Maine Veterans Home - Caribou
163 Van Buren Rd Suite 2, Caribou, ME 04736 · Aroostook County · (207) 498-6074
40 certified beds, about 36 residents a day · Non profit - Other · Medicare and Medicaid since 1994
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 205151 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
The record in brief
At its most recent standard inspection, on February 5, 2026, inspectors cited 5 health deficiencies (the Maine average is 10.8, the national average 9.2).
Of 14 health citations since December 2023, 1 was rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents.
CMS lists 1 fine totaling $42,320 in the last three years; the largest was $42,320, and the latest is dated February 5, 2026.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 5.13 hours per resident per day, against 4.34 across Maine and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 1.55 of those hours.
28.6% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (Maine average 46.7%).
CMS links it to Maine Veterans' Home, an affiliated group of 5 nursing homes.
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.
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 14 health citations on file.
February 5, 2026Standard inspection, Complaint inspection · 5 citations
- G Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and interview, the facility failed to notify the physician of significant change in condition for 1 of 1 resident reviewed for Abuse [Resident #16 (R16)]. This failure delayed physician intervention that resulted in harm to R16 when R16 had requested to go to the hospital on 1/27/26 while experiencing respiratory distress which included needing increased supplemental oxygen above physician order, increased anxiety and restlessness which required frequent staff intervention and redirection. The Medical Provider was not notified of the change in condition until 1/29/26.
- E Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, facility policy reviews, and interviews, the facility failed to maintain an Infection Control Program designed to help prevent the development and transmission of disease and infection by failing to ensure staff wore the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) in enhanced barrier precaution and contact precaution rooms and failing to ensure staff discarded a medication pill after if fell on top of the medication cart on 3 of 4 days of survey (2/2, 2/4 and 2/5/26).
- D Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
Inspectors wroteBased on record reviews and interviews, the facility failed to implement the written policy and procedures for preventing the abuse and neglect of residents after a resident reported an allegation of abuse [Resident #41 (R41)]. This had the potential to affect all residents.
- D Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and interviews, the facility failed to provide respiratory care as order by the Provider for 2 of 16 residents reviewed on survey [Resident #61 [R16] and R5).
- B Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on record reviews and interviews, the facility failed to ensure a clinical record contacted accurate and complete information for 3 of 17 sampled residents (Resident #41 [R41], R5, and R16).
January 8, 2025Standard inspection, Complaint inspection · 5 citations
- D Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, record review, and interview, the facility failed to maintain the dignity of 1 resident (Resident #29 [R29]) related to urinary collection bags during 2 of 3 days of survey (1/7/25 and 1/8/25).
- D Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure that a resident's choice in bathing was being followed for 1 of 1 sampled resident reviewed for Choices (Resident #30 [R30]).
- D Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Inspectors wroteBased on record reviews and interviews the facility failed to ensure a care plan was resident centered, updated, and implemented for 2 of 14 residents reviewed on survey (Resident #6 [R6] and [R33]).
- D Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and interviews, the facility failed to address significant weight loss for 1 of 1 sampled residents reviewed for nutrition (Resident #33 [R33]).
- D Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, record reviews and interviews, the facility failed to have complete orders that contained the specific amount of liters per minute (LPM) for the use of oxygen and the facility failed to ensure that one oxygen concentrator was operated and maintained per manufacturer's directions for 2 of 3 residents reviewed with oxygen (Resident #19 [R19 and R1]).
December 6, 2023Standard inspection, Complaint inspection · 4 citations
- D Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment.
Inspectors wroteBased on a review of a Facility Reportable Incident Form, the facility's internal investigations, and interview, the facility failed to ensure that 1 of 1 sampled resident had the right to refuse care when a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) used body contact (physical restraint) that limited a residents voluntary movement. (Resident #30 [R30])
- D Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Inspectors wroteBased on interviews and record review, the facility failed to conduct a comprehensive Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS) assessment within 14 days after a resident experienced a significant change of condition when hospice services were discontinued for 1 of 2 sampled residents who had received hospice services (Resident #19 [R19]).
- D Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted
Inspectors wroteBased on interviews and record reviews, the facility failed to ensure a baseline care plan was developed and implemented within 48 hours that included the problems, interventions, and initial goals needed to provide minimum healthcare information necessary to properly care for 2 of 2 newly admitted residents that were reviewed for baseline care plans. (Resident [R] 37 and R2).
- B Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
Inspectors wroteBased on record reviews and interviews, the facility failed to the resident representative in writing for the reason of a transfer/discharge from the facility for 2 of 3 sampled residents reviewed for hospitalization (Resident [R] 13, R37).
Fire safety inspections
5 fire safety citations on file: 5 on December 6, 2023.
Every fire safety citation5 citations
- D Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
- D Have exits that are accessible at all times.
- D Have an alternate power supply for its alarm system.
- D Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
- D Have restrictions on the use of highly flammable decorations.
Fines and payment denials
| Date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| February 5, 2026 | Fine | $42,320 |
| February 5, 2026 | Payment Denial | 3 days from March 17, 2026 |
A payment denial means Medicare and Medicaid stopped paying for new admissions for that period.
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 | Maine | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides) | 5.13 | 4.34 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 1.55 | 1.05 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 4.61 | 3.92 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 3.53 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.05 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 28.6% | 46.7% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 9.1% | 40.2% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 3.44 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 5.34 on weekdays and 4.61 on weekends, 14% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 0.0% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 5.42 in April to June 2025 to 5.13 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 | 5.13 | 1.55 | 5.34 | 4.61 | 0.0% | 0 of 90 | 36 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 5.21 | 1.54 | 5.41 | 4.71 | 0.0% | 0 of 92 | 36 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 5.08 | 1.40 | 5.32 | 4.44 | 0.0% | 0 of 92 | 38 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 5.42 | 1.49 | 5.68 | 4.78 | 0.0% | 0 of 91 | 36 |
| United States, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.75 | 0.62 | 3.92 | 3.33 | 5.3% | 0.5% of days | |
| Maine, Jan to Mar 2026 | 4.35 | 1.06 | 4.52 | 3.95 | 9.2% | 0.2% 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.
Staff pay reports
Staff pay at this home
No staff pay figure for this home has passed review yet. A figure appears only after at least 5 reports from at least 3 different people, sent over at least 60 days, have passed review.
Official wage estimates for Maine
| Job | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine, all employers | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $22.63 | $21.25 to $24.13 | 8,540 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $35.19 | $30.54 to $37.22 | 760 |
| Registered nurses | $41.82 | $38.41 to $48.78 | 16,540 |
| United States, nursing care facilities | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $20.67 | $17.91 to $22.55 | 534,270 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $33.86 | $30.05 to $37.40 | 188,210 |
| Registered nurses | $41.11 | $37.85 to $47.68 | 142,270 |
Hourly wages; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS has no separate estimate for medication aides. These are survey estimates for whole occupations, not figures for any one home.
Quality measures
The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.
| Measure | This home | Maine | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 19.6 | 24.4 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 15.9 | 25.6 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 14.1 | 20.2 | 15.4 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
Short-term rehab results
For a stay to recover after a hospital visit, these are the results CMS publishes for Maine Veterans Home - Caribou's Medicare short-stay residents. How to read these, and what Medicare pays for.
CMS reports none of these results for this home: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Source: CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program - Provider Data, released 2026-09-30. Better, no different and worse are CMS's own comparisons with the national rate, after adjusting for how sick residents were. Medians of homes and the state counts are worked out by us from the same file.
Owners and operators
Legal business name: MAINE VETERANS' HOME. CMS links this home to Maine Veterans' Home, a group of 5 nursing homes averaging 4.4 stars overall.
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong, Angela | Corporate director | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Brawn, Christine | Corporate director | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Burr, Heather | Corporate director | Individual | 02/18/2021 | |
| Collins, Samuel | Corporate director | Individual | 06/06/2022 | |
| Gardner, Christopher | Corporate director | Individual | 06/06/2022 | |
| Genest, Emil | Corporate director | Individual | 10/27/2020 | |
| Jackson, Diane | Corporate director | Individual | 07/09/2022 | |
| Lagace, Donald | Corporate director | Individual | 10/13/2020 | |
| Miller, Bridget | Corporate director | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Pooler, Michael | Corporate director | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Richmond, David | Corporate director | Individual | 09/26/2018 | |
| Sanpedro, Steven | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2015 | |
| Schwetz, Julie | Corporate director | Individual | 10/13/2020 | |
| Brooks, Kevin | Corporate officer | Individual | 05/01/2015 | |
| Gagnon, Rebecca | Corporate officer | Individual | 07/18/2022 | |
| Klawitter, Brad | Corporate officer | Individual | 12/16/2024 | |
| Maine Veterans' Home | Operational/managerial control | Organization | 03/31/2009 | |
| Armstrong, John | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 02/16/2023 | |
| Graham, Melissa | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 01/01/2015 | |
| Meader, Melanie | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 01/30/2023 | |
| Welch, Katherine | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 11/14/2014 | |
| Armstrong, Angela | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Brawn, Christine | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Burr, Heather | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 02/18/2021 | |
| Collins, Samuel | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 06/06/2022 | |
| Gardner, Christopher | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 06/06/2022 | |
| Genest, Emil | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 10/27/2020 | |
| Jackson, Diane | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 07/09/2022 | |
| Lagace, Donald | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 10/13/2020 | |
| Miller, Bridget | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Pooler, Michael | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 04/20/2024 | |
| Richmond, David | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 09/26/2018 | |
| Sanpedro, Steven | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2015 | |
| Schwetz, Julie | Trustee of the SNF | Individual | 10/13/2020 | |
| Armstrong, John | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 04/02/2025 | |
| Graham, Melissa | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 02/24/2025 |
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 residents and families raise a complaint or grievance, and how fast is it answered?Inspectors cited 4 problems in this area, most recently on February 5, 2026: "Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident."
- When is the care plan meeting, and can family attend it?Inspectors cited 4 problems in this area, most recently on February 5, 2026: "Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards."
- How do you prevent falls and pressure injuries, and how are families told when one happens?Inspectors cited 3 problems in this area, most recently on February 5, 2026: "Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed."
- How are allegations of abuse or neglect reported and investigated, and who tells the family?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on February 5, 2026: "Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft."
Other nursing homes nearby
- Caribou Healthcare Center, LLC Caribou, 1.6 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 24 citations
- Borderview Rehab & Living Ctr Van Buren, 21 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 9 citations
- Aroostook Health Center Mars Hill, 23.8 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 31 citations
Maine contacts for a concern about a nursing home
These are the official offices in Maine. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.
- Inspections and complaints: Maine DHHS Division of Licensing and Certification, Nursing Facilities, the state agency that inspects nursing homes for CMS and takes complaints about care.
- Resident advocate: Maine Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, (800) 499-0229. 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: Maine DLC Licensed Provider Search, where Maine publishes its own records on licensed homes.
Common questions
- What is Maine Veterans Home - Caribou's Medicare star rating?
- CMS rates Maine Veterans Home - Caribou 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 for health inspections, 5 for staffing and 1 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
- How many deficiencies did Maine Veterans Home - Caribou get at its last inspection?
- 5 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on February 5, 2026. The Maine average is 10.8.
- Has Maine Veterans Home - Caribou been fined?
- Yes. CMS lists 1 fine totaling $42,320 in the last three years.
- Does Maine Veterans Home - Caribou accept Medicaid?
- It is certified to take Medicaid (CMS lists it as "Medicare and Medicaid"). Certification does not mean a Medicaid bed is open: ask the admissions office.
- Who owns Maine Veterans Home - Caribou?
- CMS lists 36 owners and managers, and links the home to Maine Veterans' Home. Legal business name: MAINE VETERANS' HOME.
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.