Best Nursing Homes in Madison, WI

Badger Prairie Health Care Center is a nursing home in Verona, WI, offering long-term care, memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing. With a nurturing and welcoming environment, the community ensures older adults are well-cared for. Excellent services, including 24-hour care, nutritious meals, and comprehensive therapies, are also provided to meet residents’ needs and preferences. Dedicated to residents’ holistic wellness, personalized care plans are also provided.

Light exercises, fun events, and a variety of activities help enhance residents’ cognition and encourage them to live actively. Residents can also relax and focus on their recovery with spacious rooms and cozy communal spaces. Located near Badger Prairie County Park, restaurants, and public transportation in Verona, the community guarantees a convenient lifestyle. This nursing home has exceptional standards of care that aim to help older adults thrive, making it one of the best options for senior living in Wisconsin.

Overview of Sun Prairie Senior Living

Sun Prairie Senior Living is a haven for seniors looking for elevated and unparalleled care options in Wisconsin. With advanced clinical care, skilled nursing, long-term care, and rehabilitation options available around the clock, the staff is always friendly and willing to help. They also offer assisted living services for those who prefer more independence. In addition to their clinical excellence, they offer social services and case management, respite care, and adult day care services.

Families of residents can rest assured that the move-in process will be smooth, with assistance provided as needed. The facility also offers transportation services, chef-prepared meals, laundry and trash services, and most importantly, 24-hour emergency maintenance for residents’ safety. There are also plenty of amenities to enjoy, such as an outdoor barbecue area, well-maintained grounds, airy outdoor nooks, a beauty and barber salon, and inviting common spaces with fireplaces and flat-screen TVs. Sun Prairie Senior Living understands that seniors are multi-layered human beings and strive to respect and listen to them, making sure they feel at home. 

Overview of Four Winds Manor

Four Winds Manor is a privately owned nursing facility located in Verona, Wisconsin. It’s a highly rated and operated skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and assisted living facility that strives to provide exceptional care and treatment to its residents. With a variety of living arrangements, Four Winds Manor encourages its residents to maintain their autonomy while still involving their families and friends in their lives.

The facility provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with 24-hour care, comfortable private and semi-private accommodations, and individualized care planning. Regular health assessments, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, are also available. A registered dietitian is present to ensure that each resident receives a well-balanced meal plan that meets their dietary needs. At Four Winds Manor, they believe that seniors should have the freedom to live their lives on their terms. They create a resident-centered environment where they actively listen to the resident’s needs and preferences, working to help them achieve maximum functionality and independence.

St. Mary’s Care Center is a faith-based nursing home in Madison, WI, that offers long-term care and short-term rehabilitation. Top-notch support is also provided to meet residents’ healthcare needs, ensuring they can recover with ease. The community also participates in Medicare and Medicaid to ease financial burdens.

Recreational activities and light exercises are also conducted to keep residents active and socially connected. With physical, occupational, and speech therapy, residents can live to their potential in retirement. The nursing home’s wide range of care options and state-of-the-art amenities create the ideal setting where older adults can find the care they need.

Overview of Edgerton Care Center

Wisconsin Illinois Senior Housing Inc operates Edgerton Care Center as a 61-bed nonprofit nursing home in Edgerton, Wisconsin, under the administration of Amy Ramirez. Located at 313 Stoughton Road, 29.1 miles south of Madison, the facility provides skilled nursing, hospice, and respite services to residents on Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay bases. The community serves residents with an average length of stay of 126 days and maintains 55% occupancy, which is significantly lower than the Wisconsin average of 70%. The facility has been in operation since November 2017.

The nearest hospital, Edgerton Hospital and Health Services, is 1.76 miles away. A walk score of 31 indicates somewhat walkable surroundings requiring transportation for most trips.

Total nursing hours average 4 hours 59 minutes/day; 18% above average, with licensed practical nurses delivering 1 hour 4 minutes per resident/day (68% above state) and certified nursing aides providing 3 hours 24 minutes/day (32% above state). Physical therapy reaches 7 minutes/day per resident, 75% above baseline. The facility’s 4.82:1 staff-to-resident ratio dramatically exceeds Wisconsin’s 2.48:1 average. Contractors represent 65% of the 217-person workforce.

Despite staffing strength, CMS rates the facility 1 star overall; 66.8% below state, and 1 star for health inspection (63.9% below). Quality Measures rate 2 stars.

Eight health inspections since 2023 identified 56 deficiencies, 367% above average. Two critical citations have been issued, alongside two serious citations.

Substantiated complaint investigations document physical abuse by agency staff with bruising and skin tears, a sexual abuse allegation where facility failed to remove accused staff from resident access, injury during transfer with three-day physician notification delay, and inadequate abuse investigations across five residents.

Food safety violations include unsafe serving temperatures; COVID-19 outbreak detection failure; improper restraint use confining mobility; delayed hospital transfer for bleeding; and resident discharge violations including refused readmission after hospitalization and 73-day delayed refunds.

One $67,000 penalty was assessed.

Occupancy fell 16.6 percentage points from 2022, and the facility operates at a -$1.0 million deficit.

Long-stay depression rates of 0.7% run 86% better than average, and weight loss approaches zero, yet short-stay emergency department visits reach 29.0%; 93% worse than state peers, and long-stay hospitalizations exceed state norms by 129%.

Despite above-average staffing investment and favorable per-resident hours, Edgerton Care Center’s compliance failures in abuse prevention, discharge procedures, food safety, and resident protection create a pattern inconsistent with adequate oversight and resident safeguarding.

Overview of The Bay at Belmont Health and Rehabilitation Center

The Bay at Belmont Health and Rehabilitation Center stands as one of the premier health and rehabilitation centers in Madison. It’s a comprehensive community that presents a resort-like lifestyle with its world-class hospitality offered to each unique individual with personal needs. The health and rehabilitation center’s nursing approach is focused on comprehensive therapies that contribute to a speedy recovery. The Bay creates an atmosphere where residents thrive and is enriched with quality skilled nursing care offered.  

The Bay offers a range of skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, long-term care, and memory care services. Amenities include a library, a courtyard, a family visitation room, daily meals provided, and a hair salon. 

Overview of Brookdale Sun Prairie

Operating for 28 years, Brookdale Sun Prairie is a nursing home along Broadway Drive in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Operated by Brookdale Senior Living Communities Inc. under the administration of Dawn Kussow, it accommodates up to 20 residents and currently serves 12, reflecting a 60% occupancy rate. This pet-friendly community also features studios in a single-story setting.

In addition to 24-hour nursing care and assistance with daily activities, the community offers respite care, continuing care services, and at-home care programs to support changing needs over time. Yoga sessions, bingo, trivia games, gardening in the enclosed courtyard, and opportunities to cook in the community kitchen are also conducted. Restaurant-style dining features healthy menu options, while amenities such as a beauty and barber shop, landscaped walking paths, a piano, and secure outdoor garden areas enhance comfort and recreation.

The community’s neighborhood is also relatively walkable, with a walkability score of 39, suggesting that only a few amenities can be reached on foot. Moreover, its smaller size promotes familiarity among residents and the care team, allowing a more individualized approach to care.

Overview of Oak Park Place Madison East

An assisted living and memory care community, Oak Park Place provides a unique accommodation for the specific needs of assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing residents. As a community that celebrates you as an individual,  management, and staff surely promote an independent lifestyle based on their own terms. Oak Park Place residents feel more comfortable and safe in a community they trust because meaningful relationships are built in the community because the staff genuinely provides excellent care.

Oak Park Place provides an atmosphere of growth and security, ensuring that residents are able to feel comfortable in their new cozy home-like environment. A list of essential services provided for assisted living and memory care residents await them– ADLs, medication management, and stimulating activities. Skilled nursing residents are able to experience state-of-the-art technologies that boost up their recovery period. 

Overview of Oakwood Village University Woods

Oakwood Village University Woods is a continuing care retirement community, operated by Oakwood Village Homes Inc., in Madison, Wisconsin, offering apartment-style independent living, assisted living, memory care, and rehabilitation services for those 55+. Registered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services since November 2011, with 415 beds, the community is one of the most comprehensive and largest senior living communities in the region.

Compared to other communities in the area, Oakwood Village University Woods is significantly larger and typically supports a wide range of amenities, dedicated programming staff, and purpose-built infrastructure. The community is also located near the city center, offering convenient proximity to hospitals, medical providers, shopping, and dining.

While the community is registered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Quality Assurance, there was no inspection history, deficiency data, or complaint records available. So, it is highly recommended that families consult the Wisconsin DHS public database or request inspection records directly from the community.

As a true continuing care campus, the community offers a full spectrum of care, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, and rehabilitation. Enrichment activities, spiritual care, and culinary services are among the lifestyle programming, providing residents with services beyond clinical care. Along with an Oakwood Foundation, which supports the community’s broader organizational goals, Wisconsin financial assistance programs, including Medicaid Family Care and the IRIS self-direction program, may also be available to eligible residents.

With its wide range of care, Oakwood Village University Woods is best suited for those seeking multiple levels of care in one campus. The community is a well-established choice for families in the Madison area, as it has a large campus and mission-focused programming.