F917: Make sure each resident has 1) at least one window to the outside in a room; 2) a room at or above ground level; 3) adequate bedding; 4) furniture that meets the resident's needs; or 5) adequate closet space
F917 is one of the federal requirements every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home must meet. CMS describes it as: Make sure each resident has 1) at least one window to the outside in a room; 2) a room at or above ground level; 3) adequate bedding; 4) furniture that meets the resident's needs; or 5) adequate closet space.
It sits in CMS's environmental category.
CMS Health Deficiencies file, data as of September 1, 2026. The files hold each home's last three standard inspections and three years of complaint visits.
How seriously inspectors rate it
Every citation gets a letter for how much harm inspectors found and how many residents it touched (how to read the letters). 29.0% of F917 citations came from a complaint visit rather than a routine inspection.
By letter: B 2, D 42, E 15, F 2, H 1.
What inspectors wrote
Three recent F917 citations from different states, quoted from the inspectors' statements of deficiencies (CMS form 2567). Names are removed by CMS.
Inspectors wrote, June 5, 2026, scope and severity DBased on observation, interview, and document review the facility failed to ensure residents had a fitted sheet on their bed for 2 of 2 residents (R15, R53) with bariatric beds.
The Terrace at Crystal LLC, Crystal, MN
Inspectors wrote, May 15, 2026, scope and severity DBased on observation, resident interviews, staff interviews, and facility documentation the facility staff failed to ensure resident furnishings and equipment were maintained in good repair and safe condition for one resident, Resident #7 (R7) out of a survey sample of nine residents.
Kings Daughters Community Health & Rehab, Staunton, VA
Inspectors wrote, April 30, 2026, scope and severity DBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure accessible and adequate private closet space for one of one residents (Resident 88) reviewed for dignity and resident rights. By failing to ensure facility staff did not store pillows in Resident 88's assigned closet space. This deficient practice prevented Resident 88 from storing personal belongings in the closet and had the potential to cause Resident 88 emotional distress, loss of dignity, and compromised privacy.
Sharon Care Center, Los Angeles, CA
Most recent F917 citations at the harm or jeopardy level
Newest first, all 1 in the current files. Each home's page shows the citation in full context, with its correction status.
| Inspection | Home | Town | Letter | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 3, 2025 | Avir at Town Creek | Palestine, TX | H | Complaint |
Most recent F917 citations
F917 citations by state
Counts depend on how many homes a state has and how often its inspectors visit, so a larger number is not by itself a worse record.
| State | Citations |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 9 |
| Ohio | 7 |
| Illinois | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 |
| California | 5 |
| Florida | 5 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
| Michigan | 3 |
| Virginia | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 2 |
| Nebraska | 2 |
| Texas | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 2 |
| Arkansas | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Kansas | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
By inspection year: 2019 2, 2021 2, 2022 2, 2023 16, 2024 15, 2025 13, 2026 12.
Common questions
- What is F917 in a nursing home inspection?
- F917 is the federal requirement to "make sure each resident has 1) at least one window to the outside in a room; 2) a room at or above ground level; 3) adequate bedding; 4) furniture that meets the resident's needs; or 5) adequate closet space". CMS files it under environmental. A home cited under F917 did not meet that requirement at the inspection.
- How often is F917 cited?
- The CMS files as of September 1, 2026 list 62 F917 citations at 62 nursing homes, 13 of them in the 12 months to that date. 1.6% were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
- Is a F917 citation serious?
- It depends on the letter. Most F917 citations (95.2%) were rated as potential for more than minimal harm, D to F. None in the current files is at the immediate jeopardy level.
The interpretive guidance inspectors use for each F-tag is CMS's State Operations Manual, Appendix PP. NursingHomeClear reports the citations as CMS records them and is not affiliated with CMS. All F-tags · Methodology