Lorien Health Services Tops U.S. News & World Report's List of ‘High Performing’ Nursing Homes for 2026

Lorien Health Services, a family-owned assisted living and skilled nursing home company based in Maryland, has been named to the U.S. News 2026 Best Nursing Homes list, earning multiple “High Performing” ratings.

U.S. News recognized five Lorien communities, Bulle Rock, Encore, Mt. Airy, Elkridge, and Taneytown with “High Performing” ratings in short-term rehabilitation and/or long-term care. Encore, Mt. Airy and Taneytown earned “High Performing” distinction in both categories. This is the fifth consecutive year Lorien has been named one of the country’s “Best Nursing Homes” list by U.S. News & World Report.

“This distinction from U.S. News is the direct result of the dedication, skill, and heart our teams bring to their work every day,” said Lou Grimmel Sr., CEO of Lorien Health Services. “Delivering exceptional care takes more than expertise, it takes a culture built on trust, respect, and genuine compassion. I’m incredibly proud of how our staff continues to uphold those values across every Lorien community.”

To be recognized as one of the 2026 U.S. News Best Nursing Homes, a home must have been “high performing” in Short-Term Rehabilitation, Long-Term Care or both. U.S. News evaluated nearly 15,000 nursing homes nationwide using an updated methodology that examines 17 quality measures, including staffing, patient outcomes, safety practices, and adherence to evidence-based care standards.

The U.S. News Best Nursing Homes Short-Term Rehabilitation, Long-Term Care and overall ratings offer individuals and families a starting point in their search for a nursing home, whether they need short-term rehabilitation services, long-term care or are interested in a nursing home’s overall care.

Since their inception in 2009, the U.S. News Best Nursing Home ratings have relied on data from Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes.

On average nursing homes that made the U.S. News list:

• Provide 20% more total staffing per resident per day compared to the national average.
• Offer 80% more physical therapy per resident per day than the national average.
• Have a 15% lower rate of hospitalizations for long-term residents compared to the national average.
• Rehab patients at the highest-performing skilled nursing facilities have a 33% lower rate of emergency room visits compared to the national average.

Most recently, Lorien opened a new memory care neighborhood called Harmony Park, featuring a design that brings the outdoors inside. The space creates a park-like environment to help calm and engage residents with dementia, allowing them to interact with a variety of sensory elements, all within the safety and security of Harmony Hall’s Assisted Living community in Columbia, MD.

In addition to Harmony Park, Lorien Assisted Living communities across Maryland offer a host of innovative care including on-site Dialysis, Parkinson’s Care, senior care for the Howard County region’s growing Korean population, and residential home care services through Lorien at Home, with additional new services to be offered in 2026.

About Lorien Health Services

Lorien Health Services is a family-owned and operated Assisted Living and Nursing Home organization that was founded on strong family values. Lorien continues to conduct itself in accordance with those values which also extend to our residents, their family members, and our dedicated employees. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of the people we touch by providing patient-centered care utilizing the latest in healthcare technology to attain the finest outcomes for our residents. Lorien Health Services was founded in 1977 by the same family that continues to lead the company today. Their mission and vision remain as they did then. For more information visit https://www.lorienhealth.com/about-lorien.

About U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News & World Report is a multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions in their lives, businesses and communities. We use world-class data and technology to publish independent reporting, rankings, journalism and advice that has earned the trust of our readers and users for more than 90 years. Our platforms on usnews.com include Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, Real Estate, Careers, News and 360 Reviews. For more information visit https://www.usnews.com/about-us