Nursing homes across Mercer County, New Jersey, graded on the federal inspection
record, nurse staffing and staff turnover. County rank is shown on each home's profile.
Meadow Lakes runs on a nonprofit model with 60 certified beds, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.63 hours per resident day, roughly 20% above the national average of 3.86. Staff turnover comes in at 42.1%, slightly better than the 45.8% national figure, though weekend coverage dips about 10% below its own weekday level, which is worth asking about if your family visits on Saturdays or Sundays. The tradeoff shows up in inspections: a 2/5 health inspection rating and 19 deficiencies on the current record, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection dated March 18, 2025. Quality measures land at 3/5.
Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center is a for-profit, 141-bed home in Trenton with 34 deficiencies on its current record, including three tied to abuse. None of those rose to the harm or jeopardy level, and the last inspection was in November 2024, so the record is recent. Nurse staffing sits at 3.24 hours per resident day, roughly 16% under the national average, and weekends run about 9% leaner than weekdays. What offsets that is retention: turnover is 34.7%, well below the 45.8% national figure, so the aides and nurses showing up are more likely to already know the residents.
Avant Rehabilitation and Care Center is a 149-bed for-profit home in Trenton, individually owned, and if you're weighing it, the staffing numbers are where to look first. Nurses give residents about 3.30 hours of care per day, roughly 15% below the national average, and weekends run thinner than weekdays. Turnover sits at 51.1%, higher than the 45.8% national figure, which usually means less continuity in who's actually caring for your relative.
The inspection record is the other piece: 52 deficiencies, including five at the harm level and two tied to abuse, though the most recent inspection was August 2025. The five-star quality measure rating reflects how well the home performs on clinical measures, but those measures depend on staff having the time to document and follow through. Ask about weekday-to-weekend staffing and what's changed since August.
Greenwood House runs on a paradox: the nursing floor is well staffed at 4.82 hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, and its quality measures and staffing both score at the top of CMS's scale. Turnover sits at 41.5%, a bit better than the 45.8% national figure. But the inspection record is where this home falls apart, 23 deficiencies, two of them at harm or jeopardy level, four tied to abuse, and a single $323,570 fine. The most recent inspection closed in March 2026, so the picture is current, not stale. Good care on paper and serious findings in practice can coexist. Ask what those four abuse deficiencies involved before you decide.
Complete Care At Mercerville runs 114 certified beds in Hamilton Township, and the staffing picture is the weak spot: 3.39 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 12% under the national average, with weekends dipping about 7% below its own weekday level. Turnover sits at 39.3%, better than the 45.8% national figure, so the aides and nurses who are there tend to stay. On the record itself, 19 deficiencies show up, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection in May 2025. Quality measures score well; the daily coverage is where the tradeoff lives.
Clover Meadows runs lean on nursing hours, 3.47 per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends drop roughly 14% below its own weekday coverage. That pattern matters more than the annual number, since families tend to visit on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover sits at 36.5%, better than the 45.8% national figure, so the staff who are there tend to stay. The inspection record shows 21 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level, though two are abuse-related and worth asking about directly. A January 2025 inspection is recent enough to trust. For-profit LLC ownership. The quality measure score is perfect; the staffing score is average. Ask about weekend coverage before you decide.
The numbers at Lawrence Rehabilitation Hospital don't tell one story, they tell two. Nurse staffing runs 4.65 hours per resident day, roughly 20% above the national average, and turnover sits at 37% against a national 45.8%, which matters because stable staff learn residents' routines. Weekend coverage dips about 13% below weekday levels, so care can thin out when families visit. Then there's the inspection record: 38 deficiencies, including two tied to abuse, and a 1-star health inspection rating against a 5-star quality measure score. The last inspection was January 30, 2026. A for-profit LLC operating 56 beds, this home appears to invest in direct care while struggling with survey compliance.
Carnegie Post Acute Care runs 180 beds in Princeton under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing is the number to focus on. At 3.49 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 10% under the national average, and weekends drop another 10% below its own weekday coverage. The staffing star rating reflects that. Annual turnover of 52.7% is roughly seven points above the national average, meaning the people caring for residents are often new. The inspection record shows 28 deficiencies, none rising to harm or jeopardy, though one is abuse-related. Quality measures score well, and the most recent inspection was in February 2025, so the picture is current. What you're weighing is a home that gets clinical outcomes right on paper while running leaner and less consistently staffed than average.
Preferred Care At Mercer runs about 3.79 nurse hours per resident day, a bit under the national average, and weekends dip roughly 11% below its own weekday staffing. That combination shows up in its staffing rating. Turnover sits at 46.4%, close to the national figure of 45.8%, so retention here isn't unusual for the industry. The health inspection record carries 19 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection in January 2026. Quality measures score well, but the staffing picture is the weaker part of the profile.
Hamilton Grove runs 218 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.28 hours per resident day, roughly 15% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends dip about 10% below the home's own weekday coverage, so the thinnest shifts land when families tend to visit. The inspection record shows 28 deficiencies, including one at harm or jeopardy level and five tied to abuse, with a $54,275 fine and a survey dated March 2026. Turnover is 34.1%, better than the 45.8% national figure, which matters for continuity. The 4/5 quality measure score reflects charted clinical care; the 2/5 staffing and inspection ratings reflect what's happening on the floor.
Preferred Care At Hamilton runs 126 certified beds in Hamilton Square under individual for-profit ownership, and the numbers tell a mixed story. Nurse staffing sits at 3.62 hours per resident day, about 6% under the national average, weekends drop roughly 9% below the home's own weekday levels, and annual turnover of 54.5% runs well above the 45.8% national figure. Inspections are recent, February 2025, but the record carries 15 deficiencies, one at the harm or jeopardy level, and a single fine of $48,825. Resident outcome measures look strong, though the staffing rating and the harm-level finding are the parts worth asking about directly before you decide.
Spring Hills Post Acute Hamilton runs 55 beds under corporate ownership, and its staffing numbers tell two stories. The 4.48 nurse hours per resident day sits well above the national average, but weekends drop about 12% below the home's own weekday coverage, and turnover hits 62.3% against a national 45.8%. Inspections are the bigger concern: 28 deficiencies on the current record, including one at harm or jeopardy level and two abuse-related, drawing a $11,175 fine and a 2/5 health inspection rating. Quality measures score 5/5, but that's the one bright spot in a record that most recently drew scrutiny in February 2025.
Avalon Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center runs 180 beds in Hamilton, and the numbers show a home stretched thin on care. Nurse staffing sits at 3.08 hours per resident day, about a fifth below the national average, and weekends get roughly 7% less coverage than weekdays, which matters when families visit and needs don't pause. The inspection record is the bigger concern: 37 deficiencies, five serious enough to put residents in harm's way, four tied to abuse, and $83,544 in fines across five penalties, all from a single-star health inspection history that was last reviewed in December 2025. Turnover at 31.6% is actually better than the national 45.8%, so some staff clearly stay, but lower turnover hasn't translated into safer care here.
The Meadows at Lawrence runs 180 beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing sits at 3.66 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 5% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends drop about 8% below its own weekday coverage, so the thinnest shifts land when families tend to visit.
The inspection record is the bigger concern: 32 deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus a $17,345 fine. Staff turnover at 37.7% is actually better than the 45.8% national figure, and quality measures rate well, but a recent September 2025 inspection and that harm-level finding are what you'd want to ask about directly before deciding.
Belle Care is a 106-bed for-profit home in Trenton that CMS has placed in its Special Focus Facility program, a designation reserved for the homes with the most persistent compliance problems. The record backs that up: 75 deficiencies, seven of them serious enough to put residents in harm's way, and ten tied to abuse. Nurse staffing sits about 18% under the national average, weekend coverage drops further, and more than half the nursing staff turned over in a year. A four-star quality measure score doesn't offset inspection and staffing ratings of one and two. If you're considering this home, ask hard questions before you sign anything.
Trenton Gardens is a 215-bed for-profit home in Mercer County, and the number that should stop you is 47 deficiencies on its current record, 7 of them serious enough to put residents in harm's way, 3 tied to abuse. That's why CMS has it in the Special Focus Facility program, the agency's watch list for the homes with the worst sustained records, and why it carries $325,922 in fines. Nurse staffing runs 3.27 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends drop about 11% below its own weekday levels. Turnover at 36% is actually better than the 45.8% national figure, so the problem isn't retention, it's what's happening on the floor.