Arizona Tribune - Nursing Home Abuse Center Launches Free Tool Ranking All 50 States on Nursing Home Staffing and Abuse Risk

BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / August 10, 2026 / The Nursing Home Abuse Center, a leading online resource for families dealing with nursing home abuse and neglect, today announced the launch of its Best to Worst Nursing Home Ratings by State for Staffing and Abuse feature, a free, interactive tool that ranks and grades all 50 states and Washington, D.C. on nursing home staffing levels, abuse citations, and federal enforcement actions. The tool is available now at nursinghomeabusecenter.com/nursing-home-abuse/best-and-worst-states-for-nursing-home-abuse.

The feature is built on an original analysis of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare data covering more than 14,700 nursing home facilities across the country. Each state was scored on weighted factors including severity-weighted abuse and neglect citations, RN staffing deficits against the 0.55 RN-hours-per-resident-per-day benchmark from CMS's now-repealed 2024 staffing rule, annual staff turnover, CMS Abuse Icon or Special Focus Facility (SFF) status, and federal fines.

States were then graded A through F based on the average score across all facilities, a methodology designed so larger states aren't unfairly penalized simply for having more homes.

Choosing a nursing home is one of the most difficult decisions a family can face, often made under time pressure and with limited access to clear, comparative information. While CMS publishes facility-level data through its own Care Compare tool, the sheer volume of records can make it hard for families to understand how their state, or a specific facility, stacks up against national norms. The Nursing Home Abuse Center built this feature to close that gap.

"Families deserve a clear, honest picture of how their state's nursing homes are performing before they ever have to make a placement decision," said Julie Rivers of the Nursing Home Abuse Center. "This tool distills federal data that most people would never dig into on their own into rankings they can actually use, and it points them toward concrete next steps if they suspect their loved one has already been harmed."

Beyond the state-by-state rankings, the page offers detailed breakdowns of the highest- and lowest-risk states, including facility-level examples. It also includes commentary from elder care researchers, advocates, and attorneys on the link between staffing and resident safety, a step-by-step checklist for evaluating a facility, and information on legal options for families affected by nursing home abuse or neglect.

The organization worked with an expert panel to help contextualize the findings, including insight on how chronic understaffing contributes directly to preventable neglect and abuse in long-term care settings.

The Best to Worst Nursing Home Ratings by State for Staffing and Abuse feature is live now and free to use. Families who believe a loved one has experienced abuse or neglect in a nursing home can also request a free, no-obligation case review through the Nursing Home Abuse Center website or by calling (855) 264-6310.

The Nursing Home Abuse Center is dedicated to protecting seniors from abuse and neglect by providing families with accessible information on warning signs, federal and state regulations, and legal options. The organization connects families with experienced nursing home abuse attorneys nationwide and maintains a growing library of resources on elder abuse, nursing home neglect, and resident rights.

Nursing Home Abuse Center

Julie Rivers
(877) 941-2736
[email protected]
1330 Boylston Street, Suite 400
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse Center

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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