During the opening quarter of 2026, Delaware Veterans Home positioned itself as the third largest nursing home located in Sussex County, data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shows.
The facility provided 144 available beds, 28 more than the county average for the first quarter of 2026, and supported an average of 69 residents throughout the timeframe.
The CMS gave Delaware Veterans Home an overall rating of 5 out of 5, surpassing the 3.3 average rating seen among nursing homes in Delaware.
Ocean Grove Post Acute was recorded as the largest nursing home in Sussex County during the quarter with 181 beds, followed by Excelcare at Lewes, LLC, which maintained 179 beds.
By the first quarter of 2026, Delaware Veterans Home had incurred one fine totaling $31,837 and received one penalty.
There was one public nursing home operating in Sussex County, Delaware during this period.
Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest the country’s older adult population continues to rise as the number of children decreases. Between 2020 and 2024, Americans 65 and older grew by 13%, while those under 18 declined by 1.7%. Across the previous century, the senior population has expanded significantly, from 4.9 million in 1920 to beyond 61 million by 2024.
Findings from a 2021 study show that almost half, or roughly 28 million people in this group, could need long-term services and assistance, with projections indicating that over a third might eventually require nursing home care.
“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”
| Rank | Nursing Home | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean Grove Post Acute | 2 |
| 2 | Excelcare at Lewes, LLC | 2 |
| 3 | Delaware Veterans Home | 5 |
| 4 | Delaware Bay Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center | 2 |
| 5 | Cadia Rehabilitation Renaissance | 3 |
| 6 | Seaford Center | 3 |
| 7 | Lofland Park Center | 4 |
| 8 | Delmar Nursing & Rehabilitation Center | 4 |
| 9 | Polaris Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center | 1 |
| 10 | The Moorings at Lewes | 5 |
| 11 | Willowbrooke Court Skilled Center at Manor House | 5 |
This article’s information is sourced from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Source data is available here.
