facebook tracking Eckerd Living Center, Highlands NC: CMS Ratings
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Eckerd Living Center

All states › North Carolina › Highlands › Eckerd Living Center

250 Hospital Drive Highlands, NC 28741 · Macon County

(828) 526-1315

Accepts Medicare Accepts Medicaid 80 certified beds For profit

CMS certification number 345437 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare

Ratings come from CMS and are updated monthly; these are from October 2026. Check the latest inspection report and visit in person before you decide.

Is Eckerd Living Center 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 Eckerd Living Center as of October 2026.

CMS rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall, above the North Carolina average of 3.0. Inspectors issued 7 citations in the last three years. CMS reports no fines or payment denials in that time. For short-term rehab patients CMS rates quality 4 out of 5; for long-term residents, 3 out of 5.

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.

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Staffing

Nursing staff spend about 4.46 hours per resident per day at Eckerd Living Center, above the North Carolina median of 3.57 (US median: 3.72). About 1.08 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 3.66 hours, 18% below its all-week average. Ask how weekends are staffed. 44.2% of nursing staff left within a year (North Carolina median 48.5%).

Nursing care per resident per day 4.46 hours
Above the North Carolina median of 3.57 Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and aides combined, from payroll records.
Registered nurse hours 1.08 per resident a day RNs handle assessments, medications and changes in condition.
Weekend nursing care 3.66 hours Per resident a day. A big drop from weekdays can mean thin weekend staffing.
Nursing staff turnover 44.2% a year Share of nursing staff who left over a year. Lower usually means steadier care.
Registered nurse turnover 10% a year Share of registered nurses who left over a year.
Administrators who left 0 in the past year Frequent leadership changes are worth asking about on a visit.

About this nursing home

Certified beds80
Residents per day 49 About 61% of beds filled, on average
OwnershipFor profit - Partnership
Payment acceptedMedicare and Medicaid
Certified sinceApril 1993
Part of a chainHca Healthcare
Legal business nameLegal Business Name Not Available
Located in a hospitalYes

Paying for care at Eckerd Living Center: Medicare and Medicaid

Eckerd Living Center 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 North Carolina'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.

This home is located in a hospital.

Health inspections

The most recent standard inspection was on April 10, 2026 and found 4 deficiencies. In total, inspectors issued 7 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 7 citations at Eckerd Living Center across 3 inspection dates. None were at the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy levels; 7 were "potential for more than minimal harm" (D–F) and 0 were minimal (A–C). The most common areas cited were nutrition and dietary (2) and resident rights (2). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards" (tag F0812, level F, February 19, 2025).

April 10, 2026 · 4 citations

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

Potential for more than minimal harm · Resident Rights Deficiencies · Tag F0552 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 23, 2026)

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

Potential for more than minimal harm · Resident Rights Deficiencies · Tag F0628 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 23, 2026)

DPASARR screening for Mental disorders or Intellectual Disabilities

Potential for more than minimal harm · Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Tag F0645 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 23, 2026)

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

Potential for more than minimal harm · Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · Tag F0712 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 23, 2026)

February 19, 2025 · 2 citations

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

Potential for more than minimal harm · Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Tag F0812 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Mar 6, 2025)

EDispose of garbage and refuse properly.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Tag F0814 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Mar 6, 2025)

September 28, 2023 · 1 citation

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

Potential for more than minimal harm · Administration Deficiencies · Tag F0851 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Oct 19, 2023)

Questions to ask on a tour of Eckerd Living Center

  1. Weekend staffing is 18% below the all-week average. Who is on duty on Saturday nights?
  2. Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
  3. 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

CMS reports no fines or payment denials for this home in the last three years.

Rating history

CMS monthOverallInspectionStaffingQuality
October 2026 5/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
August 2026 5/5 4/5 5/5 3/5
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Location

Hospitals near Eckerd Living Center

The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.

Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.

Nearby nursing homes

Macon Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Franklin · 15.1 mi away ★★★☆☆ Inspection 3/5 · Staffing 3/5 200 beds · Medicaid
Skyland Care Center Sylva · 20.1 mi away ★★★★☆ Inspection 4/5 · Staffing 3/5 94 beds · Medicaid
Vero Health & Rehab of Sylva Sylva · 20.2 mi away ★☆☆☆☆ Inspection 1/5 · Staffing 2/5 106 beds · Medicaid
Sapphire Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Brevard · 27.0 mi away ★★☆☆☆ Inspection 2/5 · Staffing 3/5 147 beds · Medicaid
Autumn Care of Waynesville Waynesville · 27.6 mi away ★☆☆☆☆ Inspection 1/5 · Staffing 1/5 90 beds · Medicaid

More nursing homes near Eckerd Living Center ›   All nursing homes in Highlands ›

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Other Hca Healthcare nursing homes in North Carolina

Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 3 Hca Healthcare 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.

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https://www.nursinghomesineachstate.com/north-carolina/highlands/eckerd-living-center/ · Data: CMS, October 2026 · Nursing Homes In Each State, not affiliated with CMS or Medicare.