Hill Top House

505 W Elm, Bucklin, KS 67834 (opens Google Maps) · Ford County · (620) 826-3202· 29 certified beds · avg 23 residents/day · certified since Jan 1, 2008 · Medicare and Medicaid certified

Certified for both programmes. Certification means the facility can bill Medicaid — it does not mean a Medicaid-funded bed is free right now, so ask directly. Who pays for nursing home care →

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

inspected Nov 20, 2024

Serious findings on record

most recent Feb 15, 2023

Fines, last 3 years

5.55

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

New to these records? How to read an inspection report →

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 5/5 · how star ratings work →

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 quality measures from resident assessments and claims.

Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)

▲ Actual harm, isolated · 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): Actual harm was cited, below immediate jeopardy. The scope was isolated: limited residents, staff, or locations were affected. Scope describes the extent of the deficiency, not whether it happened on previous inspections.

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

Inspection findings in the public record

Showing the latest 3 of 15 inspection findings. Open the full record below to read every finding.

Nov 20, 2024F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread
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 F-0726
Nov 20, 2024F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread
The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. · from a complaint F-0851
Nov 20, 2024F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread
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 F-0880

View all 15 inspection findingsShow only the latest 3 findings

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed — that window is CMS's, not ours. Within it, every citation CMS publishes for this facility is listed here: none excluded.

Date	Severity	What the facility was cited for
Nov 20, 2024	F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread	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 · F-0726
Nov 20, 2024	F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread	The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. · from a complaint · F-0851
Nov 20, 2024	F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread	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 · F-0880
Nov 20, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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 · F-0655
Nov 20, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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 · F-0758
Nov 20, 2024	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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 · F-0849
Feb 15, 2023	▲ G · Actual harm, isolated	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · F-0689
Feb 15, 2023	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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. · F-0657
Aug 2, 2021	F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread	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. · F-0838
Aug 2, 2021	E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern	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. · F-0585
Aug 2, 2021	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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. · F-0550
Aug 2, 2021	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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. · F-0656
Aug 2, 2021	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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. · F-0661
Aug 2, 2021	D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated	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. · F-0695
Aug 2, 2021	C · Potential for minimal harm, widespread	The facility did not designate a qualified infection preventionist — a trained person responsible for running the infection prevention and control program. · F-0882

Inspection trend by year

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

Citations by recorded inspection yearPublished citation counts, not a quality score · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01

All citationsSerious citations (G–L)

2021

2023

2024

All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.

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)

How to file a complaint about care →

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

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

What these staffing numbers mean →

Nurse time, in contextAdjusted hours per resident per day · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01

This facilityKansas averageU.S. average

Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)

5.55

4.58

3.95

Registered Nurse hours

1.34

0.81

0.69

Weekend total nurse staffing

5.29

4.05

3.50

All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.

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 for the most recent quarter of payroll data in this CMS release (2026-08-01) — the same quarter for every facility — 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.Comparing with Medicare Care Compare? Care Compare shows the raw figure (4.38 here, displayed there as hours and minutes), not the adjusted one above. Both are correct; they answer different questions. Staffing rating: 5/5.

Quality measures: assessments & claims

Note: CMS combines facility-reported resident assessments (MDS) with claims-based measures. These are different sources from on-site inspection findings. Read the measures alongside inspection and staffing records; a high QM rating does not establish that a home is safe.

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

Costs & payment

Price evidence · separate from quality

No verified facility-specific private-pay price is available in our data for Hill Top House. CMS inspection and staffing records do not tell us what this home will charge you.

Calculate a stay from a quote you receive

Use a written private-pay quote. This worksheet adds only the amounts you enter; it does not calculate Medicare, Medicaid or insurance benefits.

Formula: (room rate + daily extras) × days + one-time charges. A 30-day scenario is not a calendar-month quote. Refundable deposits, rate changes and charges you omit are not automatically included. Entries are not saved or sent to our server.

Before you compare prices

Request the room type, effective date and itemized daily rate in writing.
Ask about therapy, medicines, supplies, care-level charges, deposits, refunds and annual increases.
Confirm insurance or Medicaid eligibility and bed availability directly; certification alone does not guarantee either.

Understand who pays for care · How we handle price evidence · Report an incorrect price

Who owns this facility

How to read ownership records →

Ownership records as published by CMS on 2026-08-01. CMS records when an owner joined but not when they left. Listed here and no longer involved? Tell us →

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

All 14 owning or managing parties CMS has on file are shown — none excluded.

Questions to ask on your visit

Full visit checklist →

Print visit checklist

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?"

Also worth asking anywhere

"What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
"Can I see the plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
"CMS reports 29% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
"The ownership record on file lists 14 owning or managing parties — who makes the decisions about staffing levels?"
"Can I visit again unannounced, at a mealtime or on a weekend?"

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.

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The Care File

Visit checklist — Hill Top House

505 W Elm, Bucklin, KS 67834 · (620) 826-3202

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

Most serious findings on record:

▲ Feb 15, 2023 (F-0689, Actual harm, isolated): 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 plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
☐ "CMS reports 29% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
☐ "The ownership record on file lists 14 owning or managing parties — who makes the decisions about staffing levels?"
☐ "Can I visit again unannounced, at a mealtime or on a weekend?"

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)