3 Min Read Posted on September 1, 2026September 1, 2026 Severe Nursing Home Violations Surge 77% in Virginia Virginia issued 53 “immediate jeopardy” citations to nursing homes in the 11 months after the state promised better oversight in August 2025. That’s a 77% jump from the 30 issued in the same period before, according to CBS 6, a local Virginia news station. Did you knowImmediate jeopardy citations are the most severe violations a facility can receive. They mean a nursing home’s failures caused or were likely to cause serious injury or wrongful death. More citations may sound like progress. However, the state inspection system is still stretched thin, and many dangerous conditions may be going unnoticed. If your loved one suffered nursing home neglect or abuse in Virginia or anywhere else, you may be able to take legal action. Get a Free Case Review by Fight back against nursing home abuse and neglect — start now with a free case review. Start My Free Case Reviewor call (855) 264-6310 Why Are Severe Nursing Home Violations Rising in Virginia? In August 2025, former Governor Glenn Youngkin ordered the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to hire more inspectors and improve oversight. At the time, nearly half of the licensing office’s jobs were empty. Over two-thirds of nursing homes were overdue for routine inspection. It’s been a year since the VDH started making improvements, and its data shows progress, but serious gaps remain in the state’s oversight system. Key findings from the state’s data include: 1 in 4 inspector jobs is still vacant, down from nearly half in 2025 58% of inspections are overdue, driven partly by a surge in complaints about neglect, medication errors, and understaffing A promised inspector hiring dashboard is missing, with VDH saying it is “currently under redevelopment” VDH says the rise in citations comes from new federal guidance and more capacity to complete inspections. In other words, inspectors are now catching more of the serious problems that were always there. Virginia Nursing Homes Fined Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Federal data shows three Virginia facilities received major fines tied to recent immediate jeopardy findings. A February 2026 inspection at Old Dominion Rehabilitation and Nursing in Newport News found the facility failed to protect 2 residents from sexual abuse. The abuse happened across multiple incidents over several months, and the facility was fined $305,340. At Petersburg Healthcare Center, a March 2026 inspection found multiple residents suffered a fracture, a bloody nose, and scratches from nursing home abuse and neglect. One injury came from staff misusing a mechanical lift. The facility was fined $26,125. An April 2026 inspection at Canterbury Health and Rehab in Henrico found the facility failed to protect multiple residents from a known aggressor. One resident was hospitalized and reportedly died a short time later. The facility was fined $343,544 and is appealing the findings. Advocates say these penalties are what accountability should look like. “When families see consequences that are going to happen to these facilities, it is better, and it needs to happen. You need to start hitting them in their pockets.” – Tracey Pompey, Justice and Change for Victims of Nursing Facilities Federal Reviewers Caught Violations Virginia Inspectors Missed Even as citations rise, federal reviews suggest Virginia’s inspections are not catching everything. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) followed behind state inspectors on three inspections earlier this year. Each time, CMS found problems the state missed. Federal reviewers found that: State inspectors missed 5 of 17 violations in one inspection, including failures in quality of care and resident screening. The state did not respond to complaints on time, including one complaint flagged at the “immediate jeopardy” level. VDH did not meet federal standards for reviewing these monitoring reports, according to a 2025 CMS review. For families, this means a clean state inspection record does not guarantee safety. How Families Can Protect Nursing Home Residents Because Virginia’s inspection backlog and pattern of missed violations persists, families may be the first line of defense against nursing home neglect and abuse. Steps families can take right now include: Check federal data: CMS Care Compare lists inspection results, fines, and enforcement actions for every Medicare-certified facility Contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman: Ombudsmen advocate for residents and can help resolve care complaints Document everything: Write down dates, staff names, injuries, and changes in your loved one’s condition File complaints: Ask regulators for case numbers and timelines so your report does not disappear into the backlog Know the warning signs: Unexplained injuries, bedsores, poor hygiene, and sudden mood changes can all signal mistreatment Residents also have legal protections under federal and state law, including the Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights. If you think your loved one is being mistreated and file a report, they are protected from retaliation by the nursing home staff. Get Help for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect More citations and bigger fines are signs of progress. However, they cannot undo the harm already done to residents and their families. Facilities can also dispute or appeal findings, delaying accountability for months or years. You do not have to wait for the state to act. A nursing home abuse lawyer can investigate what happened, protect your loved one’s rights, and fight for the compensation your family deserves. Strict legal deadlines limit how long you have to file a nursing home lawsuit, so it’s important to act fast. The Nursing Home Abuse Center is here to help you take the first steps toward justice. Call us right now at (855) 264-6310 or get a free case review. There’s never any cost to speak with us.