Friends Nursing Home
17340 QUAKER LANE, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
Sandy Spring, Maryland · CMS verdict
Friends Nursing Home holds a 5 of 5 CMS overall star rating - above the Maryland state average of 3.1, reflecting above-average quality on the federal five-star scale.
The rating and the PlainElderCare Index below summarize federal inspection, staffing, and outcome data, they measure specific, documented dimensions of this facility, not a holistic verdict on the care your family member would receive. Visit in person, talk with staff and current residents' families, and weigh your family member's specific needs before choosing.
Friends Nursing Home in Sandy Spring, Maryland holds a CMS overall rating of 5 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 73 of 100 (grade C). The 82-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Maryland runs a median of $12,927 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index
A transparent composite of this facility's CMS Care Compare sub-ratings and its federal inspection record. It complements, and does not replace, the official CMS overall rating of 5 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 73 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 73.
Weights: health inspections 30%, staffing 25%, quality measures 25%, inspection record 20%; any dimension CMS has not published drops out and its weight redistributes (no silent deflation). Inspection record is benchmarked against all rated US nursing homes. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Data insights
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), Friends Nursing Home carries an overall CMS quality rating of 5 out of 5 stars. That figure rolls up three sub-ratings tracked separately: health inspection (4/5), staffing (5/5), and quality measures (3/5).
What each sub-rating measures
The health inspection rating reflects on-site surveyor findings from the last three cycles. The staffing rating compares case-mix-adjusted nurse hours per resident day to national benchmarks, and quality measures aggregate 15 clinical indicators including pressure ulcers, falls with injury, and long-stay antipsychotic use.
Size and setting
Located in Sandy Spring, Maryland, this facility operates 82 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 65 residents - an occupancy rate of about 79%. The facility is classified under non profit - church related ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 79% occupancy, this facility has meaningful open capacity relative to its certified bed count.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility (17 total). CMS has levied 8 enforcement penalties - civil money penalties or denials of payment, during the same window. This is a high deficiency count relative to most facilities; requesting the full survey report directly is the only way to see whether these are concentrated in one area or spread across the facility's operations.
Where these figures come from
The figures above come directly from the U.S. Centers for Medicare \& Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare dataset for federal quality ratings, combined with the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey of more than 15,000 elder-care providers nationwide and U.S. Census American Community Survey income data. Cost figures are monthly medians, refreshed annually with each new CareScout release; quality ratings are refreshed quarterly from the CMS Provider Information File. Read these state and county medians as benchmarks, then verify current rates with individual providers and consult care managers before making placement decisions. See our methodology for source vintage.
How Friends Nursing Home compares to Maryland
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Maryland facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Maryland state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Friends Nursing Home ranks in Maryland
Among the 219 CMS-rated nursing homes in Maryland, Friends Nursing Home’s 5-star overall rating is higher than 76% of them. The bars show how all Maryland homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
53 Maryland homes share this 5-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 82 |
| Residents | 65 |
| Ownership | Non profit - Church related |
| County | Montgomery |
| Penalties | 8 |
| Deficiencies | 17 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Friends Nursing Home? ▾
5 out of 5 stars is Friends Nursing Home's current CMS overall rating, built from a health inspection rating of 4/5, a staffing rating of 5/5, and a quality measures rating of 3/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Maryland? ▾
CareScout's 2025 survey puts Maryland's median semi-private nursing home rate at $12,927 per month ($155,125 per year), with private rooms averaging $14,448 per month.
What services does Friends Nursing Home offer? ▾
Friends Nursing Home operates as a skilled nursing facility (82 beds with approximately 65 current residents) under non profit - church related ownership. CMS inspections have recorded 17 deficiencies and 8 penalties there.
Does Friends Nursing Home have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Friends Nursing Home has multiple deficiencies (17 total) and 8 penalties recorded by CMS. A count this high is above what most facilities post; ask the facility directly for its plan of correction on the largest findings.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in Maryland? ▾
In Maryland, alternatives include assisted living ($7,173/mo), home health aides ($6,673/mo), and adult day care ($2,526/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Maryland elder-care overview, or see how facilities rank nationwide in our highest-rated states ranking.
Weigh nursing care against assisted living, home health, and adult day care, with national median costs, on our care types comparison, and learn how to fund it in our paying for elder care guide.
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Provider ID: 215211.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.