By Norfolk Senior Advisor Care Team · October 19, 2026
- Half of the 50 certified Hampton Roads nursing homes carry one or two overall stars; nine have five, per CMS data as of October 28, 2026.
- Staffing ratings run lower than overall ratings: 34 of the 50 homes have one or two staffing stars.
- Use stars to build a shortlist, then verify with visits, VDH complaint records and questions about staffing.
How are Hampton Roads nursing homes spread across overall star ratings?
CMS data as of October 28, 2026 shows 50 certified nursing homes in our 13 Virginia localities. Fourteen have one overall star, 11 have two, 9 have three, 6 have four and 9 have five. One is not rated. That means 25 of 50 sit at one or two stars.
The spread is wide, not bunched around the middle. As many homes have five stars (9) as have three (9), and the single largest group is the lowest rating. A family picking at random from the list would draw a one-star home more often than any other.
The count is not a ranking of every building. Certified beds total 5,692, with a median of 115.5 beds per home, so a handful of large homes cover many residents. A rating applies to the whole building, and a home's stars can change when new inspection or staffing data posts.
Use the distribution as a reality check. If every home on a hospital's discharge list has one or two stars, that is not unusual in this region, and it is worth asking the case manager why those homes are on the list.
| Overall stars | Homes | Share of 50 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 star | 14 | 28 percent |
| 2 stars | 11 | 22 percent |
| 3 stars | 9 | 18 percent |
| 4 stars | 6 | 12 percent |
| 5 stars | 9 | 18 percent |
| Not rated | 1 | 2 percent |
What do staffing star ratings show for Hampton Roads nursing homes?
Staffing ratings are lower than overall ratings across our 13 localities. CMS data lists 16 homes at one staffing star, 18 at two, 6 at three, 5 at four and 3 at five, with 2 not rated. So 34 of 50 homes, or 68 percent, have one or two staffing stars.
Only eight homes (16 percent) reach four or five stars for staffing, against 15 (30 percent) at four or five overall. Staffing is the weaker side of the regional picture, and it is the measure families feel most directly, because it governs how fast a call light is answered.
A low staffing star does not mean the home is unsafe, and a high one does not guarantee a good day. But it is a fair prompt for questions on the tour: how many aides work the evening shift, how often agency staff fill in, and how long aides have worked on your parent's unit.
Pair the staffing rating with the overall rating. A home with three overall stars and a one-star staffing rating tells a different story than a home with three overall stars and a four-star staffing rating. Both numbers together give a fuller picture than either one alone, and the combination is worth recording for every home on your list.
| Staffing stars | Homes | Share of 50 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 star | 16 | 32 percent |
| 2 stars | 18 | 36 percent |
| 3 stars | 6 | 12 percent |
| 4 stars | 5 | 10 percent |
| 5 stars | 3 | 6 percent |
| Not rated | 2 | 4 percent |
How should Virginia families use Care Compare to shortlist a nursing home?
Use the Medicare Care Compare tool to build a list of three or four homes within a drive your family can manage, then read each profile in full. Look at overall and staffing stars together, and note whether a home's inspection history improved or worsened between visits. Treat stars as a filter, not a verdict.
Search by ZIP code or city on Care Compare and sort by distance. Our list of Hampton Roads nursing homes is a place to start. Hampton Roads has a Southside and a Peninsula, and a Chesapeake family may find a Virginia Beach home easier to reach than one across the water in Newport News.
Compare an overall five-star home that is two bridges away with a three-star home ten minutes away. The first may be better on paper, but a spouse who visits daily is the best monitor a nursing home can have. Our guide to nursing home oversight explains how the ratings are built.
What do nursing home star ratings miss about care in Hampton Roads?
Stars miss what happens on a particular unit on a particular weekend. They do not capture how a home treats a resident with dementia, whether staff turnover is high, how the home handled the last hurricane evacuation, or whether the person who answers your questions is the person who will know your mother.
They also cover only Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes. Assisted living has no star system, so a family comparing a nursing home with assisted living is comparing different kinds of evidence. Ask the home to show you how it handled the last complaint or survey finding.
Visit twice, once on a weekday and once on an evening or weekend. Ask a resident's family member in the lobby how long the wait is for help. Ask the administrator about the most recent complaint survey. The numbers give you a start; the visit gives you the picture.
Where do VDH complaints and Medicare coverage fit beside the stars?
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) licenses nursing homes and takes complaints at 1-800-955-1819, a separate record from Care Compare's stars. Medicare Part A covers up to 100 skilled nursing days after a qualifying three-day inpatient stay, and ratings help you pick among the homes that can take your parent.
Days 1-20 carry no coinsurance. Days 21-100 cost $217 a day in 2026. Observation days do not count toward the three-day stay, so confirm your parent's status before you commit to a home. Write down the current date next to each rating you record, so you can compare later.
Long-term custodial stays are a different story. Medicare does not pay for them, and families often turn to Medicaid, which has income and asset rules; our page on nursing home Medicaid and spousal protections covers them. If a resident has a concern, a regional ombudsman can help.
Why does assisted living in Hampton Roads have no star rating?
The federal Five-Star system applies to nursing homes certified by CMS, not to assisted living, which Virginia licenses through VDSS. For assisted living, the public record is the VDSS inspection history, not stars. VDSS records list 84 licensed assisted living facilities across our 13 localities.
That gap means you must read the reports yourself. Look at the license term, repeated citations and what changed after each visit. Across the region, individualized service plans and medication management appear often in recent violation notices. It is a more manual process than checking stars, but it also gives you more detail.
Our guide to reading VDSS inspection reports shows how. If a family is deciding between assisted living and a nursing home, that comparison sets out the level-of-care and cost differences. Keep the VDSS and VDH numbers handy in case the visit raises questions.
Frequently asked questions
How often do Care Compare star ratings change?
CMS updates ratings as new inspection, staffing and quality data post, so a home's stars can move between visits to the site. Check the date on the profile and look at the trend, not only today's number. Print profiles on the day you compare, so you can check changes later.
Is a one-star nursing home always unsafe?
No. A one-star rating is a flag for questions, not a diagnosis. Read the profile, check VDH complaint history, ask what changed recently, and visit. Some families choose a lower-rated home for location or specialty reasons. Ask the home what its staffing looks like on evenings and weekends before you rule it in or out.
Can I trust staffing stars when a home uses agency staff?
Staffing stars are one data point and do not tell you who fills shifts day to day. Ask the administrator how often agency staff cover and whether the same aides care for your parent. A home with steady staff often does better than the rating alone suggests, so ask about turnover too.
Where do I file a complaint about a nursing home?
Call VDH at 1-800-955-1819, or (804) 367-2106 in Richmond. For help understanding a resident's rights, contact your regional long-term care ombudsman. In immediate danger, call 911. The office investigates complaints about nursing homes, hospices, home health agencies and hospitals.
