A Stark County magistrate on Wednesday, Jan. 21, extended a court order restricting the operations of the House of Loreto nursing home after state officials reported that nearly all remaining residents had been relocated and the final transfers are expected to occur by the end of the weekend.
The House of Loreto, long regarded as one of the region’s most respected elder-care facilities, has been the subject of escalating concerns since its sale to Hari Group LLC in March 2025. What had once been ranked the No. 2 nursing home in Ohio in 2023 was, less than two years later, described by state health regulators as “spinning out of control” due to staffing shortages, mismanagement, and lapses in clinical oversight.
Hearing focused on compliance and resident transfers
The Jan. 21 hearing before Magistrate Kristen Moore evaluated whether a temporary restraining order issued Jan. 13 should remain in place as a preliminary injunction while litigation continues.
“This matter will be on the record,” Moore said, identifying the case as CV 2026-00066, Ohio Department of Health v. the Hari Group LLC. She said the purpose of the proceeding was to review compliance with relocation efforts for the then-29 residents and determine whether the shutdown orders would remain.
State: ‘Substantial compliance,’ but transfers accelerated for safety
Representing the Ohio Department of Health, Principal Assistant Attorney General Henry Appel told the court the Hari Group had “substantially complied” with relocation orders, though not without complications.
“Our intent was to work with residents, families, and the ombudsman to find facilities of their choosing,” Appel said. However, he noted that a lack of night-shift nursing forced the Department to “expedite transfers.”
Appel reported that 23 of 27 residents had moved, with the remaining four expected to be placed by the end of the weekend. (Several residents relocated earlier in the week, lowering the total from 29.)
Appel confirmed the state considered initiating license revocation proceedings — a move that would carry “significant implications for the Hari Group’s ability to sell the beds or the facility” — but agreed to pause such actions for at least 28 days to allow for potential sale or transfer negotiations.
Defense: Residents and families ‘had a voice’ in moves
Attorney Justin Withrow, representing the Hari Group, acknowledged the hurried nature of some transfers, including the sudden relocation of eight residents on a cold day, which he said provoked “strong emotions” among families and staff. Withrow maintained that Hari Group “endeavored to comply and cooperate” with the Department and ensured residents “had a voice” in selecting new homes.
He confirmed that remaining transfers would be completed by week’s end.
Orders extended: No new admissions, full cooperation required
After hearing from both sides, Moore converted the restraining order to a preliminary injunction for the duration of the case. Under the order:
- The Hari Group may not admit new residents
- The facility must cooperate with the Department of Health
- The facility must coordinate with the Department of Aging Ombudsman
- The facility must maintain all staffing, health, and safety standards until the final resident departs
“Resident safety is paramount,” Moore said.
Conditions inside the home had deteriorated following 2025 sale
Jordan Miller News first reported last week that conditions inside the Canton facility had deteriorated throughout 2025, based on accounts from a staff member who worked inside the home and requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. The source attributed the decline to strained staffing, unclear leadership, and a lack of direction following the March 2025 sale to Hari Group LLC.
“There just wasn’t any direction,” the source said. “There weren’t enough people and the residents were the ones paying the price.”
The source described the absence of a full-time nursing director and reliance on agency nurses unfamiliar with residents’ care plans. One resident allegedly went unaccounted for across multiple shifts, while others suffered preventable injuries due to a lack of supervision. “Everyone was just trying to keep their head above water,” the source said.
State complaint described a facility ‘spinning out of control’
Those concerns were echoed in a complaint filed by the Ohio Department of Health, which alleged House of Loreto posed a “real and present danger” to residents. During a Jan. 10 monitoring visit, inspectors found no clinical leadership on site; only a laundry supervisor and agency nursing staff were present, according to the filing.
The complaint detailed:
- Repeated resident falls, including one resident who fell eight times in a month, suffering intracranial bleeding
- Medication oversight lapses, including delayed lab tests for patients on blood thinners
- Infection control breakdowns, with no infection-prevention specialist and shortages of basic sanitation supplies
- Delayed wound care, according to staff interviewed
The anonymous staff member said agency nurses “were set up to fail” due to minimal clinical notes at handoff and difficulty reaching management. Staff were also discouraged from discussing internal conditions, the source said. “Everyone was scared to talk, even to the families.”
A beloved institution at a crossroads
The House of Loreto opened in 1963 and served generations of Stark County families, earning top marks in state evaluations as recently as 2023. Its abrupt decline and accelerated shutdown have left families, staff, and residents unsettled.
“Families were calling and asking what was going on, and we didn’t have answers,” the source said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
With residents nearly gone, the future of the facility — including the potential sale of its licensed beds — remains uncertain. The Hari Group has not responded to previous requests for comment made by Jordan Miller News to Parth Thakker, listed as overseeing operations of the home.
No date has been set for the next hearing.
