
Honor the resident's right to share a room with spouse or roommate of choice and receive written notice before a change is made. (2024-10-03)

Forest Hills Center For Rehabilitation and Healing (98.5)

Have elevators that firefighters can control in the event of a fire. (2024-02-09)
Encode each resident?s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment. (2024-01-26)

Excelcare at Newark LLC (85.333)

Respond appropriately to all alleged violations. (2024-05-09)
Plan the resident's discharge to meet the resident's goals and needs. (2024-05-09)

Altercare Newark North Inc. (78.667)

Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-08-26)
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-06-14)

Millcroft Living (75.333)

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2023-12-06)
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2023-12-06)

Altercare Newark South Inc. (46.667)

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2024-09-23)
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-01-02)

Sinai Post Acute Nursing and Rehab Center (43.333)

Have stairways and smokeproof enclosures used as exits that meet safety requirements. (2024-02-20)
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. (2024-02-20)

Newark Manor Nursing Home (34.5)

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-06-26)
Have an enclosure around a vertical opening shaft. (2024-06-26)

Worst Nursing Homes in Lewes

Excelcare at Lewes LLC (47.333)

Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs. (2024-05-03)
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. (2024-05-03)

The Moorings at Lewes (12.667)

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. (2024-02-21)
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2024-02-21)

Worst Skilled Nursing Homes in Other States

See the worst skilled nursing homes in other states: