Sandhills Care Center

Name: Sandhills Care Center
Address: 143 N Fullerton Street, Ainsworth, NE, 69210, US
Telephone: 4023871294

143 N Fullerton Street, Ainsworth, NE 69210 · Brown County · 46 certified beds · avg 29 residents/day · certified since Dec 23, 2016

2/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

4.85

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

Health inspection rating: ★★☆☆☆2/5 · CMS overall rating: 3/5

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 (22)

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 17, 2025	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	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.
Jun 17, 2025	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.
Jun 17, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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.
Jun 17, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
Jun 17, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
May 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.
May 23, 2024	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	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.
May 23, 2024	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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
May 23, 2024	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.
May 23, 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
May 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
May 23, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	When a resident had a planned discharge, the facility did not make sure the necessary information was communicated to the resident and to the doctors or facility taking over their care.
May 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.
May 23, 2024	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.
May 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.
May 23, 2024	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	The facility hired someone with an official finding of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or theft against them. Facilities are not allowed to employ people with such findings. · from a complaint
Oct 26, 2023	D · Potential for harm, 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
May 18, 2023	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist.
May 18, 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.
May 18, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not give residents proper notice about what Medicare or Medicaid covers, or about charges the resident might owe for services that aren't covered.
May 18, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	When a resident had a planned discharge, the facility did not make sure the necessary information was communicated to the resident and to the doctors or facility taking over their care.
May 18, 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.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections decreased between the last two inspection cycles (11 → 5).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2023	6	F
2024	11	F
2025	5	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)

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	Nebraska avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	4.85	4.33	3.95	top 27% in Nebraska; top 16% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.90	0.72	0.69	top 25% in Nebraska; top 21% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.93	3.79	3.50	top 38% in Nebraska; top 25% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.64	0.47	0.48	top 20% in Nebraska; top 20% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	0.0	48.7	45.8	—
RN turnover (%)	0.0	44.1	42.9	—

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 4.28, RN 0.79, 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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: —/5

Who owns this facility

Government - City/county

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Ainsworth Brown County Care Center	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	11/02/2016
Jacobs, Penny	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	02/08/2021
Jacobs, Penny	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	02/08/2021
Jones, Thomas	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2023
Mayhew, Sara	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2023
Mayhew, Sara	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2023
Wasmund, Kenneth	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	03/11/2024
Wasmund, Kenneth	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	03/11/2024

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
"What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
"Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
"Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
"What exactly do you hand off to the next provider when a resident is discharged, and how do you confirm they received it?"
"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
Rock County Hospital Long Term Care	15.9 mi	Bassett, NE	★★★★☆	3/5

Compare this facility with the 1 closest →

All facilities in Ainsworth →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 285298.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Sandhills Care Center

143 N Fullerton Street, Ainsworth, NE 69210 · 4023871294

Health inspection rating 2/5 · CMS overall 3/5· Fines (3y): $0

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
☐ "What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
☐ "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
☐ "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
☐ "What exactly do you hand off to the next provider when a resident is discharged, and how do you confirm they received it?"
☐ "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 285298 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)