What is La Bella of Sterling's Medicare star rating?

CMS rates La Bella of Sterling 2 out of 5 stars overall, with 3 for health inspections, 1 for staffing and 3 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).

How many deficiencies did La Bella of Sterling get at its last inspection?

11 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on March 12, 2025. The Illinois average is 12.6.

Has La Bella of Sterling been fined?

CMS lists no fines in the last three years.

Does La Bella of Sterling accept Medicaid?

It is certified to take Medicaid (CMS lists it as "Medicaid"). Certification does not mean a Medicaid bed is open: ask the admissions office.

Who owns La Bella of Sterling?

CMS lists 1 owner or manager. Legal business name: Legal Business Name Not Available.

La Bella of Sterling: Inspections, Staffing & Ratings

The record in brief

At its most recent standard inspection, on March 12, 2025, inspectors cited 11 health deficiencies (the Illinois average is 12.6, the national average 9.2).

Of 20 health citations since April 2023, 1 was rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents.

CMS lists no fines against this home in the last three years.

Nurses and nurse aides worked 2.48 hours per resident per day, against 3.45 across Illinois and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.68 of those hours.

Health inspections

Federal rules call for a standard inspection at least every 15 months, plus a visit whenever a complaint is filed. Each mark below is one citation, colored by how serious inspectors rated it. How to read a citation.

Under each citation, the quoted text is the inspector's own summary from the federal statement of deficiencies (CMS form 2567), word for word apart from a privacy scrub; CMS removes residents' and staff names before it publishes the text. The full notes are on Medicare.gov.

204/23

101/24

205/24

111/24

1103/25

110/25

112/25

106/26

Potential for minimal harm Potential for more than minimal harm Actual harm Immediate jeopardy Found on a complaint visit

Where its citations fall on CMS's grid

CMS rates every citation by how much harm it caused (rows) and how many residents it touched (columns). The count in each box is this home's, across all 20 health citations on file.

Severity

Isolated

Pattern

Widespread

Immediate jeopardy

Actual harm

Potential for more than minimal harm

Potential for minimal harm

June 16, 2026Complaint inspection · 1 citation

D

Ensure the transfer/discharge meets the resident's needs/preferences and that the resident is prepared for a safe transfer/discharge.

F627 · Resident Rights · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) August 7, 2026

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure a resident was discharged in a safe manner and failed to ensure outside resources and durable medical equipment were in place prior to discharge for one of two residents (R1) reviewed for discharge in the sample of three.

December 17, 2025Complaint inspection · 1 citation

F

Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.

F584 · Resident Rights · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) December 18, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to maintain comfortable temperatures in the facility. This failure has the potential to effect all 41 residents residing in the facility.

October 3, 2025Complaint inspection · 1 citation

G

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

F689 · Quality of Life and Care · Actual harm, isolated · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) October 4, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to provide supervision to a resident (R1) while attending an outdoor activity. This failure resulted in R1 sustaining second degree burns from an outdoor fire.

March 12, 2025Standard inspection · 11 citations

F

Ensure the activities program is directed by a qualified professional.

F680 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) April 2, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure the facility's activity program was directed by a qualified professional. This failure has the potential to affect all residents residing in the facility.
F

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

F812 · Nutrition and Dietary · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure the dishwasher sanitation solution was checked at the recommended level prior to use. This applies to all 43 residents in the facility.
E

Ensure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.

F740 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased observation, interview and record review the facility failed to provide behavioral health care services for residents with diagnoses of mental illness. This applies to 4 of 4 residents (R32, R41, R26, R22) reviewed for behavioral services in the sample of 12.
E

Provide medically-related social services to help each resident achieve the highest possible quality of life.

F745 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure medically related social services were provided for 4 of 4 residents (R32, R41, R142, R26) reviewed for social services in the sample of 12.
E

Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.

F883 · Infection Control · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 26, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure the pneumonia vaccine was consented or declined prior to administration. This applies to 4 of 5 residents (R34, R35, R12 and R39) reviewed for immunizations in the sample of 12.
D

Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.

F584 · Resident Rights · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation and interview the facility failed to ensure a residents room was maintained in a comfortable homelike environment. This applies to 1 of 12 residents (R33) reviewed for resident rights in the sample of 12.
D

Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.

F679 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure activities that meet residents physical, mental, and psychosocial well being were provided for two of 12 residents (R22, R26) in the sample of 12.
D

Provide the appropriate treatment and services to a resident who displays or is diagnosed with mental disorder or psychosocial adjustment difficulty, or who has a history of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder.

F742 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review the facility failed to implement, develop, and provide resident centered mental health services for a resident with a diagnosis including PTSD (Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder). This applies to 1 resident (R142) reviewed for behavioral health in the sample of 12.
D

Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

F755 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure medications were administered as ordered and failed to ensure controlled medications were accounted for and reconciled. This applies to 3 of 4 residents (R41, R21, R22) reviewed for pharmacy services in the sample of 12.
D

Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures.

F756 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to address pharmacy recommendations for three of five residents (R18, R35, R33) reviewed for medication regimen review in the sample of 12.
D

Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited.

F758 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 27, 2025

Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review the facility failed to address a gradual dose reduction and failed to ensure an as needed anti-anxiety medication had a stop date for two of five residents (R18, R33) reviewed for gradual dose reductions in the sample of five.

November 7, 2024Complaint inspection · 1 citation

D

Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.

F760 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) November 13, 2024

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review the facility failed to ensure it was free from significant medication errors for one of one residents (R1) reviewed for medications in the sample of one.

May 9, 2024Standard inspection · 2 citations

F

Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.

F851 · Administration · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) May 24, 2024

Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure RN (Registered Nurse) staffing data was accurately entered in the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system. This applies to all 42 residents residing in the facility.
D

Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

F755 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) May 24, 2024

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review the facility failed to ensure medications were administered in accordance with manufacturer's directions; failed to monitor residents during medication administration; and failed to provide ordered medications. This applies to 2 of 3 residents (R21 & R26) reviewed for medication administration in the sample of 13.

January 16, 2024Complaint inspection · 1 citation

F

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

F689 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) January 17, 2024

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure resident safety by utilizing portable space heaters in hallways and not monitoring air temperatures. This failure affects all 43 facility residents.

April 6, 2023Standard inspection · 2 citations

E

Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

F755 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) April 10, 2023

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review the facility failed to reconcile controlled medications and failed to ensure controlled medications were administered immediately after preparation for 3 of 3 residents (R16, R27, R35) reviewed for medication administration in the sample of 12 and 2 residents (R8, R1) outside the sample.
E

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.

F761 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) April 10, 2023

Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to remove resident medications from storage and failed to destroy medications prepared and not administered for 2 of 2 residents (R15, R29) reviewed for medication storage in the sample of 12 and three residents (R20, R39, and R41) outside the sample.

Fire safety inspections

7 fire safety citations on file: 7 on April 6, 2023.

Every fire safety citation7 citations

F
Conduct risk assessment and an All-Hazards approach.

E 6 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Address subsistence needs for staff and patients.

E 15 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Establish procedures for tracking staff and patients during an emergency.

E 18 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Establish policies and procedures including evacuation.

E 20 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Provide emergency officials' contact information.

E 31 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Establish staff and initial training requirements.

E 37 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Conduct testing and exercise requirements.

E 39 · April 6, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)

Fines and payment denials

CMS lists no fines or payment denials against this home in the last three years. The national average is 0.9 fines per home.

Staffing

Hours of care per resident per day, from the payroll records every home sends CMS. Higher means more staff time with each resident.

Measure	This home	Illinois	United States
All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides)	2.48	3.45	3.86
Registered nurses	0.68	0.72	0.69
All nursing staff on weekends	2.23	3.07	3.42
Nurse aides	1.56
Licensed practical nurses	0.24
Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year)	not reported	44.5%	45.8%
Registered nurse turnover	not reported	41.8%	42.9%
Administrators who left	1

CMS expects 3.87 hours a day for residents as sick as this home's (its case-mix figure). The staffing star compares the two.

Staffing by quarter, from daily payroll records

Every nursing home sends CMS its staff hours for each day (the Payroll Based Journal). Here they are added up by quarter. The latest quarter is the one behind the figures above. In January to March 2026, nursing staff hours per resident were 2.58 on weekdays and 2.23 on weekends, 14% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 12.5% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 2.24 in April to June 2025 to 2.48 in January to March 2026.

Quarter	All nursing staff	Registered nurses	Weekdays	Weekends	Contract staff share	Days with no RN hours	Residents a day
Jan to Mar 2026	2.48	0.68	2.58	2.23	12.5%	0 of 90	39
Oct to Dec 2025	2.49	0.60	2.64	2.12	14.2%	0 of 92	42
Jul to Sep 2025	2.38	0.73	2.56	1.92	12.6%	0 of 92	40
Apr to Jun 2025	2.24	0.53	2.44	1.74	6.4%	0 of 91	41
United States, Jan to Mar 2026	3.75	0.62	3.92	3.33	5.3%	0.5% of days
Illinois, Jan to Mar 2026	3.26	0.65	3.40	2.92	5.4%	0.6% of days

Hours per resident per day: staff hours in the quarter divided by resident days (the daily census CMS derives from resident assessments). Registered nurses include the director of nursing and RNs with administrative duties; aides include nurse aides in training and medication aides, as in CMS's own staffing measure. How these are calculated.

Quality measures

The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.

Measure	This home	Illinois	US
Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	28.8	13.4	13.9
Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	0.0	0.9	0.8
Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	0.6	1.5	1.6
Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	1.2	3.1	3.2
Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	21.3	14.3	14.1
Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	0.0	4.8	4.6
Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	100.0	21.7	15.4

Owners and operators

Legal business name: Legal Business Name Not Available.

Name	Role	Type	Share	Since
	Ownership data not available

As listed in the CMS ownership file, which names owners with a 5% or greater stake and the people and companies with operational or managerial control.

Questions to ask on a visit

Chosen from this home's own inspection record.

How do you prevent falls and pressure injuries, and how are families told when one happens?Inspectors cited 7 problems in this area, most recently on October 3, 2025: "Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents."
How are medications reviewed, and how often are antipsychotic or sedating drugs used?Inspectors cited 7 problems in this area, most recently on March 12, 2025: "Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist."
How do residents and families raise a complaint or grievance, and how fast is it answered?Inspectors cited 3 problems in this area, most recently on June 16, 2026: "Ensure the transfer/discharge meets the resident's needs/preferences and that the resident is prepared for a safe transfer/discharge."
Can we see a week of menus and the kitchen, and how are special diets handled?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on March 12, 2025: "Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards."
Who is on the floor on Saturday and Sunday, and how many residents does each aide care for?Weekend nurse staffing here was 2.23 hours per resident per day, below the Illinois average of 3.07.
How long has the current administrator been here?CMS counts 1 administrator who left in the period it measured.

Other nursing homes nearby

Citadel of Sterling,the
Sterling, 1.2 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 22 citations
Allure of Sterling
Sterling, 1.5 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 38 citations
Heritage Square
Dixon, 10.2 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 11 citations
Dixon Rehab & HCC
Dixon, 10.8 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 21 citations
Polo Rehabilitation & HCC
Polo, 12.6 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 29 citations
La Bella of Morrison
Morrison, 14.2 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 46 citations
Resthave Home-Whiteside County
Morrison, 14.4 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 36 citations
Winning Wheels
Prophetstown, 16.3 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 51 citations

Illinois contacts for a concern about a nursing home

These are the official offices in Illinois. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.

Inspections and complaints: Illinois Department of Public Health, Nursing Homes, the state agency that inspects nursing homes for CMS and takes complaints about care.
Resident advocate: Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Illinois Department on Aging, 1-800-252-8966. The long-term care ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents and families, set up under the federal Older Americans Act.
State inspection reports: IDPH Quarterly Reports of Nursing Home Violators, where Illinois publishes its own records on licensed homes.

Common questions

What is La Bella of Sterling's Medicare star rating?: CMS rates La Bella of Sterling 2 out of 5 stars overall, with 3 for health inspections, 1 for staffing and 3 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
How many deficiencies did La Bella of Sterling get at its last inspection?: 11 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on March 12, 2025. The Illinois average is 12.6.
Has La Bella of Sterling been fined?: CMS lists no fines in the last three years.
Does La Bella of Sterling accept Medicaid?: It is certified to take Medicaid (CMS lists it as "Medicaid"). Certification does not mean a Medicaid bed is open: ask the admissions office.
Who owns La Bella of Sterling?: CMS lists 1 owner or manager. Legal business name: Legal Business Name Not Available.

Sources

Ratings, staffing and fines: CMS Provider Information, released September 30, 2026, data as of September 1, 2026.
Citations: CMS Health Deficiencies and Fire Safety Deficiencies.
Owners: CMS Ownership. Penalties: CMS Penalties.
Staffing by quarter: CMS Payroll Based Journal Daily Nurse Staffing, April 2025 to March 2026, summed by NursingHomeClear.
Inspector summaries: CMS Full Statement of Deficiencies (CMS-2567 text), data as of September 1, 2026. Each quote is the part of the statement before the detailed findings.
Inspection reports with the inspectors' full notes are on this home's Medicare.gov page.
Something wrong on this page? Ask for a correction. We fix errors in our copy of the data; findings themselves can only be changed by CMS and the state.
NursingHomeClear is independent and not affiliated with CMS, Medicare or any state agency. This page reports federal records; it does not rate, recommend or endorse any home, and it is not medical or legal advice.