Best Assisted Living in Georgia

Camellia Health & Rehabilitation is a 70-bed nonprofit nursing home in Claxton, Georgia, serving Evans County and the surrounding area. It has been operating since November 1976 — placing it among the longest-running skilled nursing facilities in the state at #39 out of 670. The facility offers long-term nursing care, memory care, and respite services under the administration of Tiffany Brook Hooks of Ethica Health.

CMS rates Camellia Health & Rehabilitation at 4 stars overall, with a Health Inspection score of 49% above the Georgia average and a Staffing score of 33% above it. Total nursing hours run 3 hours 56 minutes per resident per day, compared to Georgia’s average of 3 hours and 37 minutes. Weekend registered nurse coverage stands out at 34 minutes per resident per day — 70% above the state average, a meaningful indicator of sustained clinical presence on weekends.

The facility ranks 47th out of 190 Georgia nursing homes on adjusted nursing hours. Over the 8-year inspection window since 2017, the facility recorded 45 deficiencies — about 5.6 per year versus the Georgia average of 4.9. No critical or serious citations were issued in the last five years, compared to state averages of 0.7 and 0.5, respectively.

The August 2019 Federal Monitoring survey was the heaviest, citing six deficiencies across privacy, dental services, ADL care, food safety, and hand hygiene. The March 2023 standard health survey found the facility in full compliance. The most significant complaint in the record — substantiated in March 2025 — involved a failure to notify a resident’s family of a significant change in condition; a follow-up desk review in May confirmed correction. A May 2025 Life Safety survey found seven building-related issues, all of which were resolved by the June 2025 review, and no fines or enforcement actions appear in the available reports.

On-site therapy services include physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapy. The facility accepts Medicare and private pay, with an average length of stay of 135 days — consistent with a short-to-mid-term rehabilitation and long-term care mix. Secured living and memory care programming make the community a practical option for residents with cognitive decline. The occupancy rate is at 79%, in line with the statewide average of 78.1%.

Families who are evaluating Camellia Health & Rehabilitation should ask directly about the actions taken following the March 2025 complaint before making a placement decision.

Overview of Camellia Gardens of Life Care

Camellia Gardens of Life Care is an 83-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Thomasville, Georgia. It is privately owned by Daniel Aragon and operated by administrator Rhod Fenelus. Open since 1974, the facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, and offers 24-hour skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care programs.

CMS rates the facility 3 stars overall — a composite that is roughly 17% above the Georgia average. The individual components are stronger: Health Inspection earns 4 stars (about 12% above state average), Staffing earns 4 stars (78% above state average), and Quality Measures earns 4 stars (33% above state average). Total nursing hours run 3 hours and 47 minutes per resident per day, 5% above Georgia’s average of 3 hours and 37 minutes, with RN hours specifically running 35 minutes per day — 21% above the state benchmark. The occupancy rate is at 86%, meaningfully above the Georgia SNF average of 78%.

Inspection performance is the facility’s clearest area of concern. Across roughly 8 years, Camellia Gardens has recorded 49 deficiencies — 6.1 per year against a Georgia average of 4.9, about 24% worse than typical. The May 12, 2025 life safety survey was the most consequential recent inspection, citing 12 deficiencies: obstructed exits, malfunctioning self-closing doors, a blocked fire alarm pull station, improperly installed and dust-loaded sprinkler heads, missing ceiling tiles, and power strips on the floor.

The concurrent May 2025 standard survey added 8 more deficiencies covering pain management failures, fall prevention gaps, environmental cleanliness on 4 of 6 nursing units, and medication administration errors. A $7,000 civil money penalty followed.

The June 2025 follow-up verified correction of all but an unlabeled fire alarm circuit. The March 2023 recertification survey cited 10 deficiencies across life safety, environmental maintenance, medication storage, catheter care, and infection control. A June 2023 revisit confirmed those were corrected. Complaint investigations from 2023 and 2025 were unsubstantiated.

The facility offers amenities for short- and long-term residents: a Community Re-Entry Program supports residents returning home after rehabilitation, a Fine Dining Program and certified dietitian anchor nutritional care, and landscaped grounds with courtyards provide outdoor access. A full-time certified activity director plans daily activities.

Camellia Gardens is suited for families seeking an experienced, locally rooted SNF for post-acute Medicare rehab or longer-term skilled nursing — particularly those with dementia care needs. Families evaluating this facility should review the corrective actions from the 2025 surveys before placement.

Briarwood Health and Rehabilitation Center is a 100-bed skilled nursing facility in Tucker, Georgia, privately owned and operated by Baren Akers under Harborview Health Services. It is located 0.3 miles from Tucker’s city center and near both Emory Decatur Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital. The facility offers 24-hour skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, cardiac management, and respite services. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

Briarwood holds a 3-star CMS overall rating, and its strongest domain is health inspections — the facility’s 6-year deficiency rate of 3 per year is 39% below the Georgia average of 4.9, a meaningful gap. The 2021 standard and licensure surveys found no deficiencies, and the facility has been clean on routine surveys since 2019.

The deficiency clusters are concentrated in 2017–2018. A July 2017 abbreviated survey cited food palatability issues affecting four residents; the August 2018 routine survey found two deficiencies in infection control (a C. diff contact-precautions lapse) and airflow mattress maintenance; and a concurrent Life Safety survey cited four fire-safety items including sprinkler documentation and smoke compartment integrity.

All were corrected on follow-up. The February 2020 standard survey cited one deficiency for privacy, specifically clinical information visible on posted room signs. No fines, immediate jeopardy findings, or enforcement actions appear in the record. Numerous complaint investigations across the period were unsubstantiated.

The facility’s staffing is where the 3-star overall rating loses ground. Nurse hours run 3 hours and 21 minutes per resident per day — about 8% below the Georgia average of 3 hours and 37 minutes — placing the facility 96th out of 190 Georgia nursing homes on adjusted staffing. Weekend coverage dips to 3 hours and 14 minutes. Residents who require consistent, attentive nursing presence should factor this in.

Differentiators include the Esteem Salons program (five-day-a-week beautician and barber access), Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and cardiac management alongside standard rehabilitation services. The occupancy rate is high at 95%, compared to a Georgia average of 78.1%, suggesting consistent demand.

Briarwood Health and Rehabilitation Center suits residents who need post-acute rehabilitation or long-term skilled nursing near the Emory Decatur corridor. Families who are evaluating this facility should ask directly about the actions taken following the 2017 and 2018 survey findings before making a placement decision.

Jonesboro Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a 129-bed skilled nursing facility in Jonesboro, Georgia, offering rehabilitation services, memory care, and long-term care to residents in Clayton County. The facility is privately owned by Marcus Oates and has been continuously operating for 33 years. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay admissions.

CMS rates the facility 4 stars overall, with a Health Inspection score 49.3% above the Georgia average — the strongest driver of the overall rating. Across standard surveys from 2020 through 2025, the facility recorded no immediate jeopardy findings, federal fines, or license actions. The March 2025 survey cited nine deficiencies across health, fire safety, and licensure; a May 2025 reinspection confirmed that all had been corrected. The 2023 inspection cycle carried a heavier citation load, resulting in 24 deficiencies across Life Safety Code, standard, and licensure surveys — though, again, without enforcement action.

Staffing averages 3 hours and 53 minutes of total nursing care per resident per day, ranking 47th out of 190 Georgia skilled nursing facilities and running about 11% below the state average. Quality Measures scores sit at the Georgia average.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 100%, well above Georgia’s average of 78.1%, indicating consistent demand. The facility’s payer mix skews toward Medicare (22% of new admissions), with a 114-day average length of stay that reflects a blend of post-acute rehabilitation and longer-term placements. An active Resident Council meets regularly to address quality of care and facility policies.

Jonesboro Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is best suited for residents seeking post-acute rehabilitation or memory care in Clayton County. It suits families who weigh inspection record and consistent demand as placement signals over staffing ratios.

Overview of Pruitthealth – Marietta

PruittHealth – Marietta is a 119-bed skilled nursing facility in Marietta, Georgia, offering a continuum of care that includes skilled nursing, rehabilitation, memory care, hospice and palliative care, and respite care. The facility is operated by Joy Powers and is part of the broader PruittHealth network. It serves Cobb County residents and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

The facility holds a 2-star overall CMS rating, with staffing as the primary drag — nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 8 minutes per resident per day, placing it 128th out of 190 Georgia nursing homes. Quality measures are a meaningful counterweight, performing 66% above the Georgia average.

Over the past nine years, the facility has averaged 6.3 deficiencies per year, about 29% above the Georgia mean. The October 2022 standard survey was the most consequential in the record, citing nine deficiencies, including failure to prevent and timely report a sexual abuse allegation and insufficient nurse staffing across multiple shifts. A January 2025 recertification survey found five deficiencies, including a resident injury caused by inadequate staffing during a mechanical lift transfer and a care planning failure. The most recent inspection, completed March 11, 2025, found no deficiencies, with all previously cited items confirmed corrected. No fines or enforcement actions appear in the available reports.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 82%, above the Georgia average of 78.1%. About 27% of incoming residents are short-term Medicare rehabilitation admissions; the facility also carries a long-term care census, and CMS characterizes it as a mixed rehab-and-long-term-care setting. Rehabilitation services and a mental health service worker are available on-site.

PruittHealth – Marietta is best suited for residents seeking post-acute rehabilitation or longer-term skilled nursing care in Marietta, with quality-measure performance well above state norms offset by staffing levels and an inspection record that has shown recent improvement but carries a heavier-than-average seven-year cumulative total.

Overview of Pruitthealth – Rome

PruittHealth – Rome is a 100-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Rome, Georgia, offering skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, and respite services to residents in Floyd County. It is operated by Donna Clark, is part of the PruittHealth network, and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

CMS rates the facility 2 stars overall — 22% below the Georgia average — with the Health Inspection sub-rating as the primary driver. The most recent standard survey, conducted in January 2025, cited 11 deficiencies spanning infection control, care planning, psychotropic medication communication, and kitchen sanitation; a March 2025 re-inspection confirmed all cited deficiencies had been corrected. Over the seven-year window, the facility averages 4.7 deficiencies per year, roughly 4% below the Georgia average of 4.9. No fines, immediate jeopardy findings, or enforcement actions appear in the record, and all complaint investigations were unsubstantiated.

Staffing and quality measures tell a different story. Nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 25 minutes per resident per day — slightly below the Georgia average of 3 hours and 37 minutes — but the facility’s CMS staffing rating is 33% above the state average on an acuity-adjusted basis, and quality measures are 66% above the Georgia average, reflecting strong outcomes in areas like hospital readmissions and functional improvement.

PruittHealth – Rome holds an AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award. Rehabilitation services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy with outpatient access; the broader PruittHealth network also offers on-site infusion, pharmacy, and medical supply services. The facility’s occupancy rate is 94%, well above Georgia’s average of 78%, indicating consistent demand.

The facility is best suited for residents in the Rome area who need short-stay Medicare rehabilitation and post-acute skilled nursing care, with memory care capacity for those with longer-term needs.

Overview of Westwood Healthcare and Rehabilitation

Westwood Healthcare and Rehabilitation is a 60-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation community in Statesboro, Bryan County, Georgia, offering short-term post-acute rehabilitation, long-term care, memory care, and respite stays. The facility is privately owned and operated by Laura White.

The inspection record warrants attention. Over six standard inspections between 2020 and 2025, the facility averaged 13 deficiencies per year — roughly 165% above the Georgia average of 4.9.

The May 2025 recertification survey found the facility out of substantial compliance, with citations spanning environmental sanitation, care plan implementation, life safety code violations, and failure to follow physician orders for oxygen administration. One of the four complaints investigated that month was substantiated. A June 2025 revisit confirmed all cited deficiencies had been corrected.

CMS rates the facility 3 stars overall, with a Health Inspection sub-rating about 12% above the Georgia average — a measure that reflects the three most recent standard surveys. Quality Measures is 34% below the state average, the clearest drag on the overall score. Nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 15 minutes per resident per day, roughly 10% below the Georgia average of 3 hours and 37 minutes.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 97%, compared with a Georgia average of 78%, ranking 17th out of 315 Georgia skilled nursing facilities — a signal of consistent local demand. The facility accepts Medicare and Medicaid and offers physical, occupational, and speech therapy, along with a wound care program and discharge planning services.

Westwood serves residents seeking short-term post-acute rehabilitation or long-term skilled nursing care in the Statesboro area, with availability more constrained than that of most Georgia peers given the near-capacity census.