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Nursing HomeMedicaid

Brightwater Skilled Nursing Center

Strong Medicare quality ratings; families often praise compassionate and dedicated nursing staff. Still worth an in-person visit.

171 Brightwater Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 2957967 bedsLicensed & Active
4/5
Medicare
Inspection
Quality
Staffing
Google rating
4.6/5

based on 198 Google reviews

5
4
3
2
1

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What this means for your family

Brightwater is an excellent choice for those seeking a vibrant, active lifestyle with high-quality amenities and social engagement. However, if your loved one has high-acuity medical needs, you should specifically inquire about the current staffing levels and response times in the skilled nursing unit during night shifts.

Google Reviews

Google Reviews

198 reviews on Google
Brightwater is highly regarded by many families for its beautiful, well-maintained campus and a wide range of social activities that foster a vibrant community. While many reviewers praise the compassionate nursing and rehab staff, there are serious, isolated allegations regarding medication management and responsiveness to call lights in the skilled nursing unit.

Quality Themes

Tap a score for details
Food9.0Staff8.0Clean9.0Activities10.0Meds2.0Memory9.0Comms7.0ValueN/A

Strengths

  • Compassionate and dedicated nursing staff
  • Extensive social and wellness activities
  • Beautifully maintained grounds and facilities
  • Seamless transition services for new residents

Concerns

  • Slow response times to call lights in skilled nursing (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
  • Difficulty reaching the front office by phone

Rating Trends

Tap a year to see what changed

234'14(1)'16(4)'18(7)'20(18)'22(22)'24(48)'26(10)

Distribution · 200 analyzed

5
171
4
9
3
1
2
1
1
18
18 reviews posted between May 21, 2024May 25, 2024 · 18 were 5-star

How They Respond to Reviews

100%response rate

This facility actively engages with reviewer feedback.

Questions for Your Tour

  • 1We've heard wonderful things about how much care goes into the transition process for new residents; how do you personally help a new family settle in during those first few days?
  • 2With such high ratings for your staffing, how do you ensure that nurses and aides are able to respond quickly to call lights during the busier night shifts?
  • 3Could you tell us more about the daily social and wellness activities available to keep residents engaged and active?
  • 4We want to ensure everything is handled precisely regarding medical needs; what specific protocols do you have in place for medication management and administration?
  • 5In the event of a medical emergency after hours, what is the immediate process for notifying the family and coordinating care?
  • 6It's great to see how much you engage with the community online; how can we best stay in touch with the front office if we have quick questions during the week?

Personalized based on this facility's data


Key Review Excerpts

The staff here are incredible. You can see the dedication they have for the patients and their families. Everyone is hard at work every time I walk in.

Rehab patient · 2025★★★★★

I'd like to express my compliments to Mona, the hair stylist at Brightwater Retirement Home and also Val, an aide there. Both are exceptional in their caring and compassion for my sister who is a resident there.

Long-term resident's family · 2024★★★★★

The staff at Brightwater has taken amazing care of my mother-in-law in their skilled nursing unit. We have been unable to spend time with her due to this pandemic. They have dedicated staff that have worked with us (and other families) to set up window visits, FaceTime visits, conference calls, and birthday celebrations.

Long-term resident's family · 2021★★★★★
Source: 198 Google reviews

Staffing

Staffing Hours

per resident/day · Medicare 2026
RN Hours
1.12hrs
OK
Registered nurses for medical care
Total Nursing
5.62hrs
OK
All nurses + aides combined
Staff Turnover
41%
Lower is better (< 30% = good)
RN Turnover
29%
Lower is better (< 30% = good)

This facility meets the national staffing benchmarks. Higher staffing is linked to fewer falls and better day-to-day care.

Quality Measures

Quality Measures

Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 16 measures

Medicare Rating
4/ 5
Better Than Avg

6

measures

Worse Than Avg

3

measures

Mixed Results

7

measures

Long-Stay Residents
💊

Residents on antipsychotic medication

↓ Lower is better
This Facility26.1%
Worse than Avg
Here
26.1%
US
15.5%
SC
15.3%
Horry
11.4%
😔

Residents with depression symptoms

↓ Lower is better
This Facility2.3%
Better than Avg
Here
2.3%
US
12.1%
SC
3.0%
Horry
4.4%

Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.

🛏️

Residents needing more daily help over time

↓ Lower is better
This Facility7.0%
Better than Avg
Here
7.0%
US
14.4%
SC
12.2%
Horry
11.6%
💉

Residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better
This Facility92.3%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
92.3%
US
95.5%
SC
90.6%
Horry
97.1%
⚖️

Residents who lost too much weight

↓ Lower is better
This Facility9.7%
Worse than Avg
Here
9.7%
US
5.3%
SC
6.3%
Horry
7.2%
💉

Residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better
This Facility93.5%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
93.5%
US
93.4%
SC
91.2%
Horry
96.1%
Short-Stay Residents (Rehab / Post-Acute)
💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better
This Facility89.9%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
89.9%
US
79.8%
SC
78.0%
Horry
92.0%
💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better
This Facility91.3%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
91.3%
US
81.8%
SC
80.6%
Horry
92.9%
💊

Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics

↓ Lower is better
This Facility1.1%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
1.1%
US
1.6%
SC
1.5%
Horry
0.8%
Source: Medicare quality measures

US average from Medicare published data

Inspection History

Medicare Inspection History

3-year lookback · Medicare 2026

8deficiencies
1penalties
Well above state avg (3.7)
3 complaint-triggered
$7,342 in fines

This facility has concerning patterns of recurring deficiencies in medication management and infection control, with families filing complaints that triggered investigations into abuse protection and administrative failures. Most notably, recent inspections found uncorrected issues with abuse reporting and facility administration that remain without correction plans. While many past problems were addressed, the persistence of medication errors and infection control lapses across multiple surveys, combined with unresolved complaint-driven deficiencies, warrant careful consideration before placement.

Dec 2, 2025Complaint
2
0835Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Administration Deficiencies

Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.

0609Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.

Apr 30, 2025Routine
6
0880Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Infection Control Deficiencies

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

0641Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.

0692Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.

0695Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.

0759Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Pharmacy Service Deficiencies

Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.

0760Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Pharmacy Service Deficiencies

Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.

Sep 13, 2023Routine
1
0812Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

Sep 13, 2023Complaint
1
0600Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.

Jan 6, 2022Routine
9
0886Immediate jeopardy · WidespreadCorrected

Infection Control Deficiencies

Perform COVID19 testing on residents and staff.

0880Immediate jeopardy · PatternCorrected

Infection Control Deficiencies

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

0868Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Administration Deficiencies

Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly

0610Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.

0656Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.

0756Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Pharmacy Service Deficiencies

Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures.

0758Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Pharmacy Service Deficiencies

Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited.

0300Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Egress Deficiencies

Meet other general requirements that are deficient.

0911Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies

Meet requirements for the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.

Federal Penalties

Fine

Jul 17, 2023

$7,342

Ownership & Operations

Who Operates This Facility

Owner / Operator

Brightwater Skilled Nursing Center

Organization Type

for profit

Chain Affiliation

Chain Name

Senior Living Communities

Chain Size

10 facilities nationwide

Chain avg rating: 4.3/5 · Rank 7 of 9

Ownership & Management

Key personnel

Thompson, DonaldManaging Control - Governing BodyThompson, DonaldOfficer / DirectorThompson, BenjaminOfficer / DirectorMaxwell Group, INC.ManagerThompson, BenjaminManager
Source: Medicare provider data

Contact

Get in Touch

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References & Resources

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