Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County
421 Doris Avenue, Joliet, IL 60433 · Will County · (815) 727-8710
157 certified beds, about 146 residents a day · Government - County · Medicare and Medicaid since 1996
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 145892 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
The record in brief
At its most recent standard inspection, on January 31, 2025, inspectors cited 8 health deficiencies (the Illinois average is 12.6, the national average 9.2).
Of 24 health citations since March 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 4.71 hours per resident per day, against 3.45 across Illinois and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.86 of those hours.
35.7% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (Illinois average 44.5%).
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 24 health citations on file.
June 27, 2026Complaint inspection · 1 citation
- G Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to follow the care plan interventions of two-person care and as a result, R1 fell from the bed during personal care and sustained a fracture. This applies to 1 of 3 residents (R1) reviewed for accidents.
March 6, 2026Complaint inspection · 1 citation
- D Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation interview and record review the facility failed to protect a resident from a fall during care activities. This applies to 1 of 3 residents (R126) reviewed for falls in a sample of 29.
January 2, 2026Complaint inspection · 1 citation
- D Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to honor the wishes of a POA (Power of Attorney) by not administering an antidepressant medication. This applies to 1 of 1 resident (R3) reviewed for medications.
August 23, 2025Complaint inspection · 1 citation
- F Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to follow guidance from the State and local health authority to control the spread of a respiratory infection. This has the potential to affect all 142 residents living in the facility.
January 31, 2025Standard inspection, Complaint inspection · 8 citations
- F Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to properly label/date/store food items, remove expired items, and wear hair restraints in the facility kitchen. This applies to all residents that receive oral nutrition and foods prepared in the facility kitchen.
- E Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to follow fall interventions for residents who were high risk for falls. This applies to 4 of 5 residents (R99, R51, R107, R24,) reviewed for accidents and supervision in a sample of 30.
- E Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, interviews, and record reviews, the facility failed to follow its catheter care policy by not having the catheter tube secured and not using warm water and soap to provide catheter care. The facility also failed to use new catheter bags and leg bags instead of reusing them and to have a resident in bed with a leg bag instead of a standard drainage bag to prevent backflow. This applies to 5 of 5 residents (R19, R59, R69, R126, and R132) reviewed for catheter care in a sample of 30.
- D 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 interview and record review, the facility failed to provide written notice of reason for transfer to resident and/or their representative before resident transferred to the hospital. This applies to 3 residents (R103, R137, and R20) reviewed for hospital transfers in a sample of 30.
- D Notify the resident or the resident’s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident’s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to provide written bed hold policy to resident and/or their representative prior to the resident transfer to the hospital. This applies to 1 resident (R103) reviewed for hospital transfers in a sample of 30.
- D Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, interviews, and record reviews, the facility failed to implement services to prevent further decline in range of motion and contractures for R59. This applies to 1 of 1 resident (R59) reviewed for restorative nursing in a sample of 30.
- D 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.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation and interview the facility failed to label, store, and dispose of medications to facilitate a safe administration to residents. This applies to 2 of 2 residents (R41 and R114) reviewed for safe medication storage in a sample of 30.
- D Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to follow infection control practices. This applies to 3 of 5 residents (R52, R451, R19) reviewed for infection control in a sample of 30.
February 23, 2024Standard inspection · 6 citations
- E Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to provide urinary catheter care and services, and failed to provide incontinence care in a manner that would prevent the potential development of infection and to maintain hygiene. This applies to 4 of 6 residents (R20, R36, R42 and R130) reviewed for catheter and incontinence care in the sample of 30.
- E Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to serve pureed meat portions and pureed soup and garlic bread as shown on the menu spreadsheet for the lunch meal. This applies to 4 of 4 residents (R37, R47, R140 and R145) observed for dining in the sample of 30.
- E Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to maintain a unit refrigerator under sanitary conditions. This applies to 7 of 7 (R45, R67, R68, R83, R87, R107, R121) observed for dining in the sample of 30.
- E Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to follow standard infection control practices with regards to hand hygiene and changing gloves during provisions of care. This applies to 4 of 6 residents (R20, R42, R54 and R84) reviewed for infection control during provisions of care in the sample of 30.
- D Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to assess and provide adaptive device to residents, to prevent further reduction in ROM (range of motion). This applies to 2 of 6 residents (R83 and R129) reviewed for range of motion in the sample of 30.
- D Ensure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure that a resident who was receiving gastrostomy tube (g-tube) feeding was not lying flat in bed while tube feeding was being administered. This applies to 1 of 3 residents (R54) reviewed for enteral feeding in the sample of 30.
March 23, 2023Standard inspection · 6 citations
- E Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to provide incontinence care in a manner that would prevent potential urinary tract infection (UTI). The facility also failed to ensure that the indwelling catheter drainage bag was not touching the floor. This applies to 4 of 4 residents (R42, R101, R119, R134) reviewed for incontinence and urinary catheter care in the sample of 27 residents.
- E Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure puree food was prepared to a smooth consistency for the dinner meal. This applies to all the 11 residents (R5, R7, R12, R16, R19, R24, R55, R60, R92, R98, R119) who are receiving pureed diet in the facility in the sample of 27.
- D Ensure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to flush a resident's gastrostomy tube when disconnecting an enteral feeding. This applies to 1 of 3 residents (R28) reviewed for tube feeding in the sample of 27.
- D Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review the facility failed to ensure that narcotic medication administered to residents was recorded according to the facility's-controlled substances policy. This applies to 2 of 2 residents (R294, R295) reviewed for medication storage in the sample of 27.
- D Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to follow standard infection control practices with regards to changing of gloves and hand hygiene during provisions of care. This applies to 2 of 27 residents (R101, R134) reviewed for infection control in the sample of 27 residents.
- D Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to offer residents the pneumococcal vaccine. This applies to 3 of 6 residents (R15, R8, and R81) reviewed for immunizations in the sample of 27.
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) | 4.71 | 3.45 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.86 | 0.72 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 4.29 | 3.07 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 3.13 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.72 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 35.7% | 44.5% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 4.0% | 41.8% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 4.08 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 4.88 on weekdays and 4.29 on weekends, 12% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 17.1% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 4.70 in April to June 2025 to 4.71 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 | 4.71 | 0.86 | 4.88 | 4.29 | 17.1% | 0 of 90 | 146 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 4.71 | 0.86 | 4.89 | 4.25 | 16.7% | 0 of 92 | 145 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 4.82 | 0.88 | 4.95 | 4.47 | 20.6% | 0 of 92 | 143 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 4.70 | 0.88 | 4.87 | 4.28 | 20.4% | 0 of 91 | 148 |
| 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 | 12.5 | 13.4 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 6.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 27.8 | 14.3 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 3.8 | 21.7 | 15.4 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 34.1 | 26.1 | 23.8 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 10.0 | 13.8 | 12.0 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
Owners and operators
Legal business name: COUNTY OF WILL.
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County of Will | 5% or greater direct ownership interest | Organization | 100% | 05/12/1966 |
| Felkins, Michelle | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 10/01/2017 | |
| McDowell, Margaret | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 10/01/2018 | |
| County of Will | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 05/12/1966 | |
| McDowell, Margaret | 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 you prevent falls and pressure injuries, and how are families told when one happens?Inspectors cited 10 problems in this area, most recently on June 27, 2026: "Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents."
- What changed in infection control since the last inspection, and who on staff is the infection preventionist?Inspectors cited 5 problems in this area, most recently on August 23, 2025: "Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program."
- Can we see a week of menus and the kitchen, and how are special diets handled?Inspectors cited 4 problems in this area, most recently on January 31, 2025: "Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards."
- 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 January 2, 2026: "Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments."
Other nursing homes nearby
- Spring Creek Joliet, 2.4 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 33 citations
- Pearl of Joliet, the Joliet, 3.1 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 55 citations
- Joliet Living & Rehab Center Joliet, 3.4 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 33 citations
- Parc Joliet Joliet, 3.4 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 54 citations
- Avantara Joliet Joliet, 3.7 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 40 citations
- Renwick Nursing and Rehab Joliet, 6.4 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 65 citations
- Alden Estates of Shorewood Shorewood, 7.3 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 15 citations
- Alden Courts of Shorewood Shorewood, 7.3 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 11 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 Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County's Medicare star rating?
- CMS rates Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 for health inspections, 5 for staffing and 2 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
- How many deficiencies did Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County get at its last inspection?
- 8 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on January 31, 2025. The Illinois average is 12.6.
- Has Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County been fined?
- CMS lists no fines in the last three years.
- Does Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County 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 Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County?
- CMS lists 5 owners and managers. Legal business name: COUNTY OF WILL.
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.