About this site
Why we built it
Choosing a nursing home is one of the hardest decisions a family makes, and it usually happens under time pressure — a hospital discharge deadline, a sudden change in a parent's health. The information families need actually exists: every Medicare-certified facility is inspected by state surveyors, and the findings, fines, staffing payroll records, and ownership data are all public. The problem is the form it comes in — regulatory codes like "F-0689, scope/severity E" that mean nothing to the people the records exist to protect.
The Care File translates those records into plain language and puts the pieces side by side: what inspectors found and how serious it was, whether a federal abuse flag applies, what fines were paid, how many nurse hours residents actually get (including weekends), who owns the facility, and how nearby alternatives compare.
What we are — and aren't
- We are an independent data-translation project. We are not affiliated with CMS, medicare.gov, or any nursing home, chain, or referral service.
- Our quality records come from CMS. Historical prices have their own sources and dates; budget worksheets calculate from the figures you enter. We never combine these into our own facility score or recommendation, and no facility can pay to change what appears here.
- Content is published by The Care File and checked against the official CMS regulations and manuals. Our process is documented in full on the methodology page. We don't attach invented experts, credentials, or bylines to our work. Every clinical judgment on this site comes from CMS inspectors, not from us — we don't assess care quality or give medical advice.
Who is responsible for the information
The Care File publishes and maintains this independent project. Questions about our calculations, explanations or sources go to contact@thecarefile.com. We explain what our checks cover and keep a record of material corrections. A link to a government source does not mean that agency has reviewed or endorsed this website.
Money and conflicts of interest
No nursing home pays us anything. We take no payment from facilities, their owners or operators, chains, or referral services — not for appearing here, not for being described a particular way, and not for having anything removed. There is no paid placement and no sponsored content anywhere on this site.
Published records and the methods described on this site determine what appears on a facility's page. Historical prices are identified separately from quality records. Our comparison tools do not select a winner. Any future advertising will be disclosed before it goes live and will remain separate from the records.
How to use this site well
- Read the inspection findings first — they're the most independent evidence available.
- Compare staffing against the state average, especially weekends.
- Check nearby alternatives — inspection quality varies a lot within a county.
- Then visit in person, more than once, with the printable question list from the facility's page. Records tell you what happened; a visit tells you what it's like now.
Start with the guides if the ratings and codes are new to you, and always cross-check with Medicare Care Comparebefore deciding.