Overall Score
CMS Five-Star Quality Rating- Much below average
- Below average
- Average
- Above average
- Much above average
Where it ranks
- North CarolinaAbove 81% of peers417 rated homes · average 2.9★
- United StatesAbove 80% of peers14,574 rated homes · average 3.0★
How the rating is built
- Health inspectionsStarting point4★+1.1 vs NC avg
- StaffingCan add or remove a star2★−0.7 vs NC avg
- Quality measuresCan add or remove a star5★+1.8 vs NC avg
CMS starts from the health inspection stars, then adds or subtracts a star for staffing and for quality measures. Stars are assigned relative to other facilities in the same state.
Ratings & measures
Tap a row to see what it meansHealth inspection ratingCMS stars from the last three on-site inspection cycles4★Above 65% of peersNC avg2.9★U.S. avg2.8★
Stars assigned from the last three standard surveys and every complaint investigation in that window, weighted toward the most recent and the most serious findings. CMS assigns these stars relative to other facilities in the same state.
It carries the most weight in the overall rating and is the only domain based on what trained inspectors saw on site rather than what the facility reported.
Staffing ratingCMS stars from payroll-reported hours and turnover2★Above only 17% of peersNC avg2.7★U.S. avg2.9★
Nurse and aide hours per resident day from payroll records CMS collects every quarter, adjusted for how much care residents need, plus staff turnover and weekend coverage.
More hours and lower turnover are the strongest predictors of fewer falls, pressure sores, and avoidable hospital stays.
Quality measures ratingCMS stars from clinical outcomes and resident assessments5★Above 84% of peersNC avg3.2★U.S. avg3.6★
Clinical outcomes from resident assessments and Medicare claims: falls with injury, pressure ulcers, hospitalizations, antipsychotic use, and more, for both short-stay and long-stay residents.
It shows whether care is working, but part of it comes from the facility’s own assessments, so read it alongside the inspection results.
Total nurse hoursPer resident per day, all nursing staff3.04hrsAbove only 5% of peersNC avg3.78Benchmark4.10
All licensed nurse and aide hours worked, divided by the number of residents, on an average day. Reported from payroll, not self-reported.
Federal research links 4.1 hours a day to fewer avoidable harms. Below about 3 hours, residents wait longer for help with basics like toileting and repositioning.
RN hoursPer resident per day, registered nurses only0.41hrsAbove only 28% of peersNC avg0.59Benchmark0.75
Registered nurse hours only. RNs assess residents, manage medications, and catch changes in condition; LPNs and aides deliver most hands-on care.
RN coverage is the staffing measure most tied to fewer hospital transfers and infections, and it is where thinly staffed facilities cut first.
Nursing staff turnoverShare of nursing staff who left within a year · lower is better31%Top 8%NC avg50%RN turnover57%
The share of nursing staff who left within the past year, from the same payroll data.
High turnover means residents are cared for by people who do not know them, and it is one of the strongest predictors of inspection problems.
Fines in the last three yearsCivil money penalties imposed by CMS · lower is better$0Above 61% of peersNC avg$45,050Fines · denials0 · 0
Civil money penalties CMS imposed after serious or uncorrected deficiencies, and denials of Medicare payment for new admissions.
Penalties follow the worst inspection findings. A recent fine is the clearest sign that inspectors found real harm.
Inspection history
Last three inspection cyclesCitations by monthMay 2023 – Aug 2025
- No actual harm (D–F)
- Actual harm (G–I)
- Immediate jeopardy (J–L)
- $Fine or payment denial
Showing
Click a month or a year to filter the findings below. Arrow keys move between months; Esc clears.
Aug 6, 2025Cycle 1worst D · no actual harm
- F880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.Infection ControlD · isolatedCorrected Aug 22, 2025
- F690Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.Quality of Life and CareD · isolatedCorrected Aug 22, 2025
- F761Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.Pharmacy ServiceD · isolatedCorrected Aug 22, 2025
Aug 21, 2024Cycle 2worst E · no actual harm
- F565Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.Resident RightsD · isolatedCorrected Sep 12, 2024
- F679Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.Quality of Life and CareE · patternCorrected Sep 12, 2024
- F700Try different approaches before using a bed rail. If a bed rail is needed, the facility must (1) assess a resident for safety risk; (2) review these risks and benefits with the resident/representative; (3) get informed consent; and (4) Correctly install and maintain the bed rail.Quality of Life and CareD · isolatedCorrected Sep 12, 2024
May 24, 2023Cycle 3worst D · no actual harm
- F688Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.Quality of Life and CareD · isolatedCorrected Jun 12, 2023
Staffing
From quarterly payroll reportsHours per resident per day
- All nursing staffRNs, LPNs and aides combined3.04hrs
- Registered nursesRN hours only0.41hrs
- Licensed practical nursesLPN hours1.01hrs
- Nurse aidesCNA hours1.62hrs
- Weekend nursingAll staff on Saturdays and Sundays2.70hrs
- North Carolina average
- Research benchmark (4.10 total, 0.75 RN)
Turnover & capacity
- Nursing staff turnoverShare who left within a year · lower is better31%Top 8%NC avg 50%
- RN turnoverRegistered nurses only57%Not ranked by CMS
- Administrators who leftIn the past year0Stable leadership
- Occupancy118 certified beds · ~67 residents a day57%Above only 7% of peersNC avg 83%
Fines & penalties
Roughly the past three yearsEnforcement summary
- $0In fines
- 0Fines
- 0Payment denials
- $45,050NC avg in fines
Actions on record
Ownership
As filed with CMSStructure
- Ownership type
- For profit - Corporation
- Chain
- Life Care Centers of America194 facilities in the chain3.4★ chain average
- Certification
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Location type
- Rural
- Ownership change
- None in the last 12 months
People and entities on file
- Forrest Preston
- Developers Investment Company INC
- Life Care Centers of America, INC.
- Joseph Barker
- Todd Fletcher
- Lynn Kilpatrick
- Brandy Laws
- Aubrey Preston
- Jennifer Solomon
- +1 more
- Cindy Cross
- Terry Henry
- Lisa Lay
- Richard Swanker
- Joan Thurmond
Person Organization
Sources & notes
Public data, updated quarterlyData sources
- CMS Care Compare · Provider InformationStar ratings, staffing hours, turnover, penalties and flags · processed February 2026.
- CMS Health CitationsEvery deficiency from the last three inspection cycles, with scope, severity and inspection cycle.
- CMS Penalties and Ownership filesCivil money penalties, payment denials, and the owners and managers on file.
Notes
- CMS Certification Number 345203 · 185 Norwood Hollow Road, Banner Elk, NC, 28604.
- Percentiles compare this facility with every rated nursing home in North Carolina and Avery County. Turnover and fines are inverted so a high percentile is always good.
- This is an informational summary of public data, not medical, legal, or placement advice. Facilities cannot pay to change it; a facility that believes a record is wrong can dispute it with CMS.
