Life Care Center of Banner Elk
185 Norwood Hollow Road, Banner Elk, NC 28604
Life Care Center of Banner Elk, a 118-bed for profit - corporation nursing facility in Banner Elk, NC, holds a 5-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, with nurse staffing below the national norm. No recent finding reached the actual-harm level.
CMS combines health inspections, nurse-staffing levels, and clinical quality measures into the overall star rating, read the components below; they often tell a sharper story than the headline.
Phone: 8288985136
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- 5 / 5
- Much above average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- 3.04
- Well below average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.89
- 7
- Inspection findings
- $0
- Federal penalties (0)
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 345203
- Ownership
- For profit - Corporation
- Provider Type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Beds
- 118
- Residents
- 67
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Avery
- Last Inspection
- Aug 6, 2025
Staffing Data
How the 3.04 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 0.41 (nat'l avg: 0.68)
- LPN Hours
- 1.01
- CNA Hours
- 1.62
- Total Nursing Hours
- 3.04 (nat'l avg: 3.89)
- PT Hours
- 0.03
- Nursing Turnover
- 30.8%
- RN Turnover
- 57.1%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Life Care Center of Banner Elk
Life Care Center of Banner Elk operates 118 certified beds in Banner Elk, NC with approximately 67 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars (health inspection 4★ · staffing 2★ · quality 5★).
The inspection file contains 7 deficiency records from recent surveys, all falling in the no-harm or minimal-harm bands of the CMS scope-and-severity grid. CMS has not levied any fines or payment denials against this facility. Staffing is reported at 3.04 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.89), with RN coverage at 0.41 per resident day.
Classified as "For profit - Corporation" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, Life Care Center of Banner Elk falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing turnover at this facility is 30.8%, within a range generally associated with stable care teams.
Why sub-scores and the CMS methodology matter
The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results, staffing levels, and quality measures. Because CMS caps the overall score at the health-inspection tier and then adjusts up or down based on staffing and quality, the sub-scores often tell a sharper story than the headline star count alone, a 3-star facility with weak inspection history reads differently from one held back by thin staffing.
National research consistently shows that ownership structure, staffing hours, and turnover are the three operational levers that correlate most strongly with resident outcomes, ratings and fines are lagging indicators of those upstream choices. The staffing metric in particular is the one most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.
For families evaluating this facility, the CMS record should be read alongside a site visit, direct conversation with current residents and their families, and review of the state health department's most recent inspection report, the star rating is a starting point, not a verdict. All data on this page is sourced from CMS Provider Data and the Nursing Home Compare program; always verify details directly with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (7 most recent)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 22, 2025
Ensure 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.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 22, 2025
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 22, 2025
Try different approaches before using a bed rail. If a bed rail is needed, the facility must (1) assess a resident for safety risk; (2) review these risks and benefits with the resident/representative; (3) get informed consent; and (4) Correctly install and maintain the bed rail.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Jun 12, 2023
Quality Measures
| Measure | Type | Score | Used in Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 8.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 0.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 0.5% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 6.8% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 8.1% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 1.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 27.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 2.1% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 2.9% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 30.4% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | Long Stay | 0.9% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Long Stay | 100.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 27.5% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | 100.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 19.6% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 91.6% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | 92.4% | No |
Penalty History
No penalties on record.
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Understanding Nursing Home Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for Life Care Center of Banner Elk?
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Does Life Care Center of Banner Elk have any deficiencies on record?
Has Life Care Center of Banner Elk received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Life Care Center of Banner Elk?
When was Life Care Center of Banner Elk last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Life Care Center of Banner Elk?
Data Sources
Data source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Ratings, staffing, deficiency, quality measure, and penalty data are from CMS Provider Data. For informational purposes only. Always verify information directly with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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