Nursing Home in New Jersey
Quality Reality Check
Finding a nursing home for a loved one in New Jersey can feel overwhelming, but understanding the quality landscape can help you make an informed choice. New Jersey has 348 nursing facilities with 50,940 beds. When looking at the federal Five-Star Quality Rating System, about 32% of New Jersey's nursing homes, specifically 112 facilities (76 with 2 stars and 36 with 1 star), are rated as having "much below average" or "below average" quality. This is slightly better than the national picture, where over one-third of nursing homes receive 1 or 2 stars. The average rating for New Jersey facilities is 3.3 out of 5 stars, which is above the national average of 2.9 stars. However, it's important to note that the average Registered Nurse (RN) hours per resident per day in New Jersey is 0.69, which falls short of the 2001 CMS recommendation of 0.75 RN hours. When evaluating facilities, be watchful for recurring deficiencies, particularly those that have caused immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety, as these are serious red flags.
Will Medicaid Cover It?
Nursing home care in New Jersey is expensive, with a semi-private room averaging $12,751/month and a private room costing around $14,788/month. Medicaid, known as NJ FamilyCare, can help, but it's a means-tested program with strict eligibility rules. For a single applicant in 2026, your monthly income generally needs to be under $2,982 and countable assets under $2,000. If you're married and only one spouse is applying, the applicant's limits remain the same, but the non-applicant spouse can keep up to $162,660 in assets. If your income is above the limit, New Jersey has a "Medically Needy" program that allows you to "spend down" excess income on medical bills to qualify. The process also requires demonstrating a nursing home level of care through a Pre-Admission Survey (PAS). Be prepared for a 5-year look-back period on your financial transactions, and the application can take several months to process. Once approved, most of the resident's income, except for a $50/month personal needs allowance, will go towards care costs.
Finding the Right Facility
To begin your search, Medicare's Care Compare tool (medicare.gov/care-compare) is an essential resource for New Jersey facilities. You can search by zip code and compare nursing homes based on their overall star ratings, health inspection results, staffing levels, and quality measures. The New Jersey Department of Health also conducts unannounced inspections, and these public reports are crucial to review. Look closely at inspection reports for violations concerning infection control, staffing, patient rights, cleanliness, and accident prevention. Pay attention to the severity of any cited deficiencies and whether the same issues appear repeatedly. While there aren't widespread regional "availability" issues reported, some counties like Salem, Mercer, Gloucester, Cumberland, and Camden have shown lower average quality ratings, suggesting fewer desirable options. Remember, a website review is just a starting point; always visit potential facilities in person.
Last updated: March 2026. Sources: CMS Nursing Home Compare, BLS, Genworth 2024.