Sterling Care Bel Air ranks third in Harford County nursing home capacity for Q1

Sterling Care Bel Air was identified as the third largest nursing home in Harford County for the first quarter of 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reports.

Records show Sterling Care Bel Air provided 155 beds—18 more than Harford County’s average during the same period. An average of 128.3 residents received care each day in that quarter.

The CMS awarded Sterling Care Bel Air an overall rating of 3 out of 5, slightly below Maryland’s nursing home average of 3.1.

Throughout the first quarter, Citizens Care Center was the county’s largest nursing facility with 184 beds, while Sterling Care Forest Hill placed second with 156 beds available.

During the first quarter of 2026, Sterling Care Bel Air reported no incidents resulting in fines or penalties.

Harford County, Maryland, had a total of five for-profit nursing homes as of the end of the quarter.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates show that the number of older adults nationwide continues to climb, while younger populations are declining. The population of Americans age 65 and up expanded by 13% from 2020 to 2024, while those under 18 decreased by 1.7%. The nation’s older adult population has surged over the last hundred years, rising from 4.9 million in 1920 to more than 61 million by 2024.

Research published in a 2021 study projects that nearly 28 million people in this group, almost half, could need long-term services and supports, and over a third may eventually use nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”

This article used information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Access the source data here.