Top 10 Nursing Home Deficiencies and Citations — June 2026

Federal inspectors issued 643,861 citations to 14,696 nursing homes across the United States through May 21, 2026, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These citations, called "deficiencies," identify areas where facilities failed to meet federal health and safety standards.

Infection prevention and control programs topped the list, with 24,924 citations affecting 81.6% of all nursing homes. The ten most common deficiencies accounted for 163,892 citations—roughly one in four of all violations recorded. Understanding these patterns can help families ask informed questions when evaluating care facilities.

This analysis examines the most frequently cited deficiencies, what they mean for resident care, and how to interpret nursing home inspection reports.

What is an F-tag in a nursing home?

An F-tag is a code that inspectors use to identify specific federal regulations. Each F-tag corresponds to a requirement in the Code of Federal Regulations that nursing homes must follow to participate in Medicare and Medicaid. When inspectors find a facility has not met a requirement, they issue a "deficiency" citation with the corresponding F-tag number.

F-tags beginning with "F" cover health and quality-of-life standards. Tags beginning with "K" address life safety and building codes. A single inspection can result in multiple F-tag citations if inspectors find problems in several areas. The 14,696 facilities in this dataset received an average of 43.8 citations each.

The most common deficiencies

F0880 (Infection Prevention and Control) appeared in 24,924 inspections across 11,996 facilities—more than 4 out of 5 nursing homes nationwide. This tag requires facilities to establish and maintain a comprehensive infection prevention and control program. While most F0880 citations (24,584) involved lower-level violations, 340 cases resulted in actual harm to residents or placed them in immediate jeopardy.

F0689 (Free from Abuse and Neglect) ranked second with 22,465 citations at 10,223 facilities (69.6% of all homes). This regulation requires facilities to protect residents from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Notably, 7,378 of these citations—nearly one in three—involved actual harm or immediate jeopardy, the most serious finding levels.

F0812 (Food Procurement and Storage) generated 20,906 citations across 11,195 facilities (76.2%). This tag covers how nursing homes obtain, store, prepare, and serve food in sanitary conditions. Only 78 cases rose to the level of actual harm or jeopardy.

F0684 (Quality of Care Standard) and K0353 (Maintenance of Building Systems) rounded out the top five, with 17,257 and 16,514 citations respectively. F0684 requires facilities to provide care and services to help each resident attain or maintain their highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. K0353 addresses building maintenance issues. Of the 16,514 K0353 citations, only 11 involved actual harm—indicating most were lower-level maintenance concerns.

The remaining top-ten tags address urinary incontinence management (F0656, 15,534 citations), sufficient nursing staff (F0761, 14,238 citations), sprinkler systems (K0918, 11,402 citations), professional standards of care (F0677, 10,756 citations), and pressure ulcer care (F0695, 9,896 citations).

How to read a nursing home inspection report

Nursing home inspection reports are public documents available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website. Each deficiency citation includes the F-tag number, a scope and severity rating, and a narrative describing what inspectors observed.

Scope indicates how widespread the problem is: isolated (affecting one or a limited number of residents), pattern (affecting more than a limited number), or widespread (affecting most or all residents). Severity ranges from Level 1 (potential for minimal harm) to Level 4 (immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety). The combination creates a letter grade from A (isolated, minimal harm) to L (widespread, immediate jeopardy).

The date of the survey matters. Facilities must submit plans of correction and can be re-inspected to verify compliance. A citation from several months ago may have been resolved. Look for patterns across multiple surveys rather than focusing on a single incident.

Pay attention to citations marked "actual harm" or "immediate jeopardy." In this dataset, 10,863 citations across all F-tags reached these serious levels—about 1.7% of all deficiencies. These represent situations where residents were already harmed or at significant risk.

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean if a nursing home has F-tag citations?

All nursing homes receive citations. The 14,696 facilities in this dataset averaged 43.8 deficiencies each. What matters is the severity, how quickly problems were fixed, and whether the same issues appear repeatedly.

Are some F-tags more serious than others?

Yes. Some tags relate to minor paperwork or maintenance issues, while others involve direct resident care. The "actual harm or jeopardy" numbers in inspection reports show which citations caused real problems. For example, 7,378 of the 22,465 F0689 citations (abuse and neglect) involved actual harm, while only 18 of 14,238 F0761 citations (staffing) did.

How often are nursing homes inspected?

Federal law requires standard health inspections about once every 12 months on average, though the timing varies. Facilities can also receive complaint investigations or follow-up surveys at any time. The 643,861 citations in this dataset were recorded through May 21, 2026.

Where can I find a specific nursing home's inspection history?

Visit Medicare.gov/care-compare and search by facility name or location. Each nursing home profile includes health inspection results, staffing levels, quality measures, and overall star ratings. State health department websites also maintain inspection records.

Data source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Data as of 2026-05-21.