State inspectors visit Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, usually every year and also after complaints, and cite each problem they find. Each citation gets a letter from A (least serious) to L (most serious). Focus on G–L (actual harm or immediate jeopardy), on repeat problems, and on whether issues were corrected.
Who this is for
Anyone looking at the inspection section of a facility page, or reading a full report (often called a Statement of Deficiencies, form CMS-2567) from Care Compare, the state or the home itself.
The scope and severity grid
Inspectors rate how severe each problem is and how widespread (isolated, a pattern, or widespread).
| Severity | Isolated | Pattern | Widespread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety | J | K | L |
| Actual harm (not immediate jeopardy) | G | H | I |
| No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm | D | E | F |
| No actual harm, potential for minimal harm | A | B | C |
Immediate jeopardy means the problem caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment or death, and needed immediate correction.
Reading the report
- Date and type: standard (routine), complaint, or infection-control inspection. A report is a snapshot of what inspectors saw on those dates.
- Tag and category: each citation refers to a specific federal requirement (for example, an F-tag) and a category such as quality of care or resident rights.
- Plan of correction: the home must submit a written plan to fix each problem. Our facility pages show the correction date CMS reports.
- Disputes: homes can contest findings, and a report can change after an appeal.
Homes must post where survey results are kept, and you can ask to see the most recent report during a visit.
New Hampshire numbers
The CMS Health Deficiencies file dated Oct 1, 2026 lists 974 health citations for NH nursing homes: 14 at immediate-jeopardy level (J–L), 11 at actual-harm level (G–I), 834 at D–F and 115 at A–C. The CMS penalties file lists 38 fines or payment denials for NH homes.
Questions to ask the home
- Can I see your most recent inspection report and plan of correction?
- What changed after the citations, and how do you check that the fix is working?
- Have any complaint inspections happened since then?
This guide is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. For decisions about your situation, talk with your doctor, the hospital or facility social worker, an Aging & Disability Resource Center, or an elder-law attorney.
Official sources
- Medicare: Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home (PDF)
- Indiana Department of Health: Scope and Severity Matrix
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: Scope & Severity explained (CMS-2567)
- CMS Health Deficiencies dataset
- CMS Penalties dataset
Sources checked Nov 11, 2026. Rules and dollar amounts change, usually each January; confirm with the source.