Life Care Center of Gray
791 Old Gray Station Road, Gray, TN 37615 · Washington County · 133 certified beds · avg 56 residents/day · certified since Apr 24, 2005
Part of chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA (194 facilities, chain avg rating 3.4★)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★☆☆☆☆1/5 · CMS overall rating: 1/5
⚠ The most recent standard health inspection was more than 2 years ago — conditions may have changed.
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, one-off · Apr 12, 2024 · F-0603 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not protect residents from being involuntarily separated — kept apart from other residents, kept out of their own room, or confined to their room. Isolating a resident this way is a form of mistreatment.
Why it matters: Forced isolation is emotionally harmful and can hide neglect or abuse from view.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: May 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Apr 12, 2024 · F-0609 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation.
Why it matters: When incidents aren't reported promptly, abusers may continue harming residents and outside authorities can't step in.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: May 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Apr 12, 2024 · F-0610 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do.
Why it matters: When allegations aren't investigated, harm to residents can continue unchecked.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: May 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Apr 12, 2024 · F-0675 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not honor residents' individual preferences, choices, values, and beliefs in their daily life and care.
Why it matters: Ignoring who a resident is as a person diminishes their dignity and quality of life.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: May 12, 2024 (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2024 | 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. · from a complaint |
| Apr 12, 2024 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not protect residents from being involuntarily separated — kept apart from other residents, kept out of their own room, or confined to their room. Isolating a resident this way is a form of mistreatment. · from a complaint |
| Apr 12, 2024 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint |
| Apr 12, 2024 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. · from a complaint |
| Apr 12, 2024 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not honor residents' individual preferences, choices, values, and beliefs in their daily life and care. · from a complaint |
| Apr 12, 2024 | 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. · from a complaint |
| Sep 19, 2023 | 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. |
| Sep 19, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including safe support for residents' daily living needs. · from a complaint |
| Sep 19, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not coordinate resident assessments with the state's pre-admission screening program for mental illness and intellectual disabilities, or failed to refer residents for the special services they need. |
| Sep 19, 2023 | 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 |
| Sep 19, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not dispose of garbage and refuse properly. |
| Sep 19, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | 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. |
| Oct 31, 2018 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility's medication error rate was 5 percent or higher — meaning too many doses were given incorrectly, such as the wrong drug, dose, or time. |
| Oct 31, 2018 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not notify the appropriate authorities when a resident with a mental disorder or intellectual disability had a significant change in condition. |
| Oct 31, 2018 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the right treatment and services for residents with dementia or signs of dementia. Dementia care requires specific approaches, training, and patience. |
| Oct 31, 2018 | C · Minimal risk, facility-wide | The facility did not keep its building and grounds safe, functional, clean, and comfortable for residents, staff, and visitors. |
Inspection trend by year
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | E |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | F |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | J ▲ |
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)
1 fine totaling $10,039.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2024 | Fine | $10,039 |
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.87 | 3.62 | 3.95 | top 26% in Tennessee; top 45% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.70 | 0.57 | 0.69 | top 23% in Tennessee; top 37% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.19 | 3.15 | 3.50 | top 38% in Tennessee; bottom 41% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.27 | 0.39 | 0.48 | bottom 31% in Tennessee; bottom 25% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 33.3 | 48.9 | 45.8 | top 11% in Tennessee; top 20% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 25.0 | 43.2 | 42.9 | top 18% in Tennessee; top 20% 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 3.40, RN 0.61, weekend 2.80. 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: 3/5 · short-stay residents: 4/5
Who owns this facility
For profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanker, Richard | Individual | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | 25% | 07/01/2006 |
| Cross, Cindy | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/24/2004 |
| Lee, Ashley | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/11/2009 |
| Life Care Centers of America, INC. | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/24/2005 |
| Preston, Forrest | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/24/2004 |
| Swanker, Richard | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 07/01/2006 |
| Thurmond, Joan | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/24/2004 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Under what circumstances, if any, would a resident ever be kept in their room or separated from others?"
- "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
- "If someone reports suspected abuse or neglect here, what happens in the first 24 hours?"
- "How do you learn each resident's personal preferences and make sure staff actually follow them?"
- "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
- "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "Can we tour the resident rooms, bathrooms, and common areas today, including areas not on the usual tour route?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHC Healthcare, Johnson City | 4.3 mi | Johnson City, TN | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Greystone Health Care Center | 5.2 mi | Blountville, TN | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Princeton Transitional Care & Assisted Living | 5.3 mi | Johnson City, TN | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| The Waters of Johnson City, LLC | 5.3 mi | Johnson City, TN | ★★☆☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Agape Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, a Waters CM | 5.7 mi | Johnson City, TN | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Abundant Christian Living Community Rehabilitation | 5.8 mi | Johnson City, TN | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Lakebridge, a Waters Community, LLC | 7.1 mi | Johnson City, TN | ★★★☆☆ | 4/5 | |
| Four Oaks Health Care Center | 8.4 mi | Jonesborough, TN | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Holston Rehabilitation and Care Center | 9.6 mi | Kingsport, TN | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| NHC Healthcare, Kingsport | 11.0 mi | Kingsport, TN | ★★★★★ | 4/5 | |
| Wexford House | 11.0 mi | Kingsport, TN | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Waters of Bristol a Rehabilitation and Nursing | 11.5 mi | Blountville, TN | ★★★★☆ | 5/5 |
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Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 445479.