Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Life Care Center of Banner Elk
185 Norwood Hollow Road, Banner Elk, NC · (828) 898-5136
- Certified beds
- 118
- Residents per day
- 65
- Ownership
- For-Profit
- Chain
- Life Care Centers Of America
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicare + Medicaid
- Certified since
- October 1, 1981
1
How this home got 4 stars
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
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Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in North Carolina.
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Staffing
★★★★★no change
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
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Quality measures
★★★★★no change
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
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Overall
★★★★★4 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among North Carolina homes
Life Care Center of Banner Elk carries 13 inspection points. That is fewer than 72% of North Carolina's 415 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in North Carolina: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–4 pts
- 4★ 4–15 pts
- 3★ 15–35 pts
- 2★ 35–73.5 pts
- 1★ over 73.5 pts
Bars show every rated home in North Carolina by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
7 health citations on record since 2023. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
No citation on record at the harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
Everything else, by area of care
Quality of Life and Care4E
- D
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
- E
Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
- D
Try different approaches before using a bed rail. If a bed rail is needed, the facility must (1) assess a resident for safety risk; (2) review these risks and benefits with the resident/representative; (3) get informed consent; and (4) Correctly install and maintain the bed rail.
- D
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Pharmacy Service1D
- D
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
Infection Control1D
- D
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Resident Rights1D
- D
Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility.
Inspection history
2025-08-06
3 health deficiencies · 0 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Infection Control (1 deficiency)
2024-08-21
3 health deficiencies · 4 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (2 deficiencies)
2023-05-24
1 health deficiencies · 0 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (1 deficiency)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 3 h 12 min of nursing staff time a day, 26 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
3 h 12 min
North Carolina average
3 h 52 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 16% of nursing staff and 17% of registered nurses left in the past year.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days0.1 pts better | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days0.6 pts worse | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine7.6 pts better | 100.0% | 92.4% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine5.3 pts better | 100.0% | 94.7% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury3 pts worse | 6.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms8.9 pts worse | 15.7% | 6.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight3.6 pts better | 3.5% | 7.1% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication3.8 pts worse | 24.9% | 21.1% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication14.2 pts worse | 28.1% | 13.9% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrainedAbout the same | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened10.2 pts better | 6.4% | 16.6% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased5.5 pts better | 9.5% | 15.0% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder0.6 pts better | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection1.7 pts better | 0.4% | 2.1% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence3 pts better | 16.9% | 19.9% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers3.2 pts better | 2.2% | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine10.8 pts better | 92.3% | 81.5% | 82.3% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit3.9 pts worse | 16.6% | 12.7% | 11.8% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication0.7 pts better | 0.7% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine15.8 pts better | 96.9% | 81.1% | 80.1% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission0.3 pts worse | 22.5% | 22.2% | 23.4% |
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Who owns and runs it
23 owners and managers reported to CMS. The last column counts how many nursing homes each one is tied to.
Show ownership list
| Name | Role | Share | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barker, Joseph | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Barker, Joseph | Adp Of The SNF · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Cross, Cindy | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 183 facilities |
| Developers Investment Company Inc | Direct Ownership Interest · Organization | 0% | 71 facilities |
| Developers Investment Company Inc | Operational/Managerial Control · Organization | 0% | 71 facilities |
| Fletcher, Todd | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 165 facilities |
| Henry, Terry | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 159 facilities |
| Kilpatrick, Lynn | Managing Control - Governing Body · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Kilpatrick, Lynn | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Kilpatrick, Lynn | Adp Of The SNF · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Laws, Brandy | Managing Control - Governing Body · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Laws, Brandy | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Lay, Lisa | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 166 facilities |
| Life Care Centers Of America, Inc. | Operational/Managerial Control · Organization | 0% | 194 facilities |
| Life Care Centers Of America, Inc. | Adp Of The SNF · Organization | 0% | 194 facilities |
| Preston, Aubrey | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 162 facilities |
| Preston, Forrest | Indirect Ownership Interest · Individual | 0% | 170 facilities |
| Preston, Forrest | Adp Of The SNF · Individual | 0% | 170 facilities |
| Solomon, Jennifer | Managing Control - Governing Body · Individual | 0% | 29 facilities |
| Solomon, Jennifer | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 29 facilities |
| Swanker, Richard | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 168 facilities |
| Thurmond, Joan | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 191 facilities |
| Ziegler, James | Operational/Managerial Control · Individual | 0% | 165 facilities |
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Fire safety
4 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Egress1D
- D
Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
Smoke1D
- D
Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
Services1D
- D
Have properly installed electrical wiring and gas equipment.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems1D
- D
Meet requirements for the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.
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