Greensboro Senior AdvisorWho licenses nursing homes in North Carolina?
DHSR's Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Section licenses every nursing home in the state and, under contract with CMS, inspects Medicare- and Medicaid-certified homes against federal standards as well.
its listing shows 31 licensed nursing homes in the three counties with 3,603 beds, and CMS rates 28 of them, 16 at four or five stars overall (Care Compare data as of October 1, 2026). A home can be licensed without being certified, which usually means it serves only private-pay residents, often inside a continuing care retirement community; those homes appear in our roster without CMS stars.
What do CMS's star ratings measure?
Care Compare's overall rating combines three parts: health inspection results over recent survey cycles, staffing levels from payroll data, and quality measures such as falls with injury, pressure ulcers and rehospitalization.
The health inspection part compares homes within the same state, so a North Carolina home's stars are relative to other North Carolina homes. Staffing hours come from payroll records submitted to CMS, which makes them harder to inflate than a tour. Our facility pages set each home's hours and turnover against the three-county median.
What is a combination home?
A nursing home whose DHSR license also includes adult care home beds, so assisted living and nursing care operate under one license on one campus; several Greensboro and High Point continuing care communities are licensed this way.
For a couple with different care needs, or a resident who may need nursing care later, a combination home can mean moving down the hall rather than across town. Ask whether nursing beds are held for current residents and whether outside admissions are accepted.
Can a nursing home have a memory care unit?
Yes. DHSR's nursing home listing shows special care unit beds for a few homes in the three counties, for residents with dementia who also need nursing care, and those units also need a disclosure statement.
Most residents with dementia in nursing homes live on general units. If wandering is the issue, ask how the home secures exits and how many residents on the unit have similar needs; our memory care list shows which nursing homes have dedicated unit beds.
What protects nursing home residents' rights?
North Carolina's Nursing Home Patients' Bill of Rights (G.S. 131E-117) and the federal requirements for certified homes, which cover dignity, care planning, freedom from abuse and unnecessary restraints, notice before transfer or discharge, and the right to appeal.
Complaints go to DHSR's Complaint Intake Unit at 1-800-624-3004, and the Piedmont Triad regional long-term care ombudsman (336-904-0300) helps residents and families resolve problems. Certified homes must also hold resident and family council meetings when residents or families ask.
Side by side
| North Carolina nursing home oversight includes | North Carolina nursing home oversight does not include | |
|---|---|---|
| License | A DHSR nursing home license | A city or county license |
| Certification | Federal surveys for Medicare and Medicaid homes | CMS stars for uncertified homes |
| Ratings | CMS one-to-five stars for certified homes | DHSR's adult care star scale |
| Dementia | Special care unit beds on some licenses | A separate memory care license |
Drawn from G.S. Chapter 131D, 10A NCAC 13F and 13G, DHSR and NCDHHS publications, NC Medicaid, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the Piedmont Triad aging agency cited in the text; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
