Harford News

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Sterling Care Bel Air stood out as the third largest nursing home in Harford County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 155 beds available, 26 more than the average in Harford County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 129.1 residents during that period.

Sterling Care Bel Air had an overall rating of 1 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 2.9 recorded for nursing homes in Maryland.

During the quarter, Citizens Care Center stood out as the largest nursing home in Harford County, with 184 beds available. Sterling Care Forest Hill came in second place, with 156 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Sterling Care Bel Air achieved a zero-incident record for fines and penalties.

In total, there were five for-profit nursing homes in Harford County, Maryland.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need 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, an insurance education group. “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.”

Rank	Nursing Home	Overall Rating
1	Citizens Care Center	3
2	Sterling Care Forest Hill	2
3	Sterling Care Bel Air	1
4	Sterling Care Riverside	4
5	Lorien Bulle Rock	4
6	Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Belair	3