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: GENESIS HEALTHCARE (184 facilities, chain avg rating 2.4★)
The abuse flag means inspectors cited this facility for abuse that caused harm to a resident within the past year, or potential for harm in each of the last two years. Source: CMS.
1/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
inspected Sep 1, 2024
6
Serious findings on record
most recent Oct 17, 2024
$182,968
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)
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)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, widespread · Sep 1, 2024 · F-0835 · triggered by a complaint
The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents.
Why it matters: Poor administration often shows up as understaffing, supply shortages, and care problems across the whole facility.
Severity (L): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. The scope was widespread: a systemic or pervasive problem. Scope describes the extent of the deficiency, not whether it happened on previous inspections.
Corrected: Sep 26, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, widespread · Sep 1, 2024 · F-0867 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them.
Why it matters: Without a working quality program, the same care problems tend to repeat instead of getting fixed.
Severity (L): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. The scope was widespread: a systemic or pervasive problem. Scope describes the extent of the deficiency, not whether it happened on previous inspections.
Corrected: Sep 26, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, isolated · Sep 1, 2024 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.
Severity (J): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. 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: Nov 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, isolated · Sep 1, 2024 · F-0607 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. These written safeguards are the foundation of resident protection.
Why it matters: Without working prevention policies, mistreatment is more likely to happen and less likely to be caught.
Severity (J): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. 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: Sep 26, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, isolated · Sep 1, 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): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. 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: Sep 26, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, isolated · Oct 17, 2024 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.
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: Nov 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has plan of correction)
Inspection findings in the public record
Showing the latest 3 of 17 inspection findings. Open the full record below to read every finding.
G · Actual harm, isolated
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaintF-0600
L · Immediate jeopardy, widespread
The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents. · from a complaintF-0835
L · Immediate jeopardy, widespread
The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them. · from a complaintF-0867
View all 17 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
Oct 17, 2024
▲ G · Actual harm, isolated
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint · F-0600
Sep 1, 2024
▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, widespread
The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents. · from a complaint · F-0835
Sep 1, 2024
▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, widespread
The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them. · from a complaint · F-0867
Sep 1, 2024
▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, isolated
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint · F-0600
Sep 1, 2024
▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, isolated
The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. These written safeguards are the foundation of resident protection. · from a complaint · F-0607
Sep 1, 2024
▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, isolated
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 · F-0610
Sep 1, 2024
F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread
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. · from a complaint · F-0812
Sep 1, 2024
F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread
The facility did not dispose of garbage and refuse properly. · from a complaint · F-0814
Sep 1, 2024
C · Potential for 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
Mar 3, 2020
F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread
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. · F-0812
Mar 3, 2020
D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated
The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away. · F-0580
Mar 3, 2020
D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated
The facility did not have a licensed pharmacist review each resident's complete medication regimen and medical chart every month, or did not follow its own rules for reporting medication problems. · F-0756
Mar 3, 2020
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. · F-0758
Mar 3, 2020
D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated
The facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards. · F-0842
Mar 3, 2020
C · Potential for minimal harm, widespread
The facility did not post its nurse staffing information every day. Nursing homes must publicly display how many nurses and aides are on duty each day. · F-0732
Dec 13, 2018
E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · F-0689
Dec 13, 2018
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
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (6 → 8).
Citations by recorded inspection yearPublished citation counts, not a quality score · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01
All citationsSerious citations (G–L)
2018
All citations:
2
Serious citations (G–L):
0
2020
All citations:
6
Serious citations (G–L):
0
2024
All citations:
9
Serious citations (G–L):
6
All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.
Year
Citations
Serious (G–L)
Worst severity that year
2018
2
0
E
2020
6
0
F
2024
9
6
L ▲
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.
1 fine totaling $182,968, plus 1 Medicare payment denial period.
Every penalty CMS publishes for this facility in the 3-year window is listed —none excluded. The count and the dollar total come from two different CMS datasets and agree for this facility. Penalties older than the window are dropped by CMS before publication, not by us.
Date
Type
Amount / length
Sep 1, 2024
Fine
$182,968
Sep 1, 2024
Payment Denial
42 days from Oct 1, 2024
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
Nurse time, in contextAdjusted hours per resident per day · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01
This facilityAlabama averageU.S. average
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)
This facility:
3.56
Alabama average:
4.43
U.S. average:
3.95
Registered Nurse hours
This facility:
0.86
Alabama average:
0.74
U.S. average:
0.69
Weekend total nurse staffing
This facility:
3.18
Alabama average:
3.73
U.S. average:
3.50
All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.
Measure
This facility
Alabama avg
U.S. avg
Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)
3.56
4.43
3.95
bottom 11% in Alabama; bottom 40% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours
0.86
0.74
0.69
top 25% in Alabama; top 23% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing
3.18
3.73
3.50
bottom 16% in Alabama; bottom 41% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)
0.51
0.36
0.48
top 18% in Alabama; top 32% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)
51.9
46.9
45.8
bottom 35% in Alabama; bottom 32% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)
54.2
39.5
42.9
bottom 22% in Alabama; bottom 30% 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 3.24, RN 0.78, weekend 2.89.Comparing with Medicare Care Compare? Care Compare shows the raw figure (3.24 here, displayed there as hours and minutes), not the adjusted one above. Both are correct; they answer different questions. Staffing rating: 3/5.
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.
No verified facility-specific private-pay price is available in our data for Merry Wood Lodge. 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.
All 16 owning or managing parties CMS has on file are shown — none excluded.
Other facilities in the same chain
CMS lists this facility under the chain Genesis Healthcare — 184 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.
CMS records place this facility in Elmore, AL — 4 certified facilities there. These are outside the 20-mile list above, or far enough down it not to appear.
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 015019.
This page is the printable visit checklist. If your browser did not open the print dialog automatically, use File → Print (Ctrl/⌘-P).
The Care File
Visit checklist — Merry Wood Lodge
280 Mt Hebron Road, Elmore, AL 36025 · (334) 567-8484
Health inspection rating 1/5 · CMS overall 1/5 · ▲ FEDERAL ABUSE CITATION FLAG · SFF Candidate· Fines (3y): $182,968
Most serious findings on record:
▲ Sep 1, 2024 (F-0835, Immediate jeopardy, widespread): The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents.
▲ Sep 1, 2024 (F-0867, Immediate jeopardy, widespread): The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them.
▲ Sep 1, 2024 (F-0600, Immediate jeopardy, isolated): The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Questions for the administrator:
☐ "What were the findings behind this administration citation, and what has leadership changed since?"
☐ "How does your quality committee work, and can you give an example of a problem it recently identified and fixed?"
☐ "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
☐ "What specific steps do you take to prevent abuse and neglect, and how are staff trained on them?"
☐ "If someone reports suspected abuse or neglect here, what happens in the first 24 hours?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "Can I see where garbage is stored and how often it's removed?"
☐ "How do your actual daily staffing levels compare to what's reported on Medicare's Care Compare website?"
☐ "Your weekend nurse staffing is reported below the Alabama midpoint — how does the weekend schedule differ from a weekday?"
☐ "Can I see the plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
☐ "CMS reports 52% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
☐ "The ownership record on file lists 16 owning or managing parties — who makes the decisions about staffing levels?"
☐ "CMS lists this facility under its Special Focus program — what is being done differently, and by when?"
☐ "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 015019 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)