Last verified: October 2026
Sterling Care Bel Air is a 155-bed licensed nursing home in Bel Air, Harford County. This page sets out its official federal record -- CMS star ratings, survey findings, staffing and fines -- next to its Maryland license.
| OHCQ license # | 12001 |
|---|---|
| Licensed capacity (OHCQ) | 155 beds |
| CMS certified beds | 155 |
| Average residents per day (CMS) | 134 (87% of certified beds) |
| Medicare / Medicaid | Medicare and Medicaid |
| Ownership (CMS) | For profit - Limited Liability company |
| Legal business name | BEL AIR SNF OPERATOR LLC |
| Chain | STERLING CARE (6 facilities) |
| First certified for Medicare/Medicaid | September 16, 1997 |
| CMS certification number | 215312 |
| Address | 410 East Mcphail Road, Bel Air, MD 21014 (Harford County) |
| Phone (OHCQ listing) | (410) 838-7810 |
What is Sterling Care Bel Air's CMS star rating?
CMS rates Sterling Care Bel Air 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 3 stars for health inspections, 2 for staffing and 5 for quality measures. The average overall rating among Harford County nursing homes is 4.3.
Quality-measure ratings split into long-stay residents (5 stars) and short-stay rehab patients (5 stars) -- read the one that matches why your parent is going there.
What did inspectors cite at Sterling Care Bel Air on its most recent survey?
Maryland surveyors' most recent standard health inspection of Sterling Care Bel Air, on March 12, 2026, produced 11 health deficiencies.
Most frequent categories in the current cycle: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies (3), Resident Rights Deficiencies (3), Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies (2). Scope/severity runs from A (isolated, no actual harm) to L (widespread immediate jeopardy); G and above mean residents were harmed.
| Survey | Tag | What CMS cited | Scope/severity | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 2026 | F0695 | Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed. | E | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0726 | Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. | E | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0578 | Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0583 | Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0656 | Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0677 | Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0684 | Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0761 | Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0842 | Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. | D | Standard |
| March 12, 2026 | F0880 | Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. | D | Standard |
| October 17, 2025 | F0627 | Ensure the transfer/discharge meets the resident's needs/preferences and that the resident is prepared for a safe transfer/discharge. | D | Complaint |
How well is Sterling Care Bel Air staffed?
Sterling Care Bel Air reports 3.52 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, including 0.46 registered-nurse hours and 1.96 nurse-aide hours; the median for Harford County nursing homes is 4.02 hours.
Weekend RN coverage is 0.39 hours per resident per day. Total nursing staff turnover is 40% and RN turnover 40%. 1 administrator(s) left in the past year.
CMS reports no fines or payment denials for Sterling Care Bel Air in the last three years.
How does Sterling Care Bel Air compare with other nursing homes near Bel Air?
By size, Sterling Care Bel Air ranks 3 of 6 nursing homes in Harford County; the table compares it with nearby facilities on CMS rating and the deficiencies cited at each one's latest survey.
| Facility | City | Beds | CMS overall | Deficiencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens Care Center | Havre de Grace | 184 | ★★★★★ 5/5 | 14 |
| Lorien Bulle Rock | Havre de Grace | 78 | ★★★★★ 5/5 | 3 |
| Sterling Care Forest Hill | Forest Hill | 156 | ★★★★★ 5/5 | 12 |
| Lorien Nsg & Rehab Ctr Belair | Bel Air | 120 | ★★★★☆ 4/5 | 9 |
| Sterling Care Riverside | Belcamp | 129 | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 | 20 |
Assisted living nearby: licensed programs in Bel Air and Forest Hill.
What should families ask before choosing Sterling Care Bel Air?
Read the CMS record for Sterling Care Bel Air first, then tour at a mealtime and on a weekend, and ask the questions its own data raises.
- Ask the administrator what changed after the March 12, 2026 survey's 11 citations, and to see the plan of correction.
- Ask how many residents each nurse aide covers on evening and night shifts -- CMS rates staffing here low.
- Ask whether the facility accepts Maryland Medicaid for long-term care if a rehab stay turns into a permanent one.
Is Sterling Care Bel Air a nursing home or assisted living?
It is a licensed nursing home (comprehensive care facility), not an assisted living program.
| Sterling Care Bel Air is | It is not |
|---|---|
| OHCQ-licensed long-term care facility, license 12001 | An OHCQ assisted living program |
| Rated 4 stars overall by CMS | Rated by Baltimore Senior Advisor |
| Medicare and Medicaid | Free of charge -- Medicare covers only qualifying skilled stays |
Source: OHCQ long-term care directory (as of September 30, 2026); CMS Care Compare provider, deficiency and penalty data (release October 1, 2026). CMS record.
