Big Elm Retirement and Nursing Centers

Name: Big Elm Retirement and Nursing Centers
Address: 1285 West A Street, Kannapolis, NC, 28081, US
Telephone: 7049320000

1285 West A Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081 · Rowan County · 50 certified beds · avg 45 residents/day · certified since Jan 1, 1991

4/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

5.12

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

Health inspection rating: ★★★★☆4/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5

The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.

Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide · Mar 29, 2023 · F-0607

The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. These written safeguards are the foundation of resident protection.

Why it matters: Without working prevention policies, mistreatment is more likely to happen and less likely to be caught.

Severity (L): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation existed throughout the facility. The single most serious citation CMS can issue.

Corrected: Mar 29, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

All citations in the current public record (16)

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.

Date	Severity	What the facility was cited for
Aug 28, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not let a resident help develop and carry out their own plan of care — the written roadmap of the services and support they'll receive, built around their personal goals and preferences.
Aug 28, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Aug 28, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide safe and appropriate respiratory care — such as oxygen, breathing treatments, or care for residents on breathing equipment — for residents who needed it.
Aug 28, 2025	B · Minimal risk, repeated	The facility did not properly hold, secure, and manage residents' personal money that was deposited with it for safekeeping. Facilities holding residents' funds must keep careful, honest accounts.
Jul 11, 2024	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Jul 11, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate.
Jul 11, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Jul 11, 2024	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	The facility did not give residents reasonable access to and privacy in using ways to communicate, such as phones, mail, and email. Residents have the right to stay in touch with the outside world privately.
Jul 11, 2024	B · Minimal risk, repeated	The facility did not provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including safe support for residents' daily living needs.
Mar 29, 2023	▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide	The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. These written safeguards are the foundation of resident protection.
Mar 29, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Mar 29, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them.
Mar 29, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures for offering residents flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Mar 29, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not educate residents and staff about COVID-19 vaccination, offer the vaccine to those eligible after that education, or properly document everyone's vaccination status.
Mar 29, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines.
Mar 29, 2023	B · Minimal risk, repeated	The facility did not give residents (and their representatives and the ombudsman, a state advocate for residents) proper advance notice before a transfer or discharge, including information about their right to appeal.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (5 → 4).

Year	Citations	Serious (G–L)	Worst severity that year
2023	7	1	L ▲
2024	5	0	F
2025	4	0	D

Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.

Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)

No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

Measure	This facility	North Carolina avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	5.12	4.01	3.95	top 11% in North Carolina; top 11% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.58	0.64	0.69	top 41% in North Carolina; bottom 50% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	4.29	3.56	3.50	top 14% in North Carolina; top 16% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.34	0.41	0.48	top 45% in North Carolina; bottom 41% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	42.0	49.0	45.8	top 34% in North Carolina; top 42% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	28.6	45.7	42.9	top 21% in North Carolina; top 26% in the U.S.

Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 5.10, RN 0.58, weekend 4.27. Staffing rating: 4/5.

Self-reported quality measures

Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.

Quality measures rating: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 2/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Individual

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Gatewood, Thomas	Individual	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	10/01/2010
Dolack, Christina	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	05/27/2024
Dolack, Christina	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	05/27/2024
Gatewood, Thomas	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2010
Gatewood, Thomas	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2002
Gatewood, Thomas	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2002
McSwain, Robert	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	06/27/2025
McSwain, Robert	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	06/27/2025

Questions to ask on your visit

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"What specific steps do you take to prevent abuse and neglect, and how are staff trained on them?"
"How are residents and families included in care plan meetings, and how often do those meetings happen?"
"What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
"How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
"How do you manage residents' personal funds, and how often do families receive an accounting?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
"How can my family member make private phone or video calls, and can we see where?"
"What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
"Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

Facility	Distance	City	Overall	Inspection	Flags
Kannapolis Health and Rehabilitation	3.8 mi	Kannapolis, NC	★★☆☆☆	2/5
The Greens at Cabarrus	4.4 mi	Concord, NC	★★★★★	4/5
Five Oaks Rehabilitation and Care Center	4.6 mi	Concord, NC	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Copperfield Health & Rehabilitation	5.1 mi	Concord, NC	★☆☆☆☆	1/5	abuse
Cabarrus Health and Rehabilitation Center	6.4 mi	Concord, NC	★☆☆☆☆	1/5	SFF
The Gardens of Taylor Glen Retirement Community	7.0 mi	Concord, NC	★★★★☆	4/5
Liberty Commons Nsg and Rehab Ctr of Rowan County	9.7 mi	Salisbury, NC	★★★☆☆	3/5
Crestview Health & Rehabilitation	10.4 mi	Mooresville, NC	★☆☆☆☆	1/5	SFF
Glenwood Health & Rehabilitation	10.7 mi	Mooresville, NC	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Trinity Oaks	12.4 mi	Salisbury, NC	★★★★★	4/5
Autumn Care of Cornelius	12.6 mi	Cornelius, NC	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Pruitthealth-Town Center	12.7 mi	Harrisburg, NC	★★★☆☆	3/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Kannapolis →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 345342.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Big Elm Retirement and Nursing Centers

1285 West A Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081 · 7049320000

Health inspection rating 4/5 · CMS overall 4/5· Fines (3y): $0

Most serious findings on record:

▲ Mar 29, 2023 (F-0607, Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide): The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. These written safeguards are the foundation of resident protection.

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "What specific steps do you take to prevent abuse and neglect, and how are staff trained on them?"
☐ "How are residents and families included in care plan meetings, and how often do those meetings happen?"
☐ "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
☐ "How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
☐ "How do you manage residents' personal funds, and how often do families receive an accounting?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
☐ "How can my family member make private phone or video calls, and can we see where?"
☐ "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
☐ "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 345342 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)