How to file a complaint about care →
No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.
Life Care Center of la Center
252 W. 5th Street, La Center, KY 42056 (opens Google Maps) · Ballard County · (270) 665-5681· 70 certified beds · avg 61 residents/day · certified since Feb 1, 1992 · 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 →
Part of chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA (194 facilities, chain avg rating 3.4★)
5/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
inspected Feb 19, 2026
0
Serious findings on record
$0
Fines, last 3 years
3.56
Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)
Every record stays on this page.
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: ★★★★★5/5 · 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.
Inspection findings in the public record
3 inspection findings in the public record
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2019 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | 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. · F-0625 |
| Dec 18, 2019 | 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 |
| Dec 18, 2019 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | The facility did not provide activities that meet residents' needs and interests. Nursing homes must offer meaningful activity programs, not just leave residents idle. · F-0679 |
Inspection trend by year
All citationsSerious citations (G–L)
2019
All citations: 3
Serious citations (G–L): 0
All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.
| 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)
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
What these staffing numbers mean →
This facilityKentucky averageU.S. average
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)
This facility: 3.56
Kentucky average: 3.71
U.S. average: 3.95
Registered Nurse hours
This facility: 0.67
Kentucky average: 0.74
U.S. average: 0.69
Weekend total nurse staffing
This facility: 3.08
Kentucky average: 3.27
U.S. average: 3.50
All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.
| 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 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 3.57, RN 0.68, weekend 3.08.Comparing with Medicare Care Compare? Care Compare shows the raw figure (3.57 here, displayed there as hours and minutes), not the adjusted one above. Both are correct; they answer different questions. Staffing rating: 4/5.
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: 5/5
Costs & payment
Price evidence · separate from quality
No verified facility-specific private-pay price is available in our data for Life Care Center of la Center. 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 →
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 |
Showing 20 of 21 parties CMS has on file for this facility; 1 are not displayed. The full list is in the CMS Ownership dataset.
Other facilities in the same chain
CMS lists this facility under the chain Life Care Centers of America — 194 facilities in the current records. Chain membership says who operates these homes. It says nothing about how any individual one of them was inspected; each has its own record.
- Life Care Center of Morehead — Morehead, KY · overall 2/5
- Parkview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center — Paducah, KY · overall 4/5
- Highlands, the — Fitchburg, MA · overall 3/5
- Life Care Center of Acton — Acton, MA · overall 4/5
- Life Care Center of Attleboro — Attleboro, MA · overall 5/5
- Life Care Center of Auburn — Auburn, MA · overall 3/5
- Life Care Center of Leominster — Leominster, MA · overall 4/5
- Life Care Center of Merrimack Valley — Billerica, MA · overall 2/5
Listed by state, then facility name — not a ranking. Showing 8 of the 193 others, continuing from this facility's own place in that list.
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?"
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 26% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
- "The ownership record on file lists 21 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 | 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 |
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 185320.
This page is the printable visit checklist. If your browser did not open the print dialog automatically, use File → Print (Ctrl/⌘-P).