All states › North Carolina › Saluda › Autumn Care of Saluda
501 Esseola Circle Saluda, NC 28773 · Polk County
CMS certification number 345351 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is Autumn Care of Saluda 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 Autumn Care of Saluda as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 2 out of 5 stars overall, below the North Carolina average of 3.0.
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 3.30 hours per resident per day at Autumn Care of Saluda, below the North Carolina median of 3.57 (US median: 3.72). About 0.57 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 2.95 hours, 11% below its all-week average. 64.8% of nursing staff left within a year (North Carolina median 48.5%). High turnover can mean residents see unfamiliar caregivers; ask how long the nurses on the unit have worked there.
About this nursing home
Paying for care at Autumn Care of Saluda: Medicare and Medicaid
Autumn Care of Saluda 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.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on April 23, 2026 and found 2 deficiencies, plus 1 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 18 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 18 citations at Autumn Care of Saluda across 6 inspection dates, 15 of them from complaint investigations. 5 were at the immediate-jeopardy level (J–L), CMS's most serious category, most recently on May 16, 2024 (complaint inspection). The most common areas cited were quality of life and care (4) and freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation (3). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident" (tag F0580, level J, May 16, 2024). 3 citations were under CMS's abuse, neglect and exploitation rules.
April 23, 2026 · 2 citations
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
January 8, 2026 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
February 14, 2025 · 2 citations · includes complaint inspection
EProtect each resident from the wrongful use of the resident's belongings or money.
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
May 16, 2024 · 5 citations, includes immediate jeopardy · includes complaint inspection
JImmediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
JProtect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
JProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
JEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
JEnsure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
December 12, 2023 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProtect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
November 1, 2023 · 7 citations · includes complaint inspection
FEnsure 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.
FProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
FSet up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
EHonor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
DAllow residents to self-administer drugs if determined clinically appropriate.
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
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.
Questions to ask on a tour of Autumn Care of Saluda
- Inspectors cited the home at the immediate-jeopardy level on May 16, 2024 under the rule on resident rights. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- CMS cited the home under its abuse and neglect rules on February 14, 2025. How are staff trained, and how are concerns reported?
- CMS rates staffing 2 out of 5. How many residents does each nurse aide care for on day, evening and night shifts?
- Nursing staff turnover was 64.8% a year. How many of the staff come from agencies?
- 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 $16,801 in fines.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2024 | Fine | $16,801 |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
| August 2026 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near Autumn Care of Saluda
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
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7.6 mi
Advent Health Polk ColumbusEmergency room ★★★★☆ Medicare overall 4 of 5Median ER visit 2h 16m for patients treated and sent home
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8.6 mi
Margaret R Pardee Mem Hospital HendersonvilleEmergency room ★★★★★ Medicare overall 5 of 5Median ER visit 2h 38m for patients treated and sent home
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13.5 mi
Adventhealth Hendersonville FletcherEmergency room ★★★★★ Medicare overall 5 of 5Median ER visit 2h 44m 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
More nursing homes near Autumn Care of Saluda › All nursing homes in Saluda ›
Compare Autumn Care of Saluda with the 3 closest homes side by side ›
Higher-rated nursing homes within 10 miles
- Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation · Flat Rock · 5 stars · 5.7 mi
- Willowbrooke Court SC Center at Tryon Estates · Columbus · 5 stars · 8.3 mi
- Carolina Village · Hendersonville · 5 stars · 8.7 mi
- Life Care Center of Hendersonville · Hendersonville · 3 stars · 8.8 mi
Other Saber Healthcare Group nursing homes in North Carolina
- Autumn Care of Statesville · Statesville · 5 stars
- Autumn Care of Fayetteville · Fayetteville · 5 stars
- Autumn Care of Biscoe · Biscoe · 5 stars
- Autumn Care of Cornelius · Cornelius · 4 stars
- Autumn Care of Drexel · Morganton · 4 stars
- Davie Nursing and Rehabilitation Center · Mocksville · 4 stars
Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 126 Saber Healthcare Group 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.