Ohio Veterans Home
3416 Columbus Ave, Sandusky, OH 44870 · Erie County · 427 certified beds · avg 242 residents/day · certified since Oct 1, 2006
Abuse citation flag (CMS)
The abuse flag means inspectors cited this facility for abuse that caused harm to a resident within the past year, or potential for harm in each of the last two years. Source: CMS.
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★☆☆☆2/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5
⚠ The most recent standard health inspection was more than 2 years ago — conditions may have changed.
The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.
Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Nov 6, 2025 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Sep 25, 2025 (Past Non-Compliance)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Jun 6, 2025 · F-0689 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Jun 20, 2025 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Oct 24, 2019 · F-0689
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Dec 12, 2019 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (23)
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2026 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. These written safeguards are the foundation of resident protection. · from a complaint |
| Feb 5, 2026 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint |
| Feb 5, 2026 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. · from a complaint |
| Feb 5, 2026 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not prepare and serve food in a form that meets each resident's individual needs — for example, chopped, pureed, or softened food for residents with chewing or swallowing problems. · from a complaint |
| Nov 6, 2025 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint |
| Jun 6, 2025 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint |
| Jun 6, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint |
| Jun 6, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not protect residents from misuse of their belongings or money — this is called misappropriation, and it includes theft or improper use of a resident's property or funds. · from a complaint |
| Jun 6, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint |
| Jan 28, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have policies on smoking. · from a complaint |
| Jan 11, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not make reasonable adjustments to fit each resident's individual needs and preferences — things like call buttons within reach, preferred wake-up times, or accessible room setups. |
| Jan 11, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required. |
| Jan 11, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not help a resident get vision and hearing services — such as eye exams, glasses, hearing tests, or hearing aids. |
| Jan 11, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Jan 11, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide safe and appropriate pain management for a resident who needed it. |
| Oct 24, 2019 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Oct 24, 2019 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. |
| Oct 24, 2019 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility's menus did not meet residents' nutritional needs, or were not prepared in advance, followed as written, kept up to date, or reviewed by a dietician. |
| Oct 24, 2019 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights. |
| Oct 24, 2019 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. |
| Sep 13, 2018 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights. |
| Sep 13, 2018 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. |
| Sep 13, 2018 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (5 → 5).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | D |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 | G ▲ |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | D |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | J ▲ |
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | E |
Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.
Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)
No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Ohio avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 5.53 | 3.45 | 3.95 | top 2% in Ohio; top 7% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.86 | 0.60 | 0.69 | top 10% in Ohio; top 23% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 5.01 | 3.07 | 3.50 | top 2% in Ohio; top 6% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.57 | 0.42 | 0.48 | top 18% in Ohio; top 26% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 36.2 | 48.7 | 45.8 | top 18% in Ohio; top 27% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 5.0 | 43.9 | 42.9 | top 3% in Ohio; top 2% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 4.86, RN 0.76, weekend 4.40. Staffing rating: 5/5.
Self-reported quality measures
Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.
Quality measures rating: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5
Who owns this facility
Government - State
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management State Accounting | Organization | Direct Ownership Interest | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/28/2003 |
| Orchowski, Paula | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/14/2015 |
| Orchowski, Paula | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/14/2025 |
| Ramey, John | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/26/2025 |
| Reber, Kaitlin | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/23/2026 |
| Reber, Kaitlin | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/23/2026 |
| State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management State Accounting | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/28/2003 |
| Wachtel, Brenda | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/12/2025 |
| Wachtel, Brenda | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/12/2025 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
- "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "What specific steps do you take to prevent abuse and neglect, and how are staff trained on them?"
- "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
- "If someone reports suspected abuse or neglect here, what happens in the first 24 hours?"
- "How do you handle residents who need modified food textures, and how do you make those meals appetizing?"
- "What safeguards do you have to protect residents' money and belongings, and what happens when something goes missing?"
- "What are your smoking rules, and how do you keep residents who smoke — and everyone around them — safe?"
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord Care and Rehabilitation Center | 0.7 mi | Sandusky, OH | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 | |
| Providence Care Center | 1.7 mi | Sandusky, OH | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Parkvue Health Care Center | 1.8 mi | Sandusky, OH | ★★★★★ | 4/5 | |
| The Meadows at Osborn Park | 2.9 mi | Huron, OH | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Admirals Pointe Nursing & Rehabilitation | 5.4 mi | Huron, OH | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Otterbein North Shore | 9.1 mi | Lakeside, OH | ★★★★★ | 4/5 | |
| Vista Care Center of Milan | 10.1 mi | Milan, OH | ★★☆☆☆ | 1/5 | abuse |
| Twilight Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation | 13.0 mi | Norwalk, OH | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Bellevue Care Center | 13.2 mi | Bellevue, OH | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Willows at Bellevue | 13.4 mi | Bellevue, OH | ★★★★★ | 4/5 | |
| Carecore at Gaymont | 13.4 mi | Norwalk, OH | ★★★☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Edgewood Manor Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center | 13.8 mi | Port Clinton, OH | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | abuse |
Compare this facility with the 3 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 366325.