What Are Red Flags in Cleveland Nursing Homes?

This article was written by Ohio nursing home attorney, Blake Dickson.

Whether you are faced with the challenging decision to place someone you love in a Cleveland nursing home, or whether someone you love is already in a Cleveland nursing home, there are some important nursing home red flags to look out for.  

Many families struggle with the decision to place someone they love in a nursing home.  A lot of the families who we talk to here at The Dickson Firm feel guilty about placing someone they love in a nursing home instead of caring for that person themselves.

As AARP reports, “the decision to move a relative into a nursing home is often among the most excruciating that caregivers make. In one 2019 research study, over 50 percent of caregivers felt at least somewhat guilty about nursing home placement; over 13 percent felt extremely guilty.”

Those feelings are understandable.

Nursing homes should be safe places for their residents where their needs are met.  Nursing Homes should provide the care that their residents require.  Nursing Homes should always treat their residents with dignity, respect, and kindness.  In fact, there are laws that require all of this.  

In Ohio, there is a body of law known as the Nursing Home Residents' Bill of Rights, which requires nursing homes to treat their residents with dignity and respect.  It is unfortunate that the State of Ohio legislature had to pass a law legally requiring nursing homes to treat their residents with dignity and respect.  But it was necessary and the law does exist.

Unfortunately, there are a large number of nursing homes in Ohio that do not treat their residents with dignity and respect.  They do not provide their residents with proper care.  They neglect and abuse their residents.  Sadly, we talk with families every day about these nursing homes.  Many of these nursing homes are in Cleveland.

How to Choose a Good Cleveland Nursing Home?

So how can you choose the proper nursing home for your loved one?  And if your loved one is already in a nursing home, how can you know if they are receiving proper care?

Please do not feel badly if your loved one needs nursing home care.  Many nursing home residents require care that their families simply cannot provide.  Many residents require supervision at all times.  Many families simply cannot be with their loved one 24 hours a day.  The family members have work and school.  If your loved one requires supervision and cannot be left at home by themselves then they need to be in a nursing home where they can get the constant care and attention they need.  

Cleveland nursing homes are legally required to have an adequate number of properly trained staff to provide their residents with adequate supervision and to give them the care that they need.

Though it can be very difficult, the decision to not put someone in a nursing home may put that person at risk.  If they can't be left at home unattended safely, they should be in a nursing home where they're getting the care that they need.  They should be a in a nursing home where they are getting the supervision they need.

A great resource with respect to choosing a nursing home, or for looking into whether or not the nursing home where your loved one already is a resident is providing good care, is the Medicare website.  Click here to access a list of all the nursing homes in Ohio.  You can search nursing homes geographically, check the five-star rating of each nursing home, and see how large they are.  You can also see if they're owned by a for-profit corporation or if they are owned by a nonprofit, if they've had past penalties, and you can see an evaluation of the quality of care they provide.

Once you have done the research and you've selected a few nursing homes to look into for your loved one, you should definitely pay a visit to each facility.  

Be On The Lookout For Cleveland Nursing Home Red Flags

One of the red flags is a popcorn machine in the lobby.  Why would a popcorn machine be a red flag?  The reason is that the smell of freshly popped popcorn is very strong and nursing homes often put a popcorn machine in the lobby to cover up other smells.  Sadly, these are often the smells of neglect.  The popcorn could be covering up nursing home residents who are not being kept clean, or residents who are incontinent and are not being changed on a regular basis.

As you visit each nursing home, be sure to tour the facility.  Visit at different times of the day and take note of if there is an adequate number of staff present.  

Another significant red flag to look for in a nursing home is lack of staffing.  Do you see multiple residents unattended?  Do you see residents in the dining room with very few staff helping them and supervising them?  Do you see multiple staff on the floor?  Do you see staff helping residents? 

Staffing is one of the most significant factors in providing appropriate care to nursing home residents.  If the nursing home has proper staff, it greatly increases the likelihood that the residents are receiving proper care.  If the nursing home is understaffed, it is virtually impossible to provide the residents with appropriate care.

Talk with the Administrator of the facility as well as the Director of Nursing.  If these people are at the facility and available to you, that is a good sign.  If these people are unavailable, that should be a concern.

At The Dickson Firm, we keep track of Special Focus Facilities and nursing homes in the greater Cleveland area that have demonstrated significant issues with resident care. Some of the worst nursing homes in Ohio are in Cleveland:

These are facilities that have a proven track record for poor care and should be avoided if possible.

What If My Loved One Is Already a Resident of a Cleveland Nursing Home?

If someone you love is already in a nursing home, sit in their room and push the call button.  See how long it takes the staff to respond.  If no one comes for an extended period of time, that is a very serious concern.  That may mean the nursing home is understaffed.  Further, if you have an issue, ask to speak with the supervisor on duty at that time.  Are they available?  Are they responsive?  Do they address your concern?  

Once again, visit it at different times.  Visit early in the morning.  Visit in the evening.  Ask for the supervisor in the evening.  See who is working at the nursing home.  Unfortunately, many nursing homes don't have supervision at various times.  At all times, you should be able to talk with an LPN at a minimum.  At most times, there should be an RN on duty at the nursing home who can address your concerns.

Is the nursing home clean?  Are the floors clean?  Is laundry done on a regular basis?  Are your loved one's linens clean?  Do they change the sheets and the bedding on a regular basis?  Do they keep your resident’s clothes clean?  

Visit during mealtime.  Are the residents getting assistance with meals?  Is the food hot?

Always examine the condition of your loved one.  Are they being kept clean?  Are their nails well maintained?  Is their hair brushed and taken care of?  Do they seem clean to you?  Are they kept in clean clothes?  Are they bathed often?  And if they have any kind of injury or wound, is that being attended to?  Are dressings changed on a regular basis?  Does your loved one ever seem dirty or neglected?  Are they ever not changed promptly?  If their dressings are not changed promptly, these are all significant red flags of poor care.

Worried About Nursing Home Red Flags? Contact a Cleveland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney

There are good nursing homes in Cleveland  where nursing home residents receive proper care.  There are also terrible nursing homes in Ohio where the residents are neglected and abused.  

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1-800-OHIO-LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

How to Make a Complaint Against a Cleveland Nursing Home

This article was written by Ohio nursing home attorney, Blake Dickson.

Cleveland nursing homes are regulated. Virtually all nursing homes in Cleveland receive funds from Medicare or Medicaid.  As a result, they are overseen by the Ohio Department of Health. The Ohio Department of Health comes out approximately once a year and performs what is known as an Annual Survey of each nursing home. 

If there are problems with the nursing home, the nursing home is cited. The nursing home must then file a Plan of Correction. If that Plan of Correction is accepted, the nursing home must then follow through with that Plan of Correction. 

The next time the nursing home is surveyed, the problems must be resolved. If the nursing home does not file a Plan of Correction in response to a citation it can be shut down. Further, the Ohio Department of Health can shut down any nursing home in Cleveland that it does not feel is providing appropriate care to its residents.

How to Identify Bad Nursing Homes in Cleveland

If you go to www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare you can look for nursing homes either by name, or by geographic location.  You can see the 5 star rating of the nursing home.  You can see its Overall Rating, its Health Inspection Rating, its Staffing Rating and its Quality Measures rating.  You can also see if the nursing home has been fined in the past.    

At The Dickson Firm, we keep track of Special Focus Facilities.  These are the worst nursing homes in the State of Ohio.  Some of the worst nursing homes in Ohio are in Cleveland:

Another good source of information on nursing homes is http://ltc.ohio.gov/NursingHomes. This is the website for the Ohio Department of Aging.  This website has lots of good information about a number of facilities.  If you access the Long-Term Quality Navigator you can search Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities.      

What Happens if a Complaint is Made Against a Cleveland Nursing Home?

In addition to Annual Surveys, any time there is a complaint about a Cleveland nursing home, the Ohio Department of Health will send a surveyor to the nursing home to investigate the complaint. If someone you love has been abused or neglected in a nursing home and you are making a complaint, you should work closely with the Ohio Department of Health to provide them with whatever information they need.  On the home page of our web site there is a red button that will take you to the Ohio Department of Health web site where you can make a complaint about a nursing home.     

The Ohio Department of Health will not investigate complaints made more than a year after the subject incident. Therefore, if you have a complaint about the nursing home, you should make that complaint promptly.

If you have enough of a concern about a nursing home to make a complaint to the Ohio Department of Health about that nursing home you should think seriously about moving your loved one to another nursing home.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW as it would be our pleasure to talk with you and help you in any way that we can. We represent victims and their families across Ohio.

How Falls Can Be Prevented in Cleveland Nursing Homes

This article was written by Ohio nursing home attorney, Blake Dickson.

One of the most common types of cases that we handle here at The Dickson Firm involve a nursing home resident who has fallen.  

Tragically, when a nursing home resident falls, they can suffer any number of very serious, and sometimes even fatal, injuries including fractures and head injuries.   

Nursing homes like to argue that not all falls can be prevented.  And while it is probably true that not all falls can be prevented, many falls can be prevented.  Even if a fall cannot be prevented, the staff at a Cleveland nursing home that is providing their residents with proper care can prevent that resident from suffering serious injury.

A September 2025 report from the Office of Inspector General in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that, nationally, nursing homes failed to report 43% of falls with major injury and hospitalization among Medicare-enrolled residents, as required, in resident assessments.

How can falls be prevented in Cleveland nursing homes?  

Pursuant to the Ohio Nursing Home Residents Bill of Rights, which is a state law in Ohio, all nursing homes in Ohio, including all Cleveland nursing homes, are required to provide their residents with a safe environment.

Under the federal law, known as the Code of Federal Regulations, nursing homes are legally required to provide their residents with adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

How should Cleveland nursing homes adequately supervise their residents?  

One of the ways to do this is with alarms.  There are alarms that involve a pad under the bed or the chair so that when the resident tries to get up and takes their weight off the pad, an alarm sounds, alerting the staff to the fact that that resident is trying to get up.  There are alarms that have a clip that clips onto the resident's clothing and then there is a string that goes to a magnet on the alarm.  If the resident pulls the magnet off of the base, it sounds an alarm and alerts the staff that the resident is trying to get up.

Oftentimes, nursing homes argue that alarms are restraints because they can startle the resident and make them afraid to move.  Usually, this is just an excuse for not using alarms.  There are many alarms available today to keep your loved one safe.  Some alarms, rather than sounding an alarm, use your voice.  It can actually record your voice, encouraging your mother or father to sit down.  This is often not startling at all, and in fact, quite soothing.  You can have an alarm that makes no sound whatsoever.  You can have a bed or chair alarm that lights a light over the resident's door or sends a signal to the nurses station or buzzes a pager worn by the nurses.  None of these make a sound that would startle a resident.

If the nursing home is telling you that they cannot use an alarm on your resident, ask them if they tried.  Before they give up on using an alarm, which is an excellent way to provide your resident with adequate supervision, they ought to try the alarm with your loved one.  Does the alarm startle your loved one?  Does it make them afraid to move?  The answer is usually no.  

If the nursing home is not using an alarm, then the next thing you have to ask is what are they doing to provide your resident with adequate supervision.  Imagine the staff working on the night shift.  You have a nurse and two aides who are taking care of thirty five (35) residents who are all in their rooms with the lights out and the doors may be open or the doors may be closed.  How are three people possibly keeping track of thirty five (35) residents?  Now imagine that the two aides are in one resident's room transferring that resident using a Hoyer lift to take them to the bathroom, and the nurse is in another resident's room providing that resident with care.  So you have two residents being attended to and thirty three (33) residents left unattended.  How are those residents receiving adequate supervision?  The answer, tragically, is often they are not.  These residents are not being protected.  They are not being kept safe.  They are not being provided with adequate supervision.

Why is preventing falls in Cleveland nursing homes so important?

Fall prevention is literally a matter of life and death in the nursing home.  Falls can be fatal.  As a result, nursing homes must take fall prevention seriously.  If you are admitting your loved one to a nursing home, and they are at risk for falls, you need to ask the nursing home what they are going to do to prevent your resident from falling.  Any resident who cannot walk safely on their own is at risk for falls.  Nursing homes are not permitted to restrain residents, which is a good thing.  Putting the bed rails up on the bed is not the answer because typically residents climb over the bed rails, and then they simply wind up falling from a higher height.  Restraints are ineffective, and oftentimes, nursing home residents get tangled in the restraints and suffer the risk of strangulation.  The answer is adequate supervision.  

During the day, your loved one can be kept in a common area with multiple other residents where the staff can keep an eye on them.  They can be brought out into the hallway, where the staff can keep an eye on them.  They can be placed in a chair that tilts back and is more difficult to get out of.  They can be placed in a bed that's either in the lowest position or even directly on the floor so that if they do tumble out of bed, they don't have far to fall.  The nursing home can put mats next to the bed so the resident does not suffer injury.  There are numerous ways that nursing homes can prevent falls.  The nursing home can put a motion sensor in the resident's room so the staff is aware if the person is up and moving around.  These are particularly effective at night.  That way, the nursing home can know who is sleeping peacefully in their beds and who is starting to get up because they have to go to the bathroom.

Toileting programs are incredibly effective at preventing falls.  If the reason that your loved one is getting up every night at 3:00 in the morning is because they have to use the bathroom, the nursing home simply needs to put them on a toileting schedule and preemptively go and take them to the toilet every night at 2:30 A.M.  This eliminates the nursing home resident's desire to get up.  Sometimes residents get up because they are in pain, sometimes residents get up because they are hungry, sometimes residents get up because they are bored, sometimes residents get up because they have dementia, and they are confused.  All of these issues can be addressed.  

What can I do to keep my loved one safe?

If your loved one has signs that they are falling, like minor injuries, or, if you are aware that they have fallen, you need to seriously consider moving your resident to a safer nursing home in the Cleveland area.  If you go to visit your resident and find them unattended, particularly if you find them walking around their room, or having made their way to the bathroom unattended, these are all indications that your loved one is not receiving adequate supervision and is not being kept safe.

While it may be very challenging to move your loved one to a different nursing home, if they are not receiving the appropriate care, you must think long and hard about moving them to a safer nursing home where falls will be prevented.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1-800-OHIO LAW as it would be our pleasure to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

Crawford Manor HealthCare Center

This article was written by Ohio nursing home attorney, Blake Dickson.

The Crawford Manor HealthCare Center nursing home is a 50-bed nursing home located at 1802 Crawford Road in Cleveland, Ohio 44106.

It is part of the Saber Healthcare Group of nursing homes. Here at The Dickson Firm we have extensive experience with the Saber HealthCare Group of nursing homes.

The Dickson Firm has pursued multiple claims against multiple Saber facilities that are part of this chain. This chain has had consistent issues with quality of care for its various facilities.

The Crawford Manor Healthcare Center Nursing Home has been cited for neglecting and abusing its residents. 

It has an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, which is below average. 

It has a health inspection rating of 1 out of 5 stars, which is much below average. 

It has a staffing rating of 2 out of 5 stars, which is below average.

This nursing home received a federal fine in the amount of $20,925 on April 23, 2026. 

It received a federal fine in the amount of $10,845.00 on December 20, 2024.  

It received a federal fine in the amount of $14,521 on September 25, 2023.

If someone you love is a resident of this nursing home, we strongly recommend that you consider moving them to a better nursing home where they will receive better care.

This Cleveland area nursing home has had consistent problems with the quality of care provided to its residents for an extended period of time.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at the Dickson Firm at 1-800-OHIO-LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

Cityview Healthcare and Rehabilitation

This article was written by Ohio nursing home attorney, Blake Dickson.

The Cityview Health Care and Rehabilitation nursing home is a 146 bed facility located at 6606 Carnegie Avenue in Cleveland, OH 44103.

It is part of the Certus healthcare chain of nursing homes.

It is owned by AJ City View Nursing and Rehab OPCO, LLC. It is also owned by AJ R&R Holding Company, LLC. These for-profit corporations have owned and operated this facility since April 1, 2018.

This nursing home has been cited for neglecting and abusing its residents.

It has an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, which is below average. 

It has a health inspection rating of 1 out of 5 stars, which is much below average. 

It has a staffing rating of 1 out of 5 stars, which is much below average.

This nursing home received a federal fine on September 17, 2025, in the amount of $26,685. 

It received a federal fine of $18,096 on February 13, 2025. 

It received a federal fine of $17,020 on November 19, 2024. 

It received a federal fine of $62,838 on September 18, 2023. 

This is an above-average number of fines and these fines are much higher than you would see with the typical nursing home.

Here at The Dickson Firm we have been getting calls about this facility going back to 2002. We have talked to multiple families whose loved one has been mistreated at this facility and we have handled several claims against this nursing home.

We also reviewed this home in May of 2025 - read that here.

This nursing home has been cited for F-Tag 689, failing to keep the nursing home free of accident hazards and failing to provide their residents with adequate supervision to prevent accidents. It has been cited 5 times for this F-Tag, three at the immediate jeopardy level. This is of grave concern for anyone whose loved one is at risk for falls.

This resident has been cited four times for F-Tag 600, failing to protect each resident from all types of abuse, including one citation at the actual harm level.

This facility has been cited multiple times over the years for failing to timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft. Nursing homes are obligated to report suspected neglect, abuse, and theft.

This nursing home has been cited multiple times for failing to maintain a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for its residents. 

This nursing home has been cited multiple times for failing to complete a care plan within seven days of the assessment of a resident.

Multiple prior residents have made serious complaints about the quality of care at this nursing home. They've also consistently indicated that management was not responsive to their complaints. There are also multiple complaints online from staff at the nursing home who indicate serious problems with resident care. Staff also report that, having reported these problems to management, those concerns were ignored.

If someone you love is a resident of this nursing home, we strongly recommend that you seriously consider moving them to a better nursing home. This Cleveland nursing home has had issues with resident care going back decades.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO-LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

When a loved one suffers harm in a nursing home, finding the right legal representation can make all the difference in achieving justice and fair compensation. Not all attorneys have the knowledge and experience needed to effectively handle complex cases involving elder abuse and neglect.

Before entrusting your family's case to a Cleveland nursing home injury lawyer, ask these three essential questions to ensure you're working with a qualified advocate who can deliver results.

How Many Nursing Home Cases Have You Personally Handled Against Cleveland Nursing Homes?

Many attorneys advertise for nursing home cases. The problem is - most of them have never tried a nursing home case.

Many of these attorneys have not handled many nursing home cases. They have very little experience. When interviewing a potential nursing home injury attorney in Cleveland, ask specifically about their experience handling cases similar to yours.

An experienced Cleveland nursing home abuse lawyer should be able to discuss: The number of nursing home cases they've personally handled (not just their firm).

Specific examples of similar cases they've resolved (while maintaining client confidentiality). Their familiarity with local Cleveland nursing facilities and their corporate ownership. Their familiarity with the many state and federal regulations that apply to the care of nursing home residents in a nursing home. Their experience with the nursing home where your loved one was neglected or abused. Some lawyers advertise for cases but they do not handle any cases themselves.

Ask the lawyer you are speaking with if they will be personally handling your case. Be wary of attorneys who speak only in generalities or who primarily refer these cases to other firms. Your loved one deserves representation from a Cleveland nursing home injury lawyer who has the experience to handle your case properly.

What Specific Experience Do You Have With My Loved One's Type of Case?

Nursing home cases vary tremendously, from cases involving pressure ulcers (bedsores) to falls, medication errors, dehydration, elopement and even physical assault. You need an attorney with experience handling your type of case.

If you are thinking about hiring a lawyer, ask them how many nursing home cases they have handled. Ask them how many cases like yours they have handled. Ask them how long they have been representing nursing home residents and their families.

How Do You Stay Current With Ohio's Nursing Home Regulations and Case Law?

Nursing home litigation involves knowledge of both federal and state regulations. You need a lawyer who is familiar with the state and federal laws and regulations that apply to the care of nursing home residents in nursing homes. You need a lawyer familiar with the case law that interprets and applies those laws and regulations.

At The Dickson Firm we are not only familiar with the law - we have made a lot of it. We have handled numerous nursing home cases all the way to the various Courts of Appeals in Ohio and even the Ohio Supreme Court and have achieved favorable outcomes for our clients which has resulted in Appellate decisions and Ohio Supreme Court decisions that benefit all nursing home residents.

Questions for potential Cleveland elder abuse attorneys:

Choosing the Right Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

By asking these three critical questions, you can better evaluate whether a potential attorney has the specific experience, knowledge, and dedication necessary to handle your loved one's nursing home injury case effectively.

The right nursing home injury lawyer in Cleveland will welcome these questions and provide clear, specific answers that demonstrate their qualifications. Your loved one deserves justice after suffering harm in a nursing facility. Taking the time to thoroughly vet potential legal representation ensures you're entrusting this important matter to a true advocate for nursing home residents' rights.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 (800) OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

Free Case Review of Nursing Home Complaints for Cleveland, OH Residents

Here at The Dickson Firm, we've been devoted to the rights of nursing home residents and their families for over twenty five (25) years. We work very hard to hold nursing homes accountable when they provide a resident with substandard care that causes injury, particularly in cases involving falls and issues with bedsores and pressure sores. As indicated above, bedsores can be extremely harmful to nursing home residents. They can even be fatal.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 (800) OHIO LAW. We would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can. Please call when it is convenient for you – we accept calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Dickson Firm believes it is crucial to share news about nursing home injuries and deaths to raise awareness about the ongoing issues of neglect and abuse that occur in Ohio – in Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Columbus, Dayton, Canton, Sandusky and every community across the state. The people who suffer injuries could be your spouse, your parent, your brother or sister. By reporting these incidents, we help families recognize potential risks, empower them with knowledge, and push for greater accountability in the industry. Ultimately, our goal is to advocate for safer conditions and ensure that vulnerable residents receive the care and dignity they deserve.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW as it would be our pleasure to talk with you and help you in any way that we can. We represent victims and their families across Ohio. Contact nursing home and elder law attorney Blake Dickson today for a free and confidential case review.