Best Independent Living in Wisconsin

Overview of Tudor Oaks

Tudor Oaks is a 33-bed nursing home in Muskego, Wisconsin, operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a nonprofit organization operating since 1930. Situated on a 110-acre campus about three miles from the city center, the facility coordinates skilled nursing, memory care, and rehabilitation services. On-site features include a wellness center, a warm-water pool, a bistro, a theater, and a greenhouse, with daily operations supported by 24-hour nursing teams. The property accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, recording an average resident stay of 112 days and a 69% occupancy rate in an area with a Walk Score of 3.

Federal files from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) assign the facility a two-star overall rating, which includes two stars for health inspections and daily staffing, alongside a three-star rating for quality measures. Nursing care times average 4 hours and 21 minutes per resident daily, with weekend staffing levels tracking 10% above the Wisconsin baseline. Compliance logs since 2023 record eight separate health inspections resulting in 37 total citations and a single $5,000 federal fine, with zero critical citations on file.

Regulatory notes primarily involved quality of life (32%), abuse and neglect protocols (24%), and pharmacy services (11%). Clinical data reveals mixed outcomes: residents recorded higher rates of functional decline, incontinence, and major injuries from falls compared to state averages, but the home achieved a zero percent resident depression rate and high vaccination numbers, including 100% for pneumococcal and 97.4% for influenza.

Interested individuals researching local skilled nursing options can use these multi-year government profiles to weigh the provider’s care patterns. While the public tracking data points to a small historical fine and below-average federal health ratings, it also highlights solid daily staffing hours and positive scores for resident depression and vaccination rates. Setting up an on-site visit is a logical next step to observe the physical layout of the campus, see the nursing staff at work, and talk with the administration about how they address specific quality clinical measures.

Managed by administrator Charlean Adams, The Manor of Kenosha delivers around-the-clock skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care within a 153-bed residential setup. This facility features restaurant-style dining, religious services, and an on-staff physician, with operations heavily focused on short-term recovery. Private-pay individuals make up 61% of all admissions, followed by Medicare recipients at 34%, with residents staying an average of 128 days. The community maintains a 58% occupancy rate and sits roughly four miles outside the city center in an area carrying a Walk Score of 1.

Oversight files from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) detail significant regulatory and staffing hurdles, noting 10 separate inspections since 2023 that resulted in 52 total citations. This volume runs roughly double the Wisconsin state average, with logs documenting four critical and three serious violations involving resident rights, pharmacy services, and general care quality.

Due to these systemic compliance failures, federal authorities issued $124,000 in financial fines and enforced a five-day payment denial in April 2024 that temporarily paused state-funded admissions. Furthermore, daily nursing care averages three hours per resident, which drops to 2 hours and 57 minutes on weekends, falling below the state benchmark of 4 hours and 14 minutes. Clinical records show mixed outcomes; while long-stay residents perform well in daily activity maintenance and depression tracking, metrics for weight loss and pressure ulcers run worse than the state averages.

Families reviewing regional skilled nursing options should carefully analyze these long-term public health logs during their search. Since the government databases reveal a high frequency of standard and critical citations, substantial financial penalties, and low daily staffing averages, cross-referencing current quality improvements with the administration is a necessary precaution. Scheduling an on-site visit is a practical next step to observe day-to-day staffing levels firsthand, inspect the physical setup of the building, and interview the director about their ongoing regulatory correction plans.

Overview of Schmitt Woodland Hills INC

Schmitt Woodland Hills INC is a 30-bed skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living community at 1400 W Seminary Street in Richland Center, Richland County, Wisconsin. Family-owned and self-administered as a corporation under the Schmitt Woodland Hills INC. entity, the facility has operated since August 1988, ranking 12th of 330 Wisconsin SNFs for years in operation. Medicare is accepted. The walk score of 70 places the Seminary Street location among the most walkable SNF settings in Wisconsin.

Despite its small census, Schmitt Woodland Hills INC delivers quality measure performance well above state benchmarks. Long-stay hospitalizations at 0.79 per 1,000 resident days are 51 percent better than the Wisconsin average of 1.61, an exceptional result indicating effective chronic condition management for long-term residents. Short-stay measures are rated significantly above average by CMS: re-hospitalization at 17.0 percent is 25 percent better than Wisconsin’s average, emergency department visits are 19 percent better, and falls with major injury during SNF stays are zero, 100 percent better than the state benchmark. Return to home at 46.1 percent is modestly below Wisconsin’s average, the only short-stay metric of concern. Staffing reflects the community’s CNA-centered care model. CNA hours at 3 hours 23 minutes per resident per day are 31 percent above Wisconsin’s average and the facility’s defining strength. Weekend total nursing at 4 hours 8 minutes per day is 11 percent above average. RN and LPN hours run modestly below Wisconsin averages, and physical therapist hours are minimal at 1 minute per day, likely reflecting referral to outpatient therapy for rehabilitation needs. Families of residents with complex clinical needs should ask about RN supervision arrangements. The latest inspection, an abbreviated survey conducted with 23 residents on February 14, 2024, found zero deficiencies. No enforcement actions or fines appear in the available inspection record. Earlier surveys noted some care and documentation deficiencies that have since been resolved, with complaint investigations in prior periods largely unsubstantiated. The overall inspection trajectory is positive.

The campus offers a full continuum of care encompassing independent apartments, the Westview Assisted Living program, skilled nursing, memory care, and rehabilitation services, alongside a volunteer program.

Schmitt Woodland Hills INC suits Richland County families seeking a long-established, small, continuum-of-care community with outstanding quality outcomes, strong CNA staffing, and a clean recent inspection record in a walkable central Richland Center location. Those with complex clinical needs should ask about RN supervision arrangements.

Overview of Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village

Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village is a 50-bed skilled nursing facility at 10560 Applewood Road in Sister Bay, Door County, Wisconsin. Part of the Scandia Village Continuing Care Retirement Community campus, the facility is administered by Katherine Casey and operated by Sister Bay SNF Opco LLC as a for-profit limited liability company. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, with 70 percent of the current residents funded privately.

CMS rates Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village 2 stars overall, reflecting a health inspection score 27.8 percent below Wisconsin average despite staffing running 10.5 percent above average. Staffing’s headline figure, 4 hours 55 minutes of total adjusted nursing per resident per day, ranks 41st of 172 Wisconsin SNFs and exceeds the state average by 16 percent. Physical therapist hours at 8 minutes per day are double the Wisconsin average. However, the Q4 2025 payroll data reveals a major operational concern: 58.1 percent of all staff hours are delivered by contractors, including 18 contract CNAs alongside just 13 employed CNAs, 6 contract LPNs against 3 employed, and 3 contract RNs against 4 employed. This level of contractor dependency, the highest in this review batch, raises meaningful questions about care continuity and institutional knowledge. Weekend RN coverage at 21 minutes per day is 48 percent below the 40-minute Wisconsin average. The inspection record since 2022 shows 42 total citations, ranked 129th of 174 Wisconsin SNFs, at 6.0 per inspection against a state average of 4.19. Eleven of 42 citations arose from complaint investigations. The leading deficiency categories are Quality of Life and Care (10 deficiencies, 24 percent) and Resident Rights (8 deficiencies, 19 percent), with Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation accounting for 4 deficiencies. 1 serious citation is on record. No critical citations have been issued, and no penalties have been imposed in the past three years. Quality measure outcomes present a striking split. For long-stay residents, hospitalizations at 0.58 per 1,000 resident days are 64 percent below Wisconsin average, an exceptional result, while ED visits at 4.07 per 1,000 days are 86 percent above average, indicating that medical situations avoiding inpatient hospitalization are frequently resolved via emergency department visits instead. Pressure ulcer rates and antipsychotic use are also above average for long-stay residents. Short-stay re-hospitalization at 15.4 percent is 32 percent better than the Wisconsin average, and falls with major injury are zero for short-stay residents. Financially, the facility recorded a net loss of $2.5 million in 2024 on a total payroll of $5.1 million, with occupancy declining by 11 percent from 2022. The financial trajectory warrants close attention by prospective families as an indicator of operational stability.

The community provides rehabilitation services with a doctor on staff and 24-hour staffing across its skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, and independent living continuum.

In the scenic Door County peninsula, Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village fits families seeking a continuum-of-care campus setting in rural Wisconsin. The 2-star CMS rating, high contractor dependency, above-average citations, and ongoing financial losses are crucial considerations families should address with facility leadership before proceeding.

Lasata Care Center is a 106-bed skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and memory care facility at W76 N677 Wauwatosa Road in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, in Ozaukee County. Owned by the Ozaukee County Board as a governmental entity and administered by Barton Smith, the facility is part of a Continuing Care Retirement Community campus. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay. Minimum age 62 required.

CMS grades Lasata Care Center 5 stars, with all four rating dimensions above Wisconsin’s average: health inspection by 80.5 percent, staffing by 38.1 percent, quality measures by 52.0 percent, and overall by 66.1 percent. The facility carries an A+ BBB rating and holds one of the highest walk scores in this review at 84, ranked 31st of 581 Wisconsin SNFs. Staffing ranks 30th of 172 Wisconsin SNFs at 5 hours 7 minutes per resident per day, 21 percent above Wisconsin’s average. LPN hours at 1 hour 6 minutes are 74 percent above the state average, CNA hours at 3 hours 30 minutes are 35 percent above average, and weekend total nursing at 4 hours 55 minutes is 32 percent above average. One vital staffing context: Q4 2025 data shows 205 of 332 total staff are contractors (15.3 percent of hours), with 141 of 217 CNAs and 27 of 36 RNs supplied by agency, a mix that’s common in county-governed facilities but worth raising in a family conversation about workforce continuity. Quality measures are outstanding for long-stay residents. ED visits at 0.68 per 1,000 resident days are 69 percent below the Wisconsin average, hospitalizations 43 percent below average, falls with major injury 60 percent better, and depressive symptoms 72 percent better. The UTI rate at 7.7 percent is 141 percent above the Wisconsin average of 3.2 percent, the most significant long-stay concern. For short-stay residents, return to home or community at 70.7 percent is 40 percent better than Wisconsin’s average, the standout metric. Short-stay falls with major injury at 1.7 percent run above the state benchmark. The inspection record shows just 11 total citations across 4 surveys since 2022, ranked 38th of 174 Wisconsin SNFs, with zero critical or serious citations and penalties. All citations corrected.

Programs feature Short-Term Rehab, Long-Term Skilled Nursing, and Therapy Services. Amenities include private rehabilitation suites, cable TV and Wi-Fi, private and public lounges, walking trails, a fitness center, salon services, a library and media room, religious services, and diverse social, recreational, educational, and spiritual programming. Three meals per day, housekeeping, linen service, and utilities are included.

Situated in a highly walkable Cedarburg area, Lasata Care Center suits Ozaukee County and greater Milwaukee-area families seeking a 5-star county-governed CCRC-affiliated SNF with exceptional long-stay clinical outcomes, above-average staffing, and robust amenities.

Overview of Fairhaven Corporation

Fairhaven Corporation is a 49-bed Life Plan nursing community in Whitewater, Wisconsin, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, respite care, and rehabilitation services to residents in Walworth County. The facility is privately owned and operated by Fairhaven Corporation, with its current licensed capacity in place since January 2025. The facility’s compliance record to date is clean. With only one inspection on record — a January 2025 monitoring survey tied to a licensed capacity increase from 26 to 49 beds — Fairhaven has accumulated zero deficiencies and no complaint investigations or enforcement actions. Fairhaven operates with 24-hour staffing. Therapy services are available as a named program. Admissions are predominantly Medicare (60%) and private pay (38%), with an average length of stay of 89 days — consistent with a short-term post-acute model. The facility’s current occupancy rate is 53%, well below the Wisconsin average of 70%, which means immediate availability is likely. Fairhaven Corporation fits residents seeking short-term rehabilitation or post-acute recovery in Whitewater. It also serves residents transitioning into memory care or longer assisted living arrangements through its Life Plan model.

Overview of Christian Community Home of Osceola, INC

Christian Community Home of Osceola, INC., is a 40-bed skilled nursing home in Osceola, Wisconsin. It’s set close to Osceola Medical Center and located in a moderately walkable neighborhood where some errands can be finished on foot. Owned by Rick Hagar, the home accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, providing families with many pathways to cover rehabilitation and longer-term care.

The home’s focus is post-acute rehabilitation and transitional care. Averaging a stay length of 92 days, the facility serves residents in the early phase of recovery and those moving into longer-term nursing care. The home runs a dedicated transitional care and rehabilitation program alongside respite care, so families facing a momentary need for skilled care can tap that service without having an extended stay. Total nursing care averages roughly 4 hours and 58 minutes per resident day, delivering consistent hands-on support 24/7. Daily life centers on three restaurant-style meals with numerous menu options and assistance with eating, so meals are adapted to individual preferences and needs. Beyond that, the home offers a robust support services list, including IV therapy, wound care, and daily medication management. A registered dietitian exists for consultation, helping tailor nutrition plans to specific health conditions or restrictions. The amenities emphasize wellness and community engagement. Residents have access to a wellness gym and restorative health programming to regain or maintain function. A spa room provides relaxation, and life enrichment programming keeps the daily rhythm active. The home sits within a home-like neighborhood setting and includes enclosed courtyards, plus a playground for multi-generational interaction when families visit. Housekeeping, laundry, spiritual care, and hospice services complement the day-to-day support. Clinical needs can be addressed quickly without leaving the campus through an emergency call system, customized care plans, and a direct connection to the adjoining medical center.

Overview of Dove Healthcare – St Croix Falls

Owned and operated by Divine Rehabilitation and Nursing, Dove Healthcare – St Croix Falls is a nursing home in Wisconsin with 50 beds. It is located on Louisiana Street in downtown St Croix Falls. As a short-term rehabilitation facility, residents stay for an average of 120 days. The home accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private pay, giving families several options to access care.

The facility provides post-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing, which is best for residents recovering from surgery, a major illness, or a hospital stay, who need intensive medical oversight during healing. There’s a doctor on staff for residents with medical needs and 24-hour staffing.

Daily nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 31 minutes per resident and is supported by a team of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, vocational nurses, and nurse aides. That staffing level indicates the facility is focused on hands-on medical and rehabilitative support for residents who require skilled intervention to support their recovery.

In addition to rehabilitation, the home offers respite care for families who need temporary placement for a loved one. This frees up family caregivers who plan to take a break or manage a personal situation.

St Croix Falls is a small community in northwestern Wisconsin near the St Croix River, with a Walk Score of 37, so most errands require a short drive. The location is ideal for families seeking a quieter setting outside urban areas while still having access to skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.