Sterling Care Bel Air
410 EAST MCPHAIL ROAD, Bel Air, MD 21014
Bel Air, Maryland · CMS verdict
Sterling Care Bel Air's CMS overall star rating runs in line with the Maryland state average (3.1) and reflects average quality by the federal five-star measure.
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.
Sterling Care Bel Air in Bel Air, Maryland holds a CMS overall rating of 3 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 42 of 100 (grade F). Its CMS inspection record lists multiple deficiencies. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Quality & Compliance Index (larger bed book)
Its certified bed capacity sits in the upper U.S. bed tercile (>120). 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 star rating shown at the top of the page. How this is calculated.
How the 42 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 42.
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.
Sterling Care Bel Air's larger certified-bed book
Quality ratings
The rating comes from CMS's most recent Care Compare release (data as of April 2026). CMS rolls three sub-ratings into the overall star: health inspection, staffing, and quality measures. The chart below sets each of them against the Maryland average.
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 Bel Air, Maryland. Bed capacity and average daily census, where CMS reports them, are in Facility details below. Its ownership type, listed in Facility details, can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At about 82% occupancy, this facility's bed usage looks steady and consistent with a stabilized operation.
Same-ownership peers
Within Maryland, Sterling Care Bel Air is one of 75 for profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 3-star overall rating sits above the for profit - corporation-segment average of 2.8 stars, ahead of roughly 51% of same-ownership peers in the state. Peer comparisons within the same ownership type are more apples-to-apples than a state-wide average, since for-profit, non-profit, and government operators tend to differ systematically in staffing and reinvestment.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility; the counts are in Facility details below. CMS has levied 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
Figures above come from CMS Nursing Home Compare (Care Compare, data as of April 2026) with state cost medians from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey. See our methodology for vintage.
How Sterling Care Bel Air 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 Sterling Care Bel Air ranks in Maryland
Among the 219 CMS-rated nursing homes in Maryland, Sterling Care Bel Air’s 3-star overall rating is higher than 40% of them. The bars show how all Maryland homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
41 Maryland homes share this 3-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 155 |
| Residents | 127 |
| Ownership | For profit - Corporation |
| County | Harford |
| Penalties | 1 |
| Deficiencies | 48 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What families ask about Sterling Care Bel Air's larger facility
What is the quality rating for Sterling Care Bel Air? ▾
CMS rates Sterling Care Bel Air at 3 out of 5 stars overall. How its three sub-ratings compare with the Maryland average is charted above.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Maryland? ▾
The median cost for a semi-private nursing home room in Maryland is $12,927 per month ($155,125 annually). A private room averages $14,448 per month. Costs are from the CareScout 2025 survey.
What services does Sterling Care Bel Air offer? ▾
Sterling Care Bel Air is a skilled nursing facility. CMS Care Compare does not list individual services or therapies, so ask the facility directly which it provides. Its bed capacity, census, and ownership type are in the Facility details table on this page.
Does Sterling Care Bel Air have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Sterling Care Bel Air has multiple deficiencies and enforcement penalties recorded by CMS; the counts are in the Facility details table. 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).
Keep reading
Also see the Maryland elder-care overview and highest-rated states. Provider ID: 215312.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.