All states › Indiana › Wakarusa › The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility
300 N Washington St Wakarusa, IN 46573 · Elkhart County
CMS certification number 155582 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record
There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 1 out of 5 stars overall, below the Indiana average of 3.2.
Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 3.32 hours per resident per day at The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility, below the Indiana median of 3.60 (US median: 3.72). About 0.57 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 3.00 hours, 9% below its all-week average. 52.9% of nursing staff left within a year (Indiana median 45.5%).
About this nursing home
Paying for care at The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility: Medicare and Medicaid
The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility is certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare Part A can cover a short skilled-nursing or rehab stay here after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient days (observation days don't count), for up to 100 days per benefit period. Medicaid can pay for long-term care for residents who meet Indiana's income and asset rules. Being certified doesn't guarantee a Medicaid bed is open, so ask whether the home accepts residents whose Medicaid application is still pending.
In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on March 14, 2025 and found 9 deficiencies, plus 3 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 32 citations in the last three years.
Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
What the inspections found
Over the last three years, inspectors issued 32 citations at The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility across 6 inspection dates, 12 of them from complaint investigations. 1 was at the immediate-jeopardy level (J–L), CMS's most serious category, most recently on January 8, 2025 (complaint inspection). The most common areas cited were quality of life and care (13) and resident rights (5). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "not transfer or discharge a resident without an adequate reason; and must provide documentation and convey specific information when a resident is transferred or discharged" (tag F0622, level J, January 8, 2025).
March 16, 2026 · 2 citations · includes complaint inspection
DProvide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
March 14, 2025 · 11 citations · includes complaint inspection
FProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
EProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
EEnsure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
EProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
DHonor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.
DProvide appropriate colostomy, urostomy, or ileostomy care/services for a resident who requires such services.
DProvide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
DProvide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
DImplement 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.
DEnsure 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.
DProvide timely, quality laboratory services/tests to meet the needs of residents.
January 8, 2025 · 7 citations, includes immediate jeopardy · includes complaint inspection
JNot transfer or discharge a resident without an adequate reason; and must provide documentation and convey specific information when a resident is transferred or discharged.
FProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
DProvide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
DPrepare residents for a safe transfer or discharge from the nursing home.
DProvide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
DEnsure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube.
CPost nurse staffing information every day.
April 3, 2024 · 4 citations
DImmediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
DProvide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
DEnsure that the resident and his/her doctor meet face-to-face at all required visits.
February 21, 2024 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DPlan the resident's discharge to meet the resident's goals and needs.
February 6, 2023 · 7 citations
EDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
DAssure that each resident’s assessment is updated at least once every 3 months.
DDevelop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
DEnsure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
DProvide activities to meet all resident's needs.
DProvide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
DImplement 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.
Questions to ask on a tour of The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility
- Inspectors cited the home at the immediate-jeopardy level on January 8, 2025 under the rule on resident rights. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- CMS rates staffing 2 out of 5. How many residents does each nurse aide care for on day, evening and night shifts?
- CMS rates short-stay quality 2 out of 5. How often do rehab patients go back to the hospital, and how many therapy sessions a week are typical?
- Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
- When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?
Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.
Fines and payment denials
1 penalty in the last three years, including $14,661 in fines.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2025 | Fine | $14,661 |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| August 2026 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
-
9.0 mi
Community Hospital of Bremen INC BremenEmergency roomMedian ER visit 1h 39m for patients treated and sent home
- 9.3 mi
-
9.7 mi
Elkhart General Hospital ElkhartEmergency room ★★★★☆ Medicare overall 4 of 5Median ER visit 3h 15m for patients treated and sent home
Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Nearby nursing homes
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Compare The Waters of Wakarusa Skilled Nursing Facility with the 3 closest homes side by side ›
Higher-rated nursing homes within 10 miles
- Hubbard Hill Estates · Elkhart · 5 stars · 7.2 mi
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- The Restoracy of Goshen · Goshen · 4 stars · 8.8 mi
- Riverside Village · Elkhart · 3 stars · 9.7 mi
Other Infinity Healthcare Consulting nursing homes in Indiana
- Waters of Hartford City Skilled Nursing Facility · Hartford City · 5 stars
- The Waters of Fort Wayne Skilled Nursing Facility · Fort Wayne · 4 stars
- The Waters of Middletown Skilled Nursing Facility · Middletown · 4 stars
- Waters of Wabash Skilled Nursing Facility West · Wabash · 4 stars
- The Waters of Peru Skilled Nursing Facility · Peru · 4 stars
- Waters of Chesterfield Skilled Nursing Facility · Chesterfield · 4 stars
Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 70 Infinity Healthcare Consulting nursing homes ›
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.