Sterling Care Bel Air: Falsified Wound Care Records - MD
That happened twice in one day.
The resident is identified in the inspection report only as Resident 4. The care plan called for the resident's heels to be kept elevated while in bed, a standard intervention to protect skin that breaks down when pressure builds against a surface for too long. Heels are among the most vulnerable points on the body for pressure injuries. Once the skin breaks down, infection can follow.
On August 19, 2025, at 1:55 in the afternoon, a CMS surveyor visited Resident 4's room and, with the resident's permission, checked the heels. They were not elevated. They were resting directly on the mattress. When the surveyor reviewed the Treatment Administration Record for August, a nurse had already signed off for that shift indicating the heels were elevated.
The next morning, August 20, at 8:55 AM, the surveyor returned. A pillow had been placed between the resident's knees. The heels were still on the mattress.
That afternoon, at 2:55 PM, the surveyor came back again. This time the resident's family was in the room. The surveyor and the family looked at the heels together. They were lying directly on the mattress. The nurse had signed the TAR at 2:55 PM, that same minute, documenting that the heels were elevated.
Five minutes later, the Director of Nursing walked into the room with the surveyor. She looked at the heels. She confirmed they were not elevated. She then placed a pillow under them. The surveyor told her that a nurse had signed off for two consecutive days that the heels were elevated, across multiple shifts, and that inspectors had observed otherwise each time.
The inspection report does not describe what the Director of Nursing said in response.
What the report does establish is a specific and repeated pattern: a nurse, or nurses, documented a care intervention as completed when it had not been completed, and did so across at least three documented observations over two days. The family of Resident 4 was present for one of those observations. They saw what the inspector saw.
The inspection was classified as a complaint survey, meaning someone reported a concern to regulators before inspectors arrived. The violation was tagged at a level of minimal harm or potential for actual harm, and noted as affecting some residents. CMS uses that language to indicate the deficient practice was not limited to a single isolated incident.
Falsified treatment records are not a paperwork problem. When a nurse signs off that a pressure-relief intervention has been completed, that notation enters the medical record and shapes every subsequent decision about that resident's care. A wound care nurse reviewing the TAR would see compliance. A physician reviewing the chart would see compliance. A family member asking whether their loved one's care plan is being followed would be told yes.
None of them would have any reason to look at the heels.
The resident's family did look, in this case, because a federal inspector was standing in the room with them when they did.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Sterling Care Bel Air from 2025-08-21 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Corrections: We strive for accuracy in everything we publish. If you believe any fact in this article is incorrect, please contact us with details, and we will review and correct it promptly.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: October 16, 2026 · Our methodology
STERLING CARE BEL AIR in BEL AIR, MD was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 21, 2025.
That happened twice in one day.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.