Nursing HomeMedicaid Top Rated

Eckerd Living Center

Strong Medicare quality ratings; families often praise highly skilled and proactive physical therapy team. Still worth an in-person visit.

250 Hospital Drive, Highlands, NC 28741|80 beds|Licensed & Active

5/5

Medicare

Inspection

Quality

Staffing

Google rating

4.3/5

based on 19 Google reviews

(828) 526-1315 Directions Website

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What this means for your family

Eckerd Living Center is highly regarded for its physical therapy and compassionate nursing care, making it a strong candidate for rehabilitation. However, because of serious reports regarding fall prevention and wound care, we strongly advise families to ask specifically about their fall-prevention protocols and how they monitor skin integrity for high-risk residents.

Google Reviews

19 reviews on Google

“Eckerd Living Center receives high praise for its physical therapy team, attentive nursing staff, and clean, well-maintained environment. While many families report excellent, compassionate care, there are serious concerns regarding patient safety, specifically regarding fall prevention and the development of pressure sores.”

Quality Themes

Tap a score for details

Strengths

Highly skilled and proactive physical therapy team
Attentive, compassionate nursing and CNA staff
Clean, well-maintained facility and grounds
Strong communication with families

Concerns

Patient safety and fall prevention failures (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
Inadequate wound care and development of bed sores (mentioned by 2 reviewers)

Rating Trends

Tap a year to see what changed

Distribution · 20 analyzed

How They Respond to Reviews

63%response rate

This facility responds to some reviews.

Questions for Your Tour

1We've heard wonderful things about the physical therapy team here; could you tell us more about how they work with residents to maintain their mobility?
2How does the nursing team approach skin integrity and preventative care to ensure residents stay comfortable and healthy?
3What specific protocols are in place to ensure resident safety and prevent falls during the night or when staff levels change?
4We noticed the facility is very well-maintained; what is the daily routine for keeping the common areas and resident rooms clean?
5How does the staff communicate important medical updates or changes in condition to us as a family?
6What kind of daily activities or social outings are available to keep the residents engaged with one another?

Personalized based on this facility's data

Key Review Excerpts

“The PT was exemplary. Martin, CeCe and the entire team were just phenomenal. Mom walks faster than I do now.”

Long-term resident's family · 2025★★★★★

“My mother has been at Eckerd for about a year and a half, living with dementia. I cannot say enough good things about ELC! This place is amazing and I feel like they take great care of her.”

Memory care family member · 2025★★★★★

“During my nearly daily visits with my mother, I consistently saw staff cleaning, checking on residents, and offering help. The level of attentiveness and care was evident every time I walked through the doors.”

Long-term resident's family · 2026★★★★★

Source: 19 Google reviews

Staffing

Staffing Hours

per resident/day · Medicare 2026

RN Hours

1.10hrs

Registered nurses for medical care

Total Nursing

4.48hrs

All nurses + aides combined

Staff Turnover

39%

Lower is better (< 30% = good)

RN Turnover

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

Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 17 measures

Medicare Rating

4/ 5

Better Than Avg

measures

Worse Than Avg

measures

Mixed Results

measures

Long-Stay Residents

😔

Residents with depression symptoms

↓ Lower is better

This Facility0.7%

Better than Avg

Here

0.7%

12.1%

5.4%

Macon

13.2%

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

🚿

Residents whose bladder or bowel control got worse

↓ Lower is better

This Facility26.7%

Worse than Avg

Here

26.7%

19.4%

21.0%

Macon

19.0%

🚶

Residents whose walking got worse

↓ Lower is better

This Facility20.7%

Worse than Avg

Here

20.7%

15.3%

20.2%

Macon

19.8%

💊

Residents on antipsychotic medication

↓ Lower is better

This Facility19.3%

Worse than Avg

Here

19.3%

15.5%

14.1%

Macon

17.7%

💉

Residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better

This Facility92.9%

Mixed vs Avgs

Here

92.9%

93.4%

91.7%

Macon

88.3%

💉

Residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better

This Facility97.7%

Better than Avg

Here

97.7%

95.5%

94.1%

Macon

93.7%

Short-Stay Residents (Rehab / Post-Acute)

💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better

This Facility85.4%

Better than Avg

Here

85.4%

81.8%

80.1%

Macon

74.9%

💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better

This Facility80.0%

Better than Avg

Here

80.0%

79.8%

78.1%

Macon

74.1%

💊

Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics

↓ Lower is better

This Facility4.2%

Worse than Avg

Here

4.2%

1.6%

1.5%

Macon

1.5%

Source: Medicare quality measures

US average from Medicare published data

Inspection History

Medicare Inspection History

3-year lookback · Medicare 2026

4deficiencies

Near state avg (5.6)

Eckerd Living Center has 11 deficiencies across three surveys with no complaint-triggered violations, indicating families haven't filed formal reports. The facility shows recurring issues with fire safety systems (sprinkler maintenance appearing in multiple surveys), food service operations, and resident care planning. All deficiencies have correction dates, though fire safety problems have persisted across multiple inspections, suggesting ongoing maintenance challenges families should discuss during visits.

Apr 10, 2026Routine4 findings

0552Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments.

0628Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Provide the required documentation or notification related to the resident's needs, appeal rights, or bed-hold policies.

0645Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

PASARR screening for Mental disorders or Intellectual Disabilities

0712Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies

Ensure that the resident and his/her doctor meet face-to-face at all required visits.

Feb 19, 2025Routine5 findings

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.

0814Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

Dispose of garbage and refuse properly.

0352Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Properly install and monitor supervisory attachments on automatic sprinkler systems.

0353Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.

0521Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Services Deficiencies

Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Sep 28, 2023Routine3 findings

0851Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Administration Deficiencies

Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.

0353Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.

0363Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.

Ownership & Operations

Who Operates This Facility

Owner / Operator

Eckerd Living Center

Organization Type

for profit

Chain Affiliation

Chain Name

Hca Healthcare

Chain Size

3 facilities nationwide

Chain avg rating: 4.0/5 · Rank 2 of 2 (Worst)

Ownership & Management

Owners

Mh Master Holding Lllp

Owner · Organization

99%

Frisco Holding II