Rensselaer Care Center

Name: Rensselaer Care Center
Address: 1309 E GRACE ST, Rensselaer, IN, 47978, US
Telephone: 2198664181

1309 E Grace St, Rensselaer, IN 47978 · Jasper County · 120 certified beds · avg 91 residents/day · certified since Aug 15, 1986

Part of chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA (194 facilities, chain avg rating 3.4★)

1/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

$128,311

Fines, last 3 years

4.22

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

Health inspection rating: ★☆☆☆☆1/5 · CMS overall rating: 1/5

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.

Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, repeated · May 6, 2024 · F-0805 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not prepare and serve food in a form that meets each resident's individual needs — for example, chopped, pureed, or softened food for residents with chewing or swallowing problems.

Why it matters: Food served in the wrong texture can cause choking or lead residents to stop eating and lose weight.

Severity (K): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation affected several residents. Among the most serious findings an inspection can produce.

Corrected: May 29, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · May 6, 2024 · F-0689 · triggered by a complaint

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 (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 29, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

All citations in the current public record (43)

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
May 6, 2026	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.
May 6, 2026	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not educate residents and staff about COVID-19 vaccination, offer the vaccine to those eligible after that education, or properly document everyone's vaccination status.
May 6, 2026	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not label drugs according to professional standards or did not store them in locked compartments, with controlled drugs (medications with a high risk of misuse) kept under a separate lock.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate.
May 6, 2026	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.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide proper care for residents with a colostomy, urostomy, or ileostomy — surgical openings in the abdomen that let waste leave the body into a pouch. These require regular, skilled attention to stay clean and healthy.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide safe and appropriate pain management for a resident who needed it.
May 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep residents' medications free from unnecessary drugs. Residents should only take medicines they truly need, at the right dose, for a clear reason.
Mar 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility gave residents unnecessary mind-altering (psychotropic) medications, or used drugs in a way that restrained residents by dulling their ability to think, move, or function. · from a complaint
Mar 6, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. · from a complaint
Mar 6, 2026	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	The facility did not train its staff on dementia care and on recognizing and reporting abuse, neglect, and exploitation. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	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. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not provide each resident with a nourishing, tasty, well-balanced diet that meets their daily nutritional and special dietary needs. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards. · from a complaint
Jul 16, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop, carry out, or maintain an effective training program for all new and existing staff members. · from a complaint
Feb 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate.
Feb 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility allowed residents to lose the ability to do daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and eating — when there was no medical reason for the decline. Good care helps residents keep the abilities they have.
Feb 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · from a complaint
Feb 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline.
Feb 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Feb 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
May 6, 2024	▲ K · Immediate jeopardy, repeated	The facility did not prepare and serve food in a form that meets each resident's individual needs — for example, chopped, pureed, or softened food for residents with chewing or swallowing problems. · from a complaint
May 6, 2024	▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint
Feb 23, 2024	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.
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility transferred or discharged a resident without a valid reason, or failed to provide the required documentation and information when moving a resident out.
Feb 23, 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
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own.
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections.
Feb 23, 2024	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. · from a complaint
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not label drugs according to professional standards or did not store them in locked compartments, with controlled drugs (medications with a high risk of misuse) kept under a separate lock.
Feb 23, 2024	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.
Feb 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not have a working program to monitor how antibiotics are used. Tracking antibiotic use helps make sure these drugs are given only when needed and remain effective.
Sep 28, 2023	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not have enough support staff to safely and effectively run its food and nutrition service. · from a complaint
Sep 28, 2023	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	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. · from a complaint

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (6 → 11).

Year	Citations	Serious (G–L)	Worst severity that year
2023	2	0	F
2024	13	2	K ▲
2025	14	0	F
2026	14	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)

1 fine totaling $128,311.

Date	Type	Amount / length
May 6, 2024	Fine	$128,311

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

Measure	This facility	Indiana avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	4.22	3.42	3.95	top 10% in Indiana; top 31% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.66	0.62	0.69	top 35% in Indiana; top 40% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.88	3.01	3.50	top 9% in Indiana; top 26% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.45	0.47	0.48	top 42% in Indiana; top 40% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	60.5	45.9	45.8	bottom 12% in Indiana; bottom 16% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	75.0	40.4	42.9	bottom 5% in Indiana; bottom 9% 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 3.77, RN 0.59, weekend 3.46. Staffing rating: 3/5.

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: 4/5 · short-stay residents: 3/5

Who owns this facility

Government - County

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Cross, Cindy	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018
Engels, Erin	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2020
Engels, Erin	Individual	Trustee of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2020
Fenoughty, Deanna	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	07/10/2023
Fenoughty, Deanna	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/10/2023
Fletcher, Todd	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018
Gentry, Mark	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/12/2022
Gentry, Mark	Individual	Trustee of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/12/2022
Hendricks County Hospital	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	02/27/2025
Henry, Terry	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018
Kutemeier, Jillian	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	02/01/2025
Kutemeier, Jillian	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	02/01/2025
Lay, Lisa	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018
Life Care Centers of America, INC.	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018
Life Care Centers of America, INC.	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	03/14/2025
Preston, Aubrey	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	03/06/2025
Preston, Forrest	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018
Radadiya, Pragneshkumar	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	12/01/2023
Radadiya, Pragneshkumar	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	12/01/2023
Rensselaer Medical Investors, LLC	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2018

Questions to ask on your visit

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"How do you handle residents who need modified food textures, and how do you make those meals appetizing?"
"What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"How do you handle COVID-19 vaccination for residents and staff, and what happens during an outbreak?"
"Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
"If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
"Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
"How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
"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
George Ade Memorial Health Care Center	10.8 mi	Brook, IN	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Parkview Haven	13.9 mi	Francesville, IN	★★☆☆☆	3/5
Aperion Care Demotte	17.8 mi	Demotte, IN	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Oak Grove Christian Retirement Village	18.9 mi	Demotte, IN	★☆☆☆☆	1/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Rensselaer →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 155287.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Rensselaer Care Center

1309 E Grace St, Rensselaer, IN 47978 · 2198664181

Health inspection rating 1/5 · CMS overall 1/5· Fines (3y): $128,311

Most serious findings on record:

▲ May 6, 2024 (F-0805, Immediate jeopardy, repeated): The facility did not prepare and serve food in a form that meets each resident's individual needs — for example, chopped, pureed, or softened food for residents with chewing or swallowing problems.
▲ May 6, 2024 (F-0689, Immediate jeopardy, one-off): 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:

☐ "How do you handle residents who need modified food textures, and how do you make those meals appetizing?"
☐ "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "How do you handle COVID-19 vaccination for residents and staff, and what happens during an outbreak?"
☐ "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
☐ "If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
☐ "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
☐ "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
☐ "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?"

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 155287 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)