How this works
The whole promise of Lodestone is that you never have to take our word for anything. Every figure on this site is a government record you can open yourself.
Where the data comes from
The nursing-home information here comes entirely from CMS Care Compare, the official U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services dataset (Provider Information, dataset 4pq5-n9py). It covers all 14,690 Medicare-certified nursing homes in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This is a dated snapshot, taken from CMS's records as of May 1, 2026. CMS updates its files about once a month, so individual figures can change. Each facility page shows that date, and links straight to the live CMS record so you can check the current numbers.
Our one rule: we report, we don't say
Lodestone never characterizes a facility in its own words. We don't call any home "good," "bad," or "dangerous." We show you what CMS already published — the star rating it assigned, whether it carries an abuse flag, the fines on its record — and we attribute every one of those facts to CMS, link it to the official source, and stamp it with the date.
That discipline is both an ethic and a safeguard: it keeps the site an honest mirror rather than an accuser. The patterns in the data may be striking, but the conclusions are yours to draw.
What this is — and what it is not
It is a free, neutral directory built from public records, designed so that families facing a hard, sudden decision can see the same safety information regulators see.
It is not medical, legal, or financial advice. It is not an endorsement or a warning about any facility. It is not a complete picture of quality — a clean record is not a guarantee, and a flag is not a verdict. Ratings and inspections are one input among many; always visit in person, ask questions, and confirm details directly with the facility.
How to verify any figure
Open any facility page and click "View this facility's official CMS record." That link goes to medicare.gov's Care Compare, where the same numbers live. If anything here ever disagrees with the official source, the official source is correct — please tell us so we can fix it.
How we handle your privacy
We collect nothing. There are no accounts, no logins, and no contact forms that send your information to a salesperson. The search box runs entirely in your own browser; what you type never reaches us. There are no advertising trackers or third-party pixels. The simplest way to protect your information is to never hold it, and that is the design.
How it stays free
Lodestone takes no referral fees and sells no contact information. Paying never changes a facility's placement here and never hides a safety record. Those rules are permanent.
Corrections & contact
Spotted something that doesn't match the official CMS record? We want to know. A correction path will be published with the public launch; until then this is a preview build shared for review.