Kansas ›Bucklin

Hill Top House

Name: Hill Top House
Address: 505 W ELM, Bucklin, KS, 67834, US
Telephone: 6208263202

505 W Elm, Bucklin, KS 67834 · Ford County · 29 certified beds · avg 23 residents/day · certified since Jan 1, 2008

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

5.55

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 5/5

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)

▲ Actual harm, one-off · Feb 15, 2023 · F-0689

The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.

Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.

Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.

Corrected: Mar 1, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

All citations in the current public record (15)

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
Nov 20, 2024	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not make sure its nurses and nurse aides had the skills and training needed to properly care for every resident. · from a complaint
Nov 20, 2024	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. · from a complaint
Nov 20, 2024	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. · from a complaint
Nov 20, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not create and follow a basic care plan covering a new resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of admission. The first days are when a new resident is most vulnerable. · from a complaint
Nov 20, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not try to gradually reduce doses of mood- and mind-altering medications or use non-drug approaches first, as required, or used 'as needed' psychiatric drugs without proper limits. · from a complaint
Nov 20, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not arrange hospice services for a resident who needed them, or help the resident move to a facility that could arrange hospice. Hospice provides comfort-focused care for people nearing the end of life. · from a complaint
Feb 15, 2023	▲ G · Actual 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.
Feb 15, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required.
Aug 2, 2021	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not conduct and document a facility-wide assessment of what staff, supplies, and resources it needs to care for its residents properly — during everyday operations, nights, weekends, and emergencies.
Aug 2, 2021	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not honor residents' right to voice complaints without discrimination or retaliation, or did not have a working complaint process that resolves issues promptly.
Aug 2, 2021	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights.
Aug 2, 2021	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.
Aug 2, 2021	D · Potential for harm, one-off	When a resident had a planned discharge, the facility did not make sure the necessary information was communicated to the resident and to the doctors or facility taking over their care.
Aug 2, 2021	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 2, 2021	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	The facility did not designate a qualified infection preventionist — a trained person responsible for running the infection prevention and control program.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (2 → 6).

Year	Citations	Serious (G–L)	Worst severity that year
2021	7	0	F
2023	2	1	G ▲
2024	6	0	F

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	Kansas avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	5.55	4.58	3.95	top 16% in Kansas; top 7% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	1.34	0.81	0.69	top 9% in Kansas; top 7% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	5.29	4.05	3.50	top 11% in Kansas; top 4% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.80	0.49	0.48	top 12% in Kansas; top 11% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	29.0	48.1	45.8	top 10% in Kansas; top 13% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	0.0	42.0	42.9	top 1% in Kansas; top 1% 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 4.38, RN 1.06, weekend 4.18. Staffing rating: 5/5.

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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: —/5

Who owns this facility

Government - Hospital district

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Bucklin District Hospital	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	06/01/1966
Farmer, Fredrick	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2024
Farmer, Fredrick	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2024
Hokanson, Stephen	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	11/26/2013
Hokanson, Stephen	Individual	Trustee of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2017
Hokanson, Stephen	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2017
Imel, Cynthia	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	04/25/2011
Imel, Cynthia	Individual	Trustee of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	04/25/2011
Imel, Cynthia	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	04/25/2011
Kregar, Judith	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	12/21/1991
Kregar, Judith	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	12/21/1991
Scott, Melanie	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	04/22/2002
Scott, Melanie	Individual	Trustee of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	04/22/2002
Scott, Melanie	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	04/22/2002

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 is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
"How do you verify that your nurses and aides have the skills to care for residents with needs like my family member's?"
"How do your actual daily staffing levels compare to what's reported on Medicare's Care Compare website?"
"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"What does the care plan for a brand-new resident cover in the first 48 hours, and who writes it?"
"What is your approach to psychiatric medications — how do you try non-drug options first and work to reduce doses over time?"
"How do you coordinate hospice care, and can residents stay here while receiving it?"
"Who is on the team that builds each resident's care plan, and how quickly is it in place after admission?"
"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
Minneola District Hospital LTCU	21.6 mi	Minneola, KS	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Southwind at Spearville	21.8 mi	Spearville, KS	★★★★☆	3/5
Sunporch of Dodge City	25.1 mi	Dodge City, KS	★★★☆☆	3/5
Kansas Soldiers Home	25.4 mi	Fort Dodge, KS	★★★☆☆	2/5
Manor of the Plains	25.7 mi	Dodge City, KS	★★★☆☆	3/5
Pioneer Lodge	25.7 mi	Coldwater, KS	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Protection Valley Manor	25.9 mi	Protection, KS	★★★★★	5/5
Trinity Manor	26.3 mi	Dodge City, KS	★★★★☆	4/5
Medicalodges Kinsley	28.5 mi	Kinsley, KS	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Haviland Operator, LLC	29.6 mi	Haviland, KS	★★★★★	5/5
Fowler Residential Care	32.3 mi	Fowler, KS	★★★★★	4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Bucklin →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 175500.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Hill Top House

505 W Elm, Bucklin, KS 67834 · 6208263202

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

Most serious findings on record:

▲ Feb 15, 2023 (F-0689, Actual 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.

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
☐ "How do you verify that your nurses and aides have the skills to care for residents with needs like my family member's?"
☐ "How do your actual daily staffing levels compare to what's reported on Medicare's Care Compare website?"
☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "What does the care plan for a brand-new resident cover in the first 48 hours, and who writes it?"
☐ "What is your approach to psychiatric medications — how do you try non-drug options first and work to reduce doses over time?"
☐ "How do you coordinate hospice care, and can residents stay here while receiving it?"
☐ "Who is on the team that builds each resident's care plan, and how quickly is it in place after admission?"
☐ "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 175500 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)