What Does a Nursing Home Administrator Do?

A nursing home administrator is a licensed professional responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a nursing home. This critical position blends leadership, compliance, and resident care duties. A competent administrator ensures that clinical teams, including nurses, support staff, and providers, work together to deliver safe, quality care. 

However, when an administrator fails to perform these duties, it can contribute directly to abuse and neglect, making them a key focus in many elder abuse investigations.

Managing Staff and Nursing Services

Nursing home administrators supervise hiring, training, and oversight of nurses, aides, and other care professionals. They lead employee meetings, manage schedules, and ensure services are delivered according to care plans. 

When they fall short — through negligent hiring, inadequate training, or failure to address known issues — residents suffer. In many nursing home abuse cases, attorneys uncover patterns of poor staffing or oversight tied directly to administrative failures.

Overseeing Care, Compliance, and Operating Procedures

Administrators must ensure the nursing home meets federal and state care standards. This includes maintaining a facility license, working with clinical teams on infection control, and developing internal operating procedures that comply with laws like the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act. 

Failure to develop standards for cleanliness, supervision, or medication safety often forms the basis of legal claims when residents are harmed due to neglect.

Communication with Families and the Governing Board

Nursing home administrators are expected to act as liaisons between care teams and families, responding to concerns and ensuring transparency. They may also report to a facility’s governing board, especially in chain-operated nursing homes. 

In many lawsuits, administrators are held accountable when they ignore complaints or conceal signs of emotional abuse, mismanagement, or negligence.

Legal Accountability and Business Oversight

Alongside managing finances and programs, a home administrator must balance care with compliance. When business decisions result in unsafe care or financial exploitation, they may face legal scrutiny. 

Nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers often investigate whether cost-cutting, poor oversight, or policy failures by administrators contributed to a resident’s injury or death.

Holding Nursing Home Administrators Accountable

If your family member has suffered harm in a nursing home, our team can help. At Nursing Home Law Center, we investigate administrative failures and pursue justice for victims of abuse and neglect. Contact us for a free consultation — no fees unless we win.