Best Assisted Living in Mississippi

Pine Forest Health and Rehabilitation is a 120-bed skilled nursing facility at 1116 Forest Avenue, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, operated by William Orand Jr. as a privately owned facility. The nursing home offers memory care and rehabilitation services with individualized care plans, though nursing hours of 2 hours 41 minutes per resident per day fall below standard benchmarks for facilities of comparable size and acuity. Occupancy stands at 73 percent, lower than Mississippi’s state average of 82.3 percent.

The facility does not accept Medicare or Medicaid, serving only private-pay residents.

Pine Forest’s regulatory record has deteriorated sharply in 2025. A December 9, 2025 complaint investigation substantiated an actual-harm deficiency (F 0689) stemming from a preventable safety failure on November 3, 2025. While loading a wheelchair-dependent resident onto the facility van’s liftgate for transport to dialysis, certified nursing aide #3 failed to lock both wheels of the wheelchair. As the platform was elevated, the wheelchair rolled backward off the lift and the resident fell onto the concrete driveway below.

The resident sustained a fractured right scapula and multiple rib fractures across ribs 3 through 8, requiring hospitalization. The facility’s Van Operation Standard policy explicitly mandates locking wheelchair brakes before lift operation; the aide’s failure to follow this basic procedure violated established protocol. The aide was terminated following the incident.

Two months earlier, on September 4, 2025, a separate complaint investigation cited the facility for two minimal-harm deficiencies related to activity engagement. Deficiency F 0656 documented that the facility failed to implement care plans for two of two sampled residents regarding structured activities; deficiency F 0679 found the facility failed to provide activities designed to meet residents’ physical and mental needs. State surveyors observed both residents sitting inactive in the dayroom for hours without access to planned activities, including during times when facility-wide activities were occurring. The Activities Director acknowledged the oversight, while the Director of Nursing conceded a lack of staff follow-through on activity interventions outlined in residents’ care plans.

Mississippi’s Department of Health oversees licensing.

Families should ask about safety and supervision practices following the November 2025 fall incident, corrective measures taken to ensure wheelchair-transport procedures are followed.

Perry County Nursing Center is a 60-bed nursing home in Richton, Perry County, Mississippi. Dorothy Duckworth administers. The facility is CMS-certified, accepts Medicare and Medicaid. Staffing disclosure is incomplete.

RN hours: 23 minutes per day (39% below Mississippi average of 38 minutes), substantially below state norm for clinical oversight. LPN hours: 1 hour 9 minutes per day (5% above state average, 1 hour 6 minutes), slightly above average for routine care. Nurse Aide: 2 hours 19 minutes (7% below state average). Weekend RN hours: 12 minutes (45% below state average of 22 minutes), materially reduced clinical presence on weekends.

Total estimated nursing hours approximately 3 hours 51 minutes, 11% below state average. Physical therapy: 1 minute per day (50% below state average).

Quality measures show mixed outcomes. Long-stay hospitalizations: 2.51 per 1,000 days (in line with state average); ED visits: 2.09 per 1,000 days (27% better than state). Short-stay re-hospitalization: 30.5% (9% worse than state average); ED visits: 15.9% (in line with state); falls with major injury: 0.0% (100% better than state); discharge functional ability: 63.3% (18% better than state). Short-stay falls and discharge outcomes are above average; short-stay re-hospitalization is slightly below average.

The facility does not provide resident census, revenue, payroll, or profit information. Occupancy is stated as “in line with Mississippi average” (approximately 82.3%), but exact percentage is not given. Facilities operating sustainably typically disclose financial data; absence of disclosure raises questions about financial stability.

Services listed: Rehabilitation, Short-term Rehab, Healthcare.

Walk score 45 indicates moderate walkability.

The facility does not disclose: exact address, ownership entity, operator name, occupancy rate, CMS ratings in any category, inspection history, financial data, amenities, operating hours, or detailed care protocols. RN staffing is 39% below state average, with weekend RN hours 45% below average. Families should request direct disclosure of complete street address; ownership and operator information; current occupancy rate and resident census; CMS overall, health inspection, staffing, and quality ratings; complete inspection records; financial statements; detailed staffing model and daily protocols; amenity list and activity schedule; and facility operating hours.

Families evaluating Perry County Nursing Center face significant transparency gaps; without transparent disclosure, families cannot adequately assess quality or suitability for placement.

Overview of Ocean Springs Health and Rehabilitation Center

Ocean Springs Health and Rehabilitation Center is a 115-bed nursing home at 1199 Ocean Springs Road, Ocean Springs, Jackson County, Mississippi. Michael Albert owns the facility. LLC James T. Williams administers.

CMS-certified, accepts Medicare and Medicaid. CMS CCN 255142. Privately-owned. 1-star overall rating.

The 1-star rating reflects severe structural deficiencies despite paradoxical quality measure excellence. Health Inspection: 2 stars, 29.3% below state average. Staffing: 1 star, 69.4% below state average. Quality Measures: 5 stars, 38.2% above state average.

This contradiction demands explanation: facilities with 1-star staffing and 2-star health inspections do not typically achieve 5-star quality outcomes.

Staffing is critically depleted. Total nursing hours: 1 hour 19 minutes per resident per day; 70% below state average (4 hours 20 minutes) and far below the 3.5-hour national red-flag threshold. This represents approximately one-third of state norms and one-fifth of adequately staffed facilities. Weekend nursing: 1 hour 1 minute (71% below state average).

Staff-to-resident ratio: 1.23:1 (27% worse than state average). RN count 10, LPN count 22, CNA count 54 across 115 beds, indicating single-digit RN coverage for an entire large facility. Payroll 39% of revenue is low for adequately staffed nursing homes (typical 55-65%), confirming systematic understaffing.

Inspection record is troubling. Five inspections in four years yielded 29 citations (71% above state average of 16.9), 5.8 per inspection (51% above state average). Two critical citations (100% worse than state). Deficiency themes: Resident Rights (7), Quality of Life & Care (7), Administration (4), Abuse/Neglect (3), Infection Control (2).

September 2025 inspection identified dignity violations, inadequate care assistance, privacy failures, food safety breaches, and infection control deficiencies. Complaint investigations substantiated abuse prevention failures, emergency response gaps, and supervision inadequacies, including a resident elopement with immediate jeopardy designation.

Quality measures show exceptional long-stay outcomes: Pressure ulcers 87% below state average, UTI rates 87% better, functional decline 25% better. Short-stay outcomes mixed: vaccine rates above average, but antipsychotic increase 27% worse than state. Depressive symptoms 314% worse than state average.

The extreme contradiction between 1-star staffing and 5-star quality outcomes is difficult to reconcile. Either outcome reporting is inflated, or exceptional care management is somehow occurring despite severely inadequate staffing. Both scenarios warrant scrutiny.

Financial metrics show profitability: $725.3K profit (5.7% margin), occupancy 85.8% (above state average), 4 penalties in 3 years ($38K total). Occupancy has recovered from 72% (2022) to 85.8%, suggesting increased census despite compliance challenges.

Families evaluating Ocean Springs should understand that 1-star staffing with 1 hour 19 minutes per resident per day and 2-star health inspection performance directly contradicts 5-star quality outcomes. The contradiction itself raises questions about data reliability and care consistency.

Direct inquiry should address: staffing model justification for 1 hour 19 minutes nursing hours; care protocols sustaining quality outcomes despite minimal RN presence; audit processes validating quality measure reporting; details of September 2025 inspection findings and elopement incident; corrective action status; explanation of depressive symptoms 314% worse than state; and specific metrics supporting 5-star quality rating.

Families should request detailed explanation of how quality outcomes are being achieved with 70% below-average nursing hours. Tour and independently verify.

Oak Grove Retirement Home is a 60-bed nursing home in Duncan, Bolivar County, Mississippi. Glynn B. Standifer administers. CMS-certified, privately-owned.

Accepts Medicaid only; no Medicare or private pay.

Overall rating 1 star (60.9% below state). Health Inspection 2 stars (29.3% below). Staffing 2 stars (38.8% below). Quality Measures 1 star (53.9% below); consistent underperformance across every category.

Staffing is compromised. Total nursing hours: 3 hours 38 minutes per resident per day (16% below state average, ranked 87th of 100 MS facilities). RN critically low at 20 minutes per day (47% below state average); a single RN cannot provide meaningful clinical oversight to 60-bed facility. LPN 55 minutes (17% below state).

CNA 1 hour 52 minutes (25% below state). Weekend nursing 2 hours 55 minutes (17% below state). Only metric exceeding state average: RN weekend hours 24 minutes (9% above), a minor exception that does not offset systematic understaffing elsewhere.

Quality outcomes are troubling. Long-stay hospitalizations 2.88 per 1,000 days (18% worse than state average 2.44). ED visits 3.74 per 1,000 days (30% worse than state average 2.88). Substantially elevated rates in both metrics suggest inadequate preventive care, delayed condition recognition, or management gaps.

These outcome patterns are consistent with understaffing.

Walk score 15 (car-dependent).

Programs listed: Short-Term Rehabilitation, Long-Term Care Services, Palliative and Hospice Stays, Rehab-to-Home Program. No detail on therapy credentials, program scope, eligibility criteria, or staffing model. Hospice program mentioned without staffing or qualifications detail.

Medicaid-only acceptance is significant: the facility is restricted to Medicaid residents, a population often more vulnerable and less able to pay out-of-pocket for care gaps. Combined with RN staffing 47% below state and quality outcomes substantially worse than state average, this creates a concerning care profile.

Families evaluating Oak Grove face substantial transparency gaps and poor performance signals. The facility does not disclose: complete street address, occupancy rate, inspection history, financial data, detailed staffing model, owner/operator information, or explanation of quality outcome disparities. CMS ratings show 1-star overall and 1-star quality measures. RN staffing 20 minutes per day is inadequate.

Hospitalization rate 18% worse than state; ED visits 30% worse than state.

Families should request: complete address; inspection records; occupancy; financial statements; detailed staffing model; explanation of hospitalization and ED rates; and Medicaid-only protocols. Request a tour.

Magnolia Senior Care is a 60-bed nursing home at 3701 Peter Quinn Drive, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi. Operated by Magnolia Senior Care, LLC; privately-owned. Accepts Medicaid only. CMS-certified.

Occupancy 79% (47 of 60 beds), similar to state average of 82.3%. Staffing near state average: 4 hours 17 minutes per resident per day (1% below Mississippi benchmark of 4 hours 20 minutes); adequate baseline staffing without standout excellence or deficiency.

Care model centers on skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Programs: Skilled Nursing Care, Long Term Options, Short Term Rehabilitation, Life Enriching Activities, Wound Care Services, Tube Feeding, Pain Management, Diabetes Management. Service breadth suggests comprehensive acute and chronic care management. Wound care and tube feeding indicate capability for complex residents.

Life enrichment appears integral rather than supplemental.

Amenities reflect resident-centered approach. Eleven listed: Life Enrichment Activities, Arts and Crafts, Exercise, Games, Entertainment, Hair Salon, Full Southern Specialty Menu, Bar-B-Que Cookouts, Family Dinners, Birthday Celebrations, Ice Cream Socials. Dining options include Southern specialty menu, cookouts, and family events. Hair salon and entertainment suggest attention to dignity and social engagement.

Medicaid-only payer model is defining. The facility serves exclusively Medicaid residents, a population often with complex needs and limited family resources for supplemental care. No disclosure of financial performance, payroll allocation, or revenue structure prevents assessment of sustainability under Medicaid-dependent model.

Location 5.7 miles from city center indicates suburban Jackson location, accessible by vehicle but not walkable.

Magnolia Senior Care presents as a Medicaid-focused, amenity-conscious community with adequate baseline staffing. The absence of disclosed CMS ratings, inspection history, and quality outcomes limits transparency. Staffing at 4 hours 17 minutes aligns with state average but offers no basis for distinction. Medicaid-only model concentrates financial risk and limits cross-subsidization.

Detailed amenity and service listings suggest resident engagement priority; actual implementation and quality cannot be verified without outcome data.

Families considering Magnolia should request: CMS ratings in all four categories (overall, health inspection, staffing, quality measures); complete inspection records past three years with all citations and deficiencies; penalty and fine history; current occupancy and detailed resident census; financial statements and evidence of financial stability; detailed staffing model and nursing protocols; outcome measures for hospitalization, falls, pressure ulcers, and ED visits; and explanation of Medicaid-only payer model sustainability.

Families should tour and verify program delivery directly, and request references from current residents or families.

Lawrence County Nursing Center is a 60-bed nursing home in Mississippi.

Rehabilitation Services stated as available. Memory Care offered. Programs listed as Healthcare and Short-term Rehabilitation.

Payer model restricted. Medicaid not accepted. Medicare not accepted. Accepted insurance types are not known.

Families evaluating this facility face an insurmountable information gap, and families should request immediate disclosure of missing information.

Landmark of Collins is a 60-bed nursing home at 1315 South Fir Street, Collins, Covington County, Mississippi. Robert Aaron Collins administers. CMS-certified; accepts Medicare and Medicaid. Walk score 49.

Staffing is near state average with expected weekend reduction. RN 36 minutes per day (5% below state), LPN 1 hour 2 minutes (6% below), CNA 2 hours 21 minutes (5% below), weekend total 3 hours 13 minutes (9% below). The only notable gap is RN weekend coverage at 16 minutes, 27% below state average. Physical therapy is minimal at 1 minute per day.

Overall, staffing is adequate on weekdays with slightly compressed clinical presence on weekends.

Quality outcomes show a telling pattern. Long-stay ED visits are elevated at 4.06 per 1,000 days, 41% worse than state average. This suggests either more acute conditions entering the facility, or delayed intervention on developing complications. Short-stay ED visits are worse: 20.7% experienced emergency visits, 35% worse than state.

Short-stay re-hospitalization is 31%, 11% worse than state. These three metrics cluster together: short-stay residents experience more emergencies and readmissions than typical for Mississippi facilities.

On the positive side, discharge outcomes are strong. Ability to care for self at discharge: 70.2%, 31% above state average. Return to home: 53.2%, 5% above state. Falls with major injury: 0.7%, better than state.

This pattern of strong rehabilitation outcomes but high ED utilization raises a question: residents may be returning home safely and functionally, but their hospital course while at the facility is more complicated than typical.

Care model emphasizes short-term rehabilitation with stated focus on recovery. Programs listed as Short-term Rehab only. Amenities and activity scheduling not detailed.

Landmark of Collins maintains adequate baseline staffing with a specific vulnerability: weekend RN coverage is markedly reduced (27% below state). The clinical picture is mixed: strong rehabilitation discharge outcomes but notably elevated ED utilization in both long-stay (41% worse) and short-stay (35% worse) populations. This combination suggests either selective admission of higher-acuity residents with good discharge potential, or gaps in preventive care management that drive emergency visits.

Families should ask directly: Why are ED visit rates 41% worse than state for long-stay and 35% worse for short-stay? What protocols address acute condition recognition given reduced weekend RN coverage? Request CMS ratings; inspection records for the past three years; explanation of the ED visit spike and re-hospitalization patterns; detailed staffing model and weekend protocols; current occupancy and census trends; financial statements and operational stability; and quality improvement initiatives.

Families should request a tour and, if possible, speak with current residents about their experience with emergency response and off-hours access to clinical staff.

Bedford Care Center of Mendenhall is a 60-bed skilled nursing facility at 925 West Mangum Avenue, Mendenhall, Simpson County, MS, administered by Robert Martin under ownership by Bedford Health Properties, LLC. The facility is highly rated for compliance and operational management, with a 5-star overall CMS rating reflecting strong health inspection (5 stars, 95% above state average) and staffing performance (5 stars, 77% above state average). Across three inspections since 2021, the facility accumulated only 6 deficiencies (87% fewer than the state average of 45), with zero critical and zero serious violations. Five moderate citations covered oxygen therapy management, food storage and labeling, infection control, care planning, and quality of care measures, all marked corrected.

A November 2025 complaint investigation found a CNA had removed a resident’s cellphone without permission, violating resident rights. One substantiated staff misconduct case resulted in termination and facility retraining. The facility received a $22,000 penalty and 13-day Medicare and Medicaid payment denial in December 2023.

Staffing exceeds state benchmarks on several metrics. Total nursing hours per resident per day stand at 5 hours 25 minutes (25% above state average of 4 hours 20 minutes), ranking the facility 14th of 100 in Mississippi. Weekend total nursing is 3 hours 46 minutes (7% above state average), with weekend RN coverage at 25 minutes (14% above state average of 22 minutes), indicating maintained clinical coverage outside regular business hours. Registered nurse hours at 35 minutes per resident per day run 8% below state average, as do LPN (1 hour 2 minutes, 6% below) and CNA hours (2 hours 14 minutes, 10% below).

Physical therapist availability is minimal at 1 minute per day (50% below state average). Occupancy is robust at 94% (12% above state average), and the facility is ranked 17th of 101 for occupancy statewide, signaling strong local demand. Average length of stay is 146 days, reflecting the facility’s emphasis on short-term rehabilitation for Medicare beneficiaries (53% of admissions) and private pay residents (42%).

Long-stay quality outcomes reveal significant gaps. Hospitalization rates at 4.27 per 1,000 days (75% worse than state average 2.44) and emergency department visits at 5.42 per 1,000 days (88% worse than state average 2.88) suggest either higher-acuity admissions or challenges in preventive care management. Walking ability declined in 47.1% of long-stay residents (92% worse than state average), and incontinence among low-risk residents affected 32% (49% worse than state average). Depressive symptoms were documented in 14.6% of long-stay residents (841% worse than the state average of 1.5%), and 39.3% received antipsychotic medications (85% worse than state average of 21.2%), indicating systematic reliance on psychiatric medication that warrants clinical review.

Preventive care strengths include pneumococcal and influenza vaccination rates at 100%, pressure ulcer rates at 3.4% (52% better than state), and urinary tract infection rates at 1.1% (56% better than state).

Short-stay rehabilitation outcomes are mixed. Re-hospitalization occurred in 35.6% of post-SNF residents (28% worse than state average 27.9%), and successful return to home or community was 39.3% (22% worse than state average 50.6%), suggesting that functional discharge planning or post-acute care coordination may need strengthening. Emergency department utilization in short-stay was 23% (50% worse than state average 15.3%). However, short-stay medication stewardship is notably strong: zero residents newly started on antipsychotic medications (100% better than state average 2.5%), and influenza vaccination was 100% (18% better than state average 84.6%).

Financially, the facility operates on a razor-thin 0.2% profit margin ($17K on $8.7M revenue), with payroll at 43.5% of revenue, ranked 88th of 101 facilities and substantially below the healthy 55-65% range. This compressed margin and low payroll percentage relative to revenue suggest either organizational efficiency or potential understaffing pressure. Staff-to-resident ratio is strong at 2.69:1 (59% better than state average), though 26% of total staffing hours derive from contract labor.

The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, with average length of stay of 146 days dominated by short-term rehabilitation stays. Walk score of 40 places the facility in somewhat walkable territory, with most trips requiring transportation.

Given the high antipsychotic use rate and depressive symptom prevalence in long-stay residents, clarification on psychiatric medication review processes and non-pharmacological behavioral management approaches is warranted before placement.

Families considering Bedford should ask directly about current protocols for infection prevention, resident belongings protection, and staff training frequency on these topics.

Highland Home (Madison Community Care Center) is a 120-bed nursing home at 638 Highland Colony, Ridgeland, Madison County, Mississippi. Jennifer Micello administers. Parkway Center LLC owns the facility. Walk score 3 (car-dependent).

1.6 miles from city center.

The facility offers rehabilitation services and short-term rehab. Dining is described as “nutritious, appetizing meals carefully prepared and served in a clean and comfortable dining room.”

Families should request: staffing model and nursing hours; CMS ratings; complete inspection records; occupancy and census; quality outcome measures; financial statements; care protocols; and amenities.

Heritage House Nursing Center is a 60-bed nursing home at 3103 Wisconsin Avenue, Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi. Melissa Crump administers. Vicksburg, LLC owns the facility. It is CMS-certified, and accepts Medicare and Medicaid.

Walk score 74 (very walkable). The facility is located within the city center. It was awarded the bronze prize from the American Health Care Association.

Staffing near or slightly below state average. RN 36 minutes (5% below state). LPN 57 minutes (14% below state). CNA 2 hours 15 minutes (9% below state).

Weekend nursing 3 hours 11 minutes (9% below state). RN weekend 18 minutes (18% below state). Physical Therapist 1 minute (50% below state).

Quality measures show strength in hospitalization and ED visit prevention. Long-stay hospitalizations 1.97 per 1,000 days (19% better than state). ED visits 2.34 (19% better than state). Short-stay re-hospitalization 18.3% (34% better than state).

ED visits 9.7% (37% better than state). Discharge functional ability 59.7% (11% better than state). Return to home 57.9% (15% better than state). Falls with major injury 2.7% (247% worse than state average).

Rehabilitation Services and Short-Term Rehab offered. Activities provided. Dining described as “nutritious, appetizing meals carefully prepared and served in a clean and comfortable dining room.”

Families should request: staffing model and nursing protocols; CMS ratings; inspection records; occupancy and census; financial statements; explanation of elevated fall rates; and care protocols.