A 2023 Operational Assessment of Gracedale, Paid for By Taxpayers, Collected Dust for Three Years

Northampton County Council's Wednesday discussion with Continuum of Care Director Thomas Carson and Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton included a detailed discussion of the 2023 Affinity operational assessment. at Gracedale. 

This report was ordered by a previous County Council over former Executive Lamont McClure's veto. Council thought it would be helpful to have some "outside lens" on Gracedale. Tara Zrinski, then a Council member, supported McClure's veto. 

This outside performance audit has pretty much been collecting dust since that time. After Michelle Morton was hired as Administrator in March 2025, it was never provided to her. She told County Council on November 9, 2025, that she had yet to see this report. When she testified before the Investigating Grand Jury on December 30, 2025, she still had failed to read it. 

Carson has. 

He told Council it produces a remarkably candid picture of the problems facing Gracedale. This raises questions about why many of the report's recommendations were not addressed sooner. Carson suggested Gracedale use the 2023 Affinity report as a blueprint and give current management time to implement its recommendations. He noted many of its findings and recommendations are the same issues he has been reporting to now County Executive Tara Zrinski.

Carson plans to meet with Gracedale's administration and nursing leadership and go through the Affinity report line by line to determine what needs to be done. "I'm not going to stand here before this committee and suggest everything is fine when the facts tell us otherwise," he declared. But he also stressed that Gracedale's problems are only a part of "the entire story." He has met employees who have devoted years and even decades to Gracedale and remain deeply committed to its residents.

Carson said employees want leadership that listens, communicates, holds people accountable and is present. His commitment to Council was straightforward: "I will tell you what I know, I will tell you what we are doing about it, and I will be accountable for the results."

Affinity findings that Gracedale had no referral tracking system, was poorly marketing itself and had no formal daily "standout" or shift-turnover meetings, have remained poorly addressed. But the most striking part of Carson's presentation involves employee morale.

The Affinity report said employees felt demoralized by negative media coverage and the frequent public discussion of Gracedale's problems. Carson said that finding remains relevant. He mentioned one employee had told him that she covers the Gracedale logo on her sweatshirt when leaving the facility because she is embarrassed to be identified with Gracedale.

WAGES AND AGENCY STAFFING

Affinity found that Gracedale's wages were noncompetitive. Three years later, that is still the case. Carson said some employees struggle to make ends meet, feel forgotten by the county, and many leave for higher-paying jobs. He described compensation as a "critical" problem.

Carson said the recent increase in nursing-supervisor pay was a step in the right direction and that paying all nursing staff more could result in the elimination of agency nursing. The Affinity report said Gracedale spent approximately $11.3 million on agency staffing in 2022. Now it's roughly twice that amount.

In one positive note, nine people were beginning new-hire orientation last week, the largest number Carson has seen since he arrived a few weeks ago. 

Only one is a nursing supervisor, but Carson "hopes" at least 90% of the supervisor positions are filled by the first quarter of 2027. 

WHY WAS THE 2023 REPORT SHELVED?

Council member Dave Holland asked Carson perhaps the most important question of the evening: Why was Council only discussing a taxpayer-funded 2023 report in October 2026 when it contained apparently relevant concerns?

Carson was unable to answer because he was not at Gracedale in 2023 and could only speculate that someone the report was unneeded.

AGENCY CONTRACT AND RATES

Council member Nadeem Qayyum had questions about the disparity between county and agency hourly rates.

Examples cited during the meeting included:

CNA: $17.88 county versus $36.40 agency.

LPN: $25.50 county versus $53.20 agency.

RN: $32.60 county versus $84 agency.

Morton acknowledged that agency rates are substantially higher.

THE CNA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS STOPPED BY DOH

Council member Lori Vargo Heffner asked what happened to a CNA training program that had once been used to recruit workers. Morton said originally that the program had been placed on hold because too many people were using it to obtain their CNA training and then leaving for jobs elsewhere. She later told the truth, admitting that the state DOH actually removed Gracedale's training certificate as a result of deficiencies, meaning the facility currently is unable to operate the CNA training program. 

Vargo Heffner asked whether Gracedale could require trainees to remain employed for a certain period or repay training costs if they leave. Morton said Pennsylvania law prevents the county from simply imposing such a requirement. She was asked to send the legal authority to Council's Solicitor for review. 

In effect, Gracedale was spending money and staff time training people who were not necessarily staying at Gracedale.

Morton also said Gracedale's population has changed. Whereas the facility had historically been more heavily geriatric, it now has many more residents with mental-health issues and associated behavioral challenges.

Management decided that staff-development resources would be better spent providing additional training to existing employees.

There was also a second problem: following an abuse incident last July, the Department of Health removed Gracedale's training certificate, meaning the facility currently cannot operate the CNA training program.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS 

Though Carson appeared sincere, he was hesitant and neither he nor Administrator Micheelle Morton were able to answer fully at least seven substantive questions or information requests.

1. How many Gracedale employees are covered by union contracts?

2. How many union positions are filled and how many are vacant?

3. How many employees are outside the union?

4. The biggest unanswered question was posed by Council member Jason Bouletter. How many county-employed nurses are required to operate a 450-bed Gracedale without agency nurses? - Both Carson and Morton looked like deer caught in the headlights when asked a pretty important financial and resident care question.

5. What were the exact dates of the three new Department of Health citations?

6. When will the agency contract receive a formal audit, and what would that audit show?

7. Why were the recommendations in the 2023 Affinity report not fully implemented before 2026?

There were also several questions that initially received incomplete answers and required Council members to press for clarification, particularly concerning agency staffing, the formal shift-change meetings and the CNA training program.

THE BIGGER ISSUE

The testimony creates an interesting paradox.

Carson and Morton both essentially agreed that the Affinity report identified legitimate problems. They also agreed that many of those problems are still relevant. What's troubling is that several problems identified in 2023 — referral tracking, marketing, employee morale, communication, accountability and staffing — remain issues three years later.

And the biggest unanswered question may be the one Carson was asked directly: Why did a taxpayer-funded report identifying these problems in 2023 apparently sit without being fully implemented until the current administration began addressing them?

Carson's answer was essentially that he was employed elsewhere and hence was unable to explain what happened. Morton's explanation was that current management independently identified many of the same issues and has been working on them since she arrived.

That leaves an important accountability question for County Council: Who was responsible for implementing the Affinity recommendations between 2023 and the arrival of the current Gracedale leadership, and why were so many of them still outstanding three years later?

Two words. Lamont McClure. He bristled at the notion of an operational assessment and simply ignored it. 

(More to come on Monday). 

How Does Gracedale Stack Up With Other Lehigh Valley Nursing Homes?

I've spent a lot of time covering the problems at Gracedale over the past several years. This home gets a lot of coverage from me because something always is going on there and it is publicly owned. It also recently attracted the attention of a NorCo Investigating Grand Jury. Is it packed with lies and perjury, as Zrinski asserted just last week? And what about other nursing homes in Northampton and Lehigh County?  Are they even worse, as NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski has suggested during a county council meeting? I've reviewed the Department of Health and ProPublica inspection records for nursing homes in Northampton and Lehigh counties from 2024 to present. They reveal numerous deficiencies since 2024, ranging from relatively minor regulatory violations to findings classified as posing immediate jeopardy to residents’ health or safety. Gracedale is among the worst. 

What is a deficiency? It means inspectors determined that a facility failed to meet a federal or state requirement. The seriousness of those deficiencies, however, varies considerably.

The most significant findings involve deficiencies classified as J, K or L, the highest levels on the federal scope-and-severity scale. Recent federal data identify J-level findings at both Gracedale and Bethlehem South, while Phoebe Allentown had a K-level infection-control finding in 2025.

Gracedale

It appears that the coverage I've given is warranted. It has had more than 20 deficiencies since 2024.

Among the most serious was a J-level finding in May 2026 , which occurred six months after Exec. Zrinski assumed office. It involved a failure to ensure that the nursing-home environment was free of accident hazards and that residents received adequate supervision to prevent accidents. Federal records classified it as immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety, affecting a few residents.

Gracedale also had a serious finding in September 2025 involving resident assessment and care planning. Pennsylvania Department of Health's inspection records document the September 23, 2025 abbreviated survey and resulting deficiencies.

Inspection records also show a K-level staffing finding in May 2026 (5 months after Exec. Zrinski was in office), determining that Gracedale did not provide enough nursing staff every day to meet residents' needs and did not have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. That finding was classified as immediate jeopardy and resulted in a $21,756 fine. The Pennsylvania Department of Health's inspection database shows that a subsequent abbreviated survey completed August 10, 2026 found no deficient practice related to the particular complaint allegations investigated during that survey. 

Bethlehem South

Bethlehem South Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has accumulated 28 deficiencies in the current federal reporting record.

Its most significant recent finding came from a June 9, 2026 complaint inspection. Inspectors cited the facility at the J level, finding that it failed to protect residents from abuse and neglect. J means immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety. The facility also had two D-level deficiencies in an April 29, 2026 complaint inspection involving pressure-ulcer care and bowel and bladder care. The inspection resulted in a $27,378 fine. Pennsylvania's inspection records subsequently reported that the deficiencies cited in the June 30, 2026 survey had been corrected by the July 17 revisit.

Bethlehem North

Bethlehem North Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center also has a substantial number of deficiencies. A February 2026 standard inspection identified deficiencies involving such areas as nutrition, treatment and care, resident notification, activities of daily living, range of motion and infection control.

A May 2026 complaint investigation also produced an E-level deficiency involving the failure to timely report suspected abuse, neglect or theft.

The pattern illustrates why simply counting deficiencies can be misleading. A facility can accumulate a large number of D- or E-level findings without those findings reaching the immediate-jeopardy level.

Phoebe Allentown

Phoebe Allentown Health Care Center had 13 deficiencies, one of which was particularly serious. An August 19, 2025 complaint inspection produced a K-level infection-control deficiency. Inspectors found that the facility failed to provide and implement an effective infection-prevention and control program. The finding was classified as immediate jeopardy and involved some residents.

A July 2025 standard inspection produced three additional D-level deficiencies involving resident rights, range of motion/mobility and accident hazards or supervision. That inspection also resulted in an $11,087 fine.

Interestingly, Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton came to NorCo from Phoebe. At last week's County Council meeting, Zrinski stated that she visited that home to pick up a few pointers. Why she'd visit a home with a K-level deficiency is beyond me. 

Cedarbrook

Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation has accumulated 16 deficiencies in the current federal record. This is Lehigh County's public home. The deficiencies are all minor involving resident rights, assessments, activities of daily living, resident care, accident hazards, dietary equipment, infection control and reporting of suspected abuse or neglect. They've all been corrected. 

Complete Care at Lehigh

Complete Care at Lehigh LLC has 12 deficiencies. They include deficiencies involving food handling and storage, pressure-ulcer care and pharmacy services. Most of its recent deficiencies were classified at the D level — meaning no actual harm was identified but there was potential for more than minimal harm.

Northampton Post Acute

Northampton Post Acute has 15 deficiencies. A May 2026 standard inspection identified four D-level deficiencies, including problems involving resident rights, care planning and accident hazards or supervision. Those deficiencies were documented as corrected during a June 2026 revisit.

Easton Skilled Nursing

Easton Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation has 20 deficiencies. They include repeated issues involving resident care and activities of daily living.

A December 2025 inspection produced nine health deficiencies, most at the D level.

An April 2026 complaint inspection also cited the facility for an infection-control deficiency.

The Gardens at Easton

The Gardens at Easton, including its memory-care operation, has had several deficiencies during the period examined, generally at the lower levels of the severity scale.

What the severity ratings mean

The federal nursing-home inspection system uses a scope-and-severity system that ranges from relatively minor deficiencies to immediate jeopardy.

D, E and F indicate no actual harm was found, although there was potential for more than minimal harm. G, H and I indicate actual harm that did not rise to immediate jeopardy. J, K and L represent immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.

Consequently, a nursing home with 20 D-level deficiencies should not automatically be considered more problematic than a facility with fewer deficiencies that includes a J- or K-level finding. The nature and seriousness of the deficiencies matter at least as much as the raw number.

What the records do show is that several nursing homes in Northampton and Lehigh counties have experienced recurring regulatory problems since 2024. Gracedale, Bethlehem South and Phoebe Allentown have each had recent deficiencies classified at the immediate-jeopardy level. 

The good news is that Gracedale is making strides to improve. Just last week, Northampton County Council voted to raise the wages for nurse supervisors to a level that is competitive and should attract professionals. Executive Tara Zrinski has stated this is only the beginning of changes to compensation. In six visits from the state Department of Health since May, no deficiencies have been found.  Gracedale Oversight Committee has been established, although it has yet to meet. 

Zrinski Claims She Tried to Keep Grand Jury Report Secret Because It Contains "Lies" and "Perjury"

At last night's meeting of Northampton County Council, member Dave Holland asked Executive Tara Zrinski why she tried to suppress the Grand Jury Report concerning Gracedales made public by NorCo DA Steve Baratta on September 10. He did so in accordance with an Order of Court obtained from President Judge Craig Dally, which was issued after Zrinski had asked that the report be kept from the public and was given an opportunity to make her case. 

Zrinski had argued that an investigative grand jury can be convened only to investigate crimes, but as President Judge Dally observed, an investigating grand jury can also "propose recommendations for legislative, executive, or administrative action in the public interest based upon stated findings." Those findings included "sluggish emergency response times, the inconsistent presence of law enforcement, medicare inspection deficiencies, derelictions in resident care, troubling resident conduct, elopements, staffing shortages, and a reliance on outside nursing agencies."

Although Zrinski had earlier stated that she took the Grand Jury Report seriously, the opposite was apparent. 

She told Holland she tried to suppress the report because ...

"There were lies in testimony. There were people in that report that committed perjury, and there was no one holding them accountable."

Holland: "That's a pretty serious allegation."

Zrinski: "And I made it right here."

Holland: "Testimony is testimony, right?"

Zrinski: "I get it. I have made testimony under oath. I understand what it means."

She sure does. In a custody dispute from a long time ago, it was Zrinski herself who was sanctioned $2,750 by then Judge Emil Giordano for "perjury." (See NorCo Docket 2007-9468, Court Order dated 12/16/08, Paragraph 14). Ironically, the attorney who sought and obtained that sanction was Melissa Rudas, who is now the county Solicitor.

Now she's accusing others of what she did. 

What were the lies and perjury? The numerous DOH deficiency reports issued in 2025, for which the county was fined? The testimony of several police officers, including an officer who testified that she saw supervising nurses sleeping at their desks when called to the home at night?

What I also find interesting is that, though Zrinski told Holland that she attempted to suppress the work of the Grand Jury because it's full of lies and perjury, she at no time made that argument to the court. The argument that she did make, i.e. a grand jury can only investigate crimes, is legally frivolous.  

She said that "[j]ustice should do no harm. And therefore, that is why I asked for it to be quashed."

In addition to being full of lies and perjury, Zrinski added that the unwashed masses would be unable to judge for themselves how much weight to attach to a Grand Jury Report. "[I]t wasn't to hide the report per se, but just like anything else, the public doesn't have the capacity or the knowledge to discern what was true and what was not in those narrative statements. So, to them, everything was true."

Now you know. She thinks you're stupid, and she was only trying to hide the report to keep you from falling for Barfatta's bullshit.

After claiming the report was full of lies and perjury and that you're too stupid to distinguish fact from fiction, she took a passive aggressive shot at Baratta: "I'm not going to speculate what the DA's objective was, but he got his headlines." 

Holland thanked Zrinski for her explanation, saying he was asking them on behalf of the public. "I have to say, those questions were better than Bernie O'Hare's," she answered.

I agree. At at the time of her news conference, I was unaware that she actually had really tried to keep the report from the public. I discovered that later in the day, when I was able to read her full reply. So  Holland's questions needed to be answered, and they were probably better coming from him than me. But whether Zrinski knows it or not, and apparently, she does not, they have made her look worse

Gracedale's Evolution Over the Years

Blogger's Note: In her State of the County address yesterday, Executive Tara Zrinski spent several minutes reviewing its history from the time it was owned by the Moravians. Several years ago, I spent a day or two compiling a brief history, relying heavily on records at Easton Library's famous Marx Room. What I've learned is that, since its existence, somebody has always been trying to kill Gracedale, including me. It was almost named Valley of the Nuts. Just as important, Gracedale has consistently redefined itself over the years. 

1. The early days. - Gracedale is part of what was originally a 600-acre farm, settled by the Moravians in 1745. Single dudes had to live on a similar-sized farm called Christian Springs, where they had access to plenty of cold showers. Gracedale was for the married folks.

How did it get its name? There were actually two factions. One group of prissies wanted to call it Gnadenthal. Being German, that sounds pretty tough, almost like a name for one of the Transformers. But it actually means Dale of Grace, or Kindness, a point made by Zrinski..

Another group of Moravians, led by Ronald Von Angle, wanted to call it Neissthal. That's another German name and it sounds pretty tough, too. But it translates to Nutty Valley, or Valley of the Nuts, supposedly because of all the hickory and walnut trees.

For some reason, Valley of the Nuts sounds perfect to me, but Moravians had a love feast and went with Kindness.

2. Indian Attempt to Kill Kindness. - Everything went dandy for the married Moravians at Gnadenthal, a farm of "unsurpassed fertility." But in 1763, a group of Indians on their way home from Bethlehem were provoked and robbed. The response was an uprising that coincided with other uprisings elsewhere, and quickly spun out of control. One of the places ravaged, in East Allen Township, is now the home of late County Executive John Stoffa. I kid you not! Andrew Hazlet was the unfortunate owner.

In an account published by none other than Ben Franklin, we learn that Hazlet attempted unsuccessfully to defend his home from attack. "Hazlet attempted to fire on the Indians, but missed, and he was shot himself, which his wife, some distance off, saw. She ran off with two children, but was pursued and overtaken by the Indians, who caught and tomahawked her and the children in a dreadful manner; yet she and one of the children lived until four days after, and the other child recovered. Hazlet's house was plundered."

When word of this and other atrocities reached the Moravians at Gnadenthal, they stockaded the entire farm, which was then considered the "bread basket of Pennsylvania." Fortunately for the Moravians, they had built up such a good reputation with local Indians that most actually assisted in defense. In fact, several Native Americans have been buried with Moravians

3. The first poorhouse. - In 1837, Pennsylvania imposed one of those "unfunded mandates" on Northampton County, requiring it to construct a home "for the Employment and Support of the Poor." According to Express Times historian James Wright, "The philosophy then current in America was that the poor could provide some relief for themselves by doing agricultural labor to defray the cost of their care through the sale of farm produce." Moravians were somehow induced to part with 235 acres for $90 per acre, along with a large dwelling house, stone barn, outbuildings and an excellent spring.

An almshouse was added in 1838, a three-story stone structure that still stands today and is known as the Greystone Building. Total cost? $6,284.99.

4. Life in the poorhouse. - In its first year of operation, Northampton County had 117 "paupers" in residence, administered by exactly one steward (for the dudes) and one matron (for the dudettes). If someone got out of hand or refused to work, the steward could lock him in a dark cell and feed him nothing but bread and water for 48 hours.

Social reformer Dorothea Dix visited Gnadenthal twice. Dix was an advocate for the poor and mentally ill. She believed mental asylums were a humane answer to the cages, stalls and pens in which the mentally afflicted were housed in yesteryear's version of group homes. Kinda' the exact opposite of today's approach. She gave the home high marks.

5. Cholera's Attempt to Kill Kindness. - Did you know there was a cholera outbreak in 1849? It's a vicious disease that attacks the intestines, causing diarrhea and nausea, leading to dehydration, shock and death. There was no vaccine at the time. It hit poorhouses and factories hardest. In Bucks County's poorhouse, 120 of 150 residents died. The Durham Iron Company was hit hard, too. People refused to leave their homes for fear of contracting the disease.

Some of Gnadentahl's residents did unfortunately contract cholera and die, but comparatively few. Once again, Kindness dodges a bullet.

6. Transition for Almshouse to Retirement Community. - Sometime around WWI, other agencies began to provide services to the poor, making poorhouses increasingly irrelevant. The population that did exist got older and more infirm. Farmers have to be hired to till many of the fields. The population diminished as staffing needs doubled.

7. 1951: The Birth of Gracedale. - As the poorhouse died a slow death, County officials embark on a new project, a nursing home. By the end of 1951, a new and modern institution costing approximately two million dollars was completed and placed in service. The retirement home's new name, Gracedale, is the English translation of Gnadenthal. Three physicians and four pastors were always on call.

In 1951, Gracedale still had 100 pigs and 500 laying hens. 

8. 1975: Unions Threaten to Kill Gracedale. - In the wake of Indians and cholera comes the union, with a third attempt to kill Gracedale in 1975. Following an AFSCME vote to strike on July 21, 1975, leaflets were passed out that demonstrate pretty clearly just what these union workers really then thought of the residents. "It is obvious that Gracedale must be closed for an indefinite period of time. Some residents can go home with relatives or friends, hospitals should be notified to be ready to admit the ill, while our County Home may be able to care for the balance. ... Call the Commissioners. Demand your rights. Together we shall overcome the Commissioners' brand of politics in Northampton County."

This threat to kill Gracedale, of course, failed. But no matter how much unions claim to care about the residents, their 1975 leaflets indicate they were willing to subject residents to removal, all for the sake of a few bucks.

9. 2011: Attempt to Sell or Lease Gracedale Fails. - In the wake of rising costs, then Executive John Stoffa proposed the sale or lease of Gracedale. Despite arguments that the best way to save Gracedale was to sell it, voters decided overwhelmingly to keep it.   

10. 2011: Third Part Administrator Hired. - After the attempted sale of Gracedale failed, a third-parter Administrator - Premier Health Care Services was hired to manage the home. County Council adopted an ordinance providing that all funds that went to Gracedale would stay there, which would prevent the county from using any profit to run other operations. By 2015, census had risen to 681, and the county went two years in a row with deficiency-free surveys. 

11. 2019: Third-Party Administrator Replaced With In-House Administrator. - Despite the success shown by Premier, the county decided to return to an in-house administrator in 2019. 

12. 2020: COVID and the Great Resignation. - A COVID pandemic was particularly deadly to senior citizens, and many staffers decided to resign. Things got so bad at one point that then Exec Lamont McClure called in the National Guard. Many staffers never returned, and Gracedale began to rely heavily on agency nurses. 

2025: Gracedale Placed in Provisional License Status. - As a result of a number of elopements., Gracedale was placed in Provisional I license status. That has since been downgraded to Provisional II. 

Conclusion. - Over its lengthy history, Gracedale has evolved from working farm to stockade to poorhouse. In its last seventy-five years, it has been a nursing home. What Zrinski has proposed amounts to another step in its evolution. 

Sources:

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY COMM'RS TO NAME NEW ALMSHOUSE "GRACEDALE", Easton Express, 12/24/51.
COMMONWEALTH MAGAZINE, GRACEDALE (July 1952)
TRENDS AT "GRACEDALE": MORE AND OLDER GUESTS, MORE WHO ARE INFIRM, Easton Express, 8/18/53
GRACEDALE: Moravian Setting for Modern Northampton County Courthouse, by Edward F. Reimer
MODERN MEDICAL CENTER SETS GRACEDALE APART FROM OLD COUNTY HOME, Easton Express, 8/18/53
10-STORY GRACEDALE TOWER IS DEDICATED, Free Press, 2/19/1975.
ALMSHOUSES, FACTORIES HIT BY 1849 CHOLERA EPIDEMIC, James Wright, Looking Back, The Easton Express, 12/31/89, page C-6.
GRACEDALE FOUNDED AS MORAVIAN SETTLEMENT, JAMES WRIGHT, Easton Express (date unknown)
GRACEDALE: Moravian Setting for Modern Northampton County Courthouse, by Edward F. Reimer

DA Baratta Expects Grand Jury Report on Patient Safety at Gracedale

 At last week's meeting of NorCo Council's Courts and Corrections Committee, DA Steve Baratta that he expects a "Gracedale report" from an investigating grand jury within the next six weeks. He indicated that the report is likely going to be focused on "issues of patient safety that we were made aware of over the past year. I don't want to shock anyone when they file the report, but at the end of the grand jury period, they're required to do that if they so choose. And I believe they want to write a report."

Pa Nursing Home Facility Locator Shows Gracedale Had Most Deficiencies, Lowest Nursing Care, Among County Homes in 2025

Pa's Department of Health (DOH) maintains a nursing home facility locator. You can search for homes by county, zip code, city or do a radius search. You can search just county-owned homes, state-owned home, nonprofiit or for-profit homes. Once you find a home, you can click on patient care surveys and see them for yourself. But as NorCo Council member Dave Holland observed at the most recent County Council meeting, there is a 41-day lag between when a deficiency is observed and when it appears on the DOH website. 

During 2025, Gracedale was cited for eight deficiencies on 4/16 (bedsores), 6/25 (abuse), 8/11 (staffing), 9/19 (elopement), 9/23 (elopement), 10/2 (elopement), 10/17 (abuse) and 11/18 (staffing). (I have previously detailed these deficiencies both here and here.)  Gracedale is a 688-bed facility with a provisional license and provides residents with 3.23 hours of nursing care each day. It has a one-star (much below average) CMS rating and is red-flagged for abuse. It has the lowest CMS rating of all county-owned nursing homes. Gracedale is the only home that was cited for elopement. 

How does this stack home against other county-owned nursing homes? Of 14 county-owned nursing homes. Gracedale provided residents with the least amount of nursing care. It is the only facility whose license is provisional. It was cited more than the other nursing homes. It is one of four county-owned homes that have been red-flagged for abuse. 

Berks Heim (Berks County) was cited twice, on 12/3 and 10/10, over its use of chemical restraints. This is a 420-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.47 hours of nursing care each day. It has a four-star (above average) CMS rating. 

Cedarbrook (Lehigh County) was cited once, on 5/9, over privacy curtains in one nursing unit. This is a 670-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.83 hours of nursing care each day. It has a five-star (much above average) CMS rating.

Indian Haven (Indiana County) was cited three times, on 2/5 (menus inaccurate), 3/5 (abuse - nurse removed call bell from resident) and 12/30 (staffing). This is a 108-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.46 hours of nursing care each day. It has a two-star (below) average CMS rating and has been red-flagged for abuse. 

Fair Acres (Delaware County) was cited twice, on 7/18 (resident grievance forms missing) and 1/24 (medication irregularities). This is a 778-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.89 hours of nursing care each day. It has a five-star (much above average) CMS rating. 

John J Kane (Glen Hazel - Allegheny County) was cited twice on 11/25 (physical restraints on resident always falling) and 6/6 (food safety). During 2025, John J Kane (Pittsburgh - Allegheny County). This is a 255-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 4.18 hours of nursing care each day. It has a three-star (average) CMS rating. 

John J Kane (McKeesport - Allegheny County) was cited twice on 11/20 (failure to notify medical provider of abnormal vital signs) and 5/29 (wheelchair accident). This is a 360-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.67 hours of nursing care each day. It has a four-star (above average) CMS rating

John J Kane (Ross Tp - Allegheny County) was cited seven times on 1/14 (infection control), 2/3 (medication control), 2/26 (food safety), 4/11 (accident hazards), 8/6 (refusal to readmit) and 12/11 (skin tear from urine bag removal). This is a 240-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 4.21 hours of nursing care each day. It has a two-star (below average) CMS rating. 

John J Kane (Scott Tp - Allegheny County) was cited twice on 7/17 (magnetic doors disengaged during power outage) and 9/5 (improper food storage. This is a 311-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 4.65 hours of nursing care each day. It has a three-star (average) CMS rating and is still red-flagged for abuse as a result of a 2024 incident in which a resident being provided with incontinence care slid off her bed and broke her leg. 

Neshaminy Manor (Bucks County) was cited for no deficiencies over four visits. This is a 360-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.41 hours of nursing care each day. It has a five-star (much above average) CMS rating.

Pleasant Ridge Manor-West (Erie County) was cited twice on 6/26 (failure to provide oxygen and maintain oxygen equipment) and on 6/16 (delay in reporting allegations of abuse). This is a 300-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.8 hours of nursing care each day. It has a three-star (average) CMS rating. 

Pocopson Nursing Home (Chester County) was cited once on 2/13 for staffing deficiencies. This is a 275-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.54 hours of nursing care each day. It has a five-star (much above average) CMS rating. 

Rouse-Warren County Home (Warren County) was cited twice on 7/3 (poor housekeeping in two units) and 8/21 (failure to maintain respiratory care equipment). This is a 176-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.75 hours of nursing care each day. It has a three-star (average) CMS rating. 

Westmoreland Manor (Westmoreland County) was cited twice on 5/8 (hot coffee spilled on resident) and 5/29 (resident fractured hip from abuse by another resident). This is a 408-bed facility with a regular license and provides residents with 3.63 hours of nursing care each day. It has a two-star CMS rating and is red-flagged for abuse