Nursing home deficiencies causing actual harm to residents declined from 7.0 percent to 6.5 percent from 2003 to 2004, while patient abuse remained stable at 17 percent of complaints, according to a new analysis of the ratings HealthGrades annually gives to nearly every nursing home in the country. Overall, the deficiencies cited per nursing home declined 2.0 percent from 2003 and 2004, the analysis found.