Illinois Nursing Home Ratings Lookup
Use Illinois nursing home ratings to compare facilities, understand inspection results, and make informed decisions about long-term care for your loved one.
How Illinois Nursing Home Ratings Work
Illinois nursing home ratings are part of a federal five-star quality rating system that evaluates nearly every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in Illinois, including facilities in Chicago, Cook County, and throughout the state.
The ratings are publicly available through the federal nursing home comparison tool and are designed to help families quickly assess the overall performance of a nursing home. Each facility receives an overall star rating from one to five stars, with five stars representing above-average performance and one star indicating below-average performance compared to other facilities nationwide.
The Illinois nursing home rating is not based on a single factor. Instead, it combines three key areas: health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures. Among these, health inspections carry the most weight because they are based on independent government surveys and complaint investigations.
These ratings are widely used by families searching for nursing homes in Illinois, but they should be viewed as a starting point rather than the final decision-making tool. Understanding what goes into the ratings — and what they leave out — is essential.
Understanding the Three Parts of Illinois Nursing Home Ratings
Health Inspections (Most Important)
This component is based on the last three years of inspections conducted by the Illinois Department of Public Health. It includes routine surveys and complaint investigations. Facilities with repeated violations, serious deficiencies, or "immediate jeopardy" findings will receive lower scores.
Staffing Levels
Staffing ratings are calculated using payroll data submitted to the federal government. This includes registered nurse hours, total nursing staff hours, and whether adequate coverage is provided daily. Low staffing levels are strongly linked to neglect and poor resident outcomes.
Quality Measures
This category reflects clinical outcomes such as falls, infections, pressure ulcers, hospital readmissions, and use of antipsychotic medications. These measures help indicate how well residents are being cared for over time.
Because Illinois nursing home ratings are based on national comparisons, a five-star rating means the facility performs better than most others — not that it is perfect. Likewise, a lower rating does not automatically mean unsafe conditions, but it does signal areas of concern that should be investigated further.
What Illinois Nursing Home Ratings Don't Tell You
Important Limitations to Understand
- Ratings may be outdated. Inspection results can be several months old, meaning recent improvements or declines may not yet be reflected.
- Some data is self-reported. Quality measures rely on information submitted by facilities, which may not always capture the full picture.
- Serious incidents can still occur in highly rated homes. Even a five-star nursing home in Illinois can have isolated cases of neglect or abuse.
- Ratings do not show patterns clearly. Repeated violations over time may be more important than a single rating snapshot.
- Assisted living facilities are not included. Illinois nursing home ratings only apply to skilled nursing facilities regulated under federal programs.
For this reason, families should always combine ratings research with other tools such as reviewing inspection reports, speaking with residents, and visiting the facility in person.
Step-by-Step: Looking Up Illinois Nursing Home Ratings
To perform an Illinois nursing home ratings lookup, go to medicare.gov/care-compare and select "Nursing Homes." From there, you can search by city, ZIP code, or facility name.
Once you find a facility, open its profile to view the overall rating and each individual component. Click into the health inspection section to read detailed deficiency reports. These narratives often provide more insight than the star rating alone.
It is also important to review the "Penalties" tab to see whether the facility has been fined or had Medicare payments denied. The "Staffing" tab allows you to compare staffing levels against state and national averages — a critical factor when evaluating risk.
For a deeper understanding of violations and inspection reports, see How to Check Nursing Home Violations.
Check Nursing Home Violations →
Illinois Nursing Home Ratings Are Just the First Step
Use ratings to narrow your options, but always review inspection reports and visit facilities in person. The best decisions come from combining data with real-world observation.