Care-facility inspections
How nursing homes and care facilities in Illinois are inspected, licensed, and held to account.
6 laws · 13 enforcement actions · 8 guides · 9 court decisions
See the details
The laws 6
- 210 ILCS 45, the Nursing Home Care Act: the core state licensing, resident-rights, survey, and enforcement statute for skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities, sheltered care facilities, and long-term care facilities generally ilga.gov
- 210 ILCS 9, the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act: licensing statute for assisted living and shared housing establishments, adopted 2000/effective 2001 ilga.gov
- 210 ILCS 47, the ID/DD Community Care Act: licensing statute for community-based intermediate care facilities and other community living arrangements serving people with intellectual/developmental disabilities ilga.gov
- 210 ILCS 55, the Home Health, Home Services, and Home Nursing Agency Licensing Act: licensing statute for home health agencies, home services agencies, and home nursing agencies ilga.gov
- 210 ILCS 60, the Hospice Program Licensing Act: licensing statute for hospice programs, the enabling act for 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 280 ilga.gov
- 210 ILCS 65, the Supportive Residences Licensing Act: licensing statute for supportive residences/supportive living facilities, the enabling act for 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 385 ilga.gov
Know your rights 8
- "Who Regulates Nursing Homes?" - IDPH's own consumer/provider guidance explaining the overlapping state (IDPH) and federal (CMS) roles in licensing, inspecting, and certifying nursing homes dph.illinois.gov
- "How to Select a Nursing Home" - IDPH consumer guidance for choosing among licensed facilities dph.illinois.gov
- "Types of Nursing Homes" - IDPH guidance describing the categories of licensed long-term care facility (skilled nursing, intermediate care, sheltered care, etc.) dph.illinois.gov
- IDPH's Assisted Living Program overview: the state's own guidance on the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act program, noting rules were adopted December 2001 and licensing began July 2002 dph.illinois.gov
- "Health Care Facilities & Programs" - IDPH's own overview naming the Office of Health Care Regulation as the division that licenses, inspects, or certifies health care facilities to meet state and federal standards dph.illinois.gov
- Life Care Facilities Program guidance: IDPH's explanation of its permitting/monitoring role for "Life Care Contracts" under the Life Care Facilities Act (210 ILCS 40) and 77 Ill. Adm. dph.illinois.gov
- Health Care Worker Registry Waivers guidance/FAQ: IDPH's compliance guidance for facilities and workers on obtaining a waiver from a disqualifying-conviction bar under the Health Care Worker Background Check Act (225 ILCS 46) and 77 Ill. dph.illinois.gov
- IDPH Long-term Care Annual Report 2024: the Department's statutorily required annual report on long-term care facility oversight, surveys, and enforcement dph.illinois.gov
Enforcement actions 5
- IDPH Office of Health Care Regulation's Quarterly Reports of Nursing Home Violators hub: named-facility Type A/AA/B violation and fine reports under the Nursing Home Care Act, archived back to 2005 with current quarters posted going into 20… dph.illinois.gov
- 1st Quarter (Jan-Mar) 2025 Nursing Home Violators report: named facilities IDPH determined to be in violation of the Nursing Home Care Act, including Type A and Type AA violations and imposed fines dph.illinois.gov
- 4th Quarter (Oct-Dec) 2025 Nursing Home Violators report, published April 22, 2026: the most recent quarterly named-facility violation/fine report available at time of this pass dph.illinois.gov
- IDPH Health Care Worker Registry public search tool: lets employers and the public look up whether a named individual (CNA/health care worker) has an administrative finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property barring… hcwrpub.dph.illinois.gov
- IDPH's Office of Health Systems Portal (Salesforce-hosted licensing/facility-lookup portal): public "Facility Lookup" (facility license search) and "File a Complaint" intake for licensed health care facilities, alongside license application… llcs.dph.illinois.gov
Orders & settlements 8
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 300, Skilled Nursing and Intermediate Care Facilities Code: the core minimum-standards rule (staffing, physical plant, resident care) implementing the Nursing Home Care Act ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 295, Assisted Living and Shared Housing Establishment Code: licensing and operating rules for assisted living/shared housing establishments ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 330, Sheltered Care Facilities Code: minimum standards for sheltered care facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 245, Home Health, Home Services, and Home Nursing Agency Code: licensing and operating rules for home health/home services/home nursing agencies ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 280, Hospice Programs: licensing and operating rules for hospice programs ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 385, Supportive Residences Licensing Code: licensing and operating rules for supportive residences/supportive living facilities ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 350, Intermediate Care for the Developmentally Disabled Facilities Code: minimum standards for ICF/DD facilities ilga.gov
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 370, Community Living Facilities Code: licensing and operating rules for community living facilities ilga.gov
Court decisions 9
- Eads v. Heritage Enterprises, Inc., 204 Ill. 2d 92, 787 N.E.2d 771 (2003): Illinois Supreme Court holding on whether a private-right-of-action plaintiff under the Nursing Home Care Act (210 ILCS 45/1-101 et seq.) must attach a certificate o… courtlistener.com
- Fisher v. Lexington Health Care, Inc., 188 Ill. 2d 455, 722 N.E.2d 1115 (1999): Illinois Supreme Court decision on the scope of a private right of action for damages under the Nursing Home Care Act, discussed alongside Zimmerman v. courtlistener.com
- Vincent v. Alden-Park Strathmoor, Inc., 241 Ill. 2d 495, 948 N.E.2d 610 (2011), No. 110406: Illinois Supreme Court decision under the Nursing Home Care Act courtlistener.com
- Dardeen v. Heartland Manor, Inc., 186 Ill. 2d 291, 710 N.E.2d 827 (1999): Illinois Supreme Court decision on retroactive application of a 1996 amendment to Nursing Home Care Act section 3-602's treble-damages-plus-costs-and-attorney's-fees… courtlistener.com
- Cojeunaze Nursing Center v. Lumpkin, 260 Ill. App. 3d 1024, 632 N.E.2d 146 (1st Dist. 1994): Appellate Court review of an Illinois Department of Public Health licensing/enforcement action against a named, IDPH-licensed nursing home courtlistener.com
- Frances House, Inc. v. Department of Public Health, 269 Ill. App. 3d 426, 645 N.E.2d 1009 (3d Dist. 1995): Appellate Court review of an IDPH enforcement/licensing decision against a named facility (d/b/a Smith Square) courtlistener.com
- Turner v. Concord Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC, 2023 IL App (1st) 221721: Illinois Appellate Court decision under the Nursing Home Care Act courtlistener.com
- Key v. Accolade Healthcare of the Heartland, LLC, 2024 IL App (4th) 221030: Illinois Appellate Court decision under the Nursing Home Care Act courtlistener.com
- Clanton v. Oakbrook Healthcare Centre, Ltd., 2023 IL 129067: Illinois Supreme Court decision (affirming/reviewing the Appellate Court's 2022 IL App (1st) 210984 decision) under the Nursing Home Care Act courtlistener.com