Life Care Center of la Center
252 W. 5th Street, La Center, KY 42056 · Ballard County · 70 certified beds · avg 61 residents/day · certified since Feb 1, 1992
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: ★★★★★5/5 · 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.
All citations in the current public record (3)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2019 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not give the resident or their representative written notice of how long it would hold the resident's bed during a hospital stay or approved leave. |
| Dec 18, 2019 | 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. |
| Dec 18, 2019 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide activities that meet residents' needs and interests. Nursing homes must offer meaningful activity programs, not just leave residents idle. |
Inspection trend by year
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | 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 | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.56 | 3.71 | 3.95 | top 41% in Kentucky; bottom 40% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.67 | 0.74 | 0.69 | top 44% in Kentucky; top 39% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.08 | 3.27 | 3.50 | top 44% in Kentucky; bottom 35% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.31 | 0.53 | 0.48 | bottom 26% in Kentucky; bottom 34% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 25.9 | 46.4 | 45.8 | top 3% in Kentucky; top 8% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 12.5 | 41.8 | 42.9 | top 4% in Kentucky; top 6% 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 3.57, RN 0.68, weekend 3.08. 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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5
Who owns this facility
For profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atkins, Ginger | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/01/2005 |
| Atkins, Ginger | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/01/2005 |
| Atkins, Ginger | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/07/2025 |
| Butler, Danny | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2019 |
| Butler, Danny | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/07/2025 |
| Cross, Cindy | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/01/2016 |
| Fletcher, Todd | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2021 |
| Henry, Terry | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/01/2016 |
| Lay, Lisa | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/24/2017 |
| Life Care Centers of America, INC. | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/24/2015 |
| Life Care Centers of America, INC. | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/10/2003 |
| Plumley, Lynn | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 09/26/2019 |
| Plumley, Lynn | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 09/26/2019 |
| Preston, Aubrey | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/27/2024 |
| Preston, Forrest | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/24/2015 |
| Preston, Forrest | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/10/2003 |
| Solomon, Jennifer | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/03/1997 |
| Solomon, Jennifer | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/03/1997 |
| Swanker, Richard | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2022 |
| Thurmond, Joan | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/01/2016 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "If my family member goes to the hospital, how long will you hold their bed, and will we get that in writing?"
- "Who is on the team that builds each resident's care plan, and how quickly is it in place after admission?"
- "Can I see this month's activities calendar, and what do you offer residents who can't leave their rooms?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countryside Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing | 13.8 mi | Bardwell, KY | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Providence Pointe Healthcare | 14.2 mi | Paducah, KY | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Southgate Health Care Center | 15.0 mi | Metropolis, IL | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Metropolis Rehab & HCC | 15.2 mi | Metropolis, IL | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | abuse |
| Stonecreek Health and Rehabilitation | 17.6 mi | Paducah, KY | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| River Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center | 18.5 mi | Paducah, KY | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Parkview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center | 18.6 mi | Paducah, KY | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 |
Compare this facility with the 3 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 185320.