Jordan Miller News has learned from a source close to the House of Loreto situation that conditions inside the Canton nursing home deteriorated in the months leading up to its court-ordered shutdown. The source blamed the situation on strained staffing, unclear leadership, and growing worry among staff as residents’ care needs increased.
The source, who spoke to Jordan Miller News on the condition of anonymity, said the facility changed ownership in March 2025—when it was purchased by Hari Group LLC—and “declined almost immediately” afterward. “There just wasn’t any direction,” the source said. “There weren’t enough people and the residents were the ones paying the price.”
According to the source, the home operated without a full-time nursing director and relied heavily on agency staff unfamiliar with residents’ care plans. The source described an incident in which a resident went unaccounted for during multiple shifts and said others suffered preventable injuries due to a lack of supervision.
“Everyone was just trying to keep their head above water,” the source said.
Those concerns are reflected in a complaint filed in Stark County Court by the Ohio Department of Health, which alleged House of Loreto posed a “real and present danger” to residents due to mismanagement. During a January 10 monitoring visit, inspectors reported that no clinical leader was present; only a laundry supervisor and agency nurses were on site, according to the filing.
The complaint described the home as “spinning out of control” due to the absence of qualified leadership.
The filing also detailed repeated falls, including one resident who fell eight times between late November and late December, suffering serious injuries such as intracranial bleeding.
The source said staff struggled to complete after-fall assessments or adjust care plans. “It wasn’t that people didn’t care,” the source said. “There was no guidance and not enough of us.”
State officials additionally cited lapses in medication oversight, including delayed blood tests for residents on blood-thinning medications and poor communication of lab results.
The source said agency nurses often received minimal notes at handoff and had difficulty reaching management for clarification. “They were set up to fail,” the source said.
Infection control issues were noted as well. The filing reported the facility had no infection-prevention specialist and lacked basic supplies such as disinfectant wipes and sanitizer.
The source said dressing changes for residents with chronic wounds were sometimes delayed and that staff became increasingly distressed by what they viewed as declining standards of care.
The source said management discouraged staff from discussing conditions and warned staff not to speak with outsiders about what was happening inside the facility. “Everyone was scared to talk, even to the families,” the source said.
House of Loreto opened in 1963 and was ranked the No. 2 nursing home in Ohio in 2023. A Stark County judge granted a temporary restraining order this week requiring the home to halt admissions and begin relocation efforts for the 29 residents still living there. A hearing scheduled for Jan. 21 will determine whether the closure remains in effect.
The source said the shutdown has created confusion for staff and anxiety for residents. “Families were calling and asking what was going on, and we didn’t have answers,” the source said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Hari Group LLC owns and operates the facility. Jordan Miller News has requested comment from Parth Thakker, who is listed as overseeing the operations of House of Loreto. As of Friday, he has not provided a response.
