Page 10 of Best Nursing Homes in Arkansas

Owned and operated by Cindy Farmer, Quapaw Care and Rehabilitation Center is a skilled nursing home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted. Families, therefore, have several options when arranging care coverage. The facility has 126 beds. Located in a highly walkable neighborhood, it is positioned in an area where most errands can be handled on foot, making access easier for visiting family members and nearby services.

The facility focuses on rehabilitation services. Residents recovering from surgery, injury, or hospitalization have access to specialized rehabilitation programming. The average length of stay is 147 days. That reflects a mix of short-term post-acute rehabilitation residents and those receiving longer-term nursing care. Occupancy is about 81%, with 102 residents living in the facility.

Daily nursing support totals about 5 hours and 43 minutes per resident. Registered nurses provide 14 minutes of care each day. Nurse aides contribute 3 hours and 27 minutes. LPN/LVN staff provide another 14 minutes. Together, those staffing levels support hands-on care throughout the day.

State inspections have identified compliance areas tied to operational and procedural standards. Food safety, medication handling, storage practices, and care documentation have all appeared in inspection findings. Families touring the facility should ask how those areas are managed as part of their evaluation process.

John Ashley Drive Operating LLC runs The Blossoms at North Little Rock Rehab and Nursing Center, a 140-bed facility on John Ashley Drive in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Cynthia Dughetti serves as the administrator for the building, which stays filled to about 70 percent capacity. Resident stays average roughly 155 days, a timeline indicating that the daily work routine splits its focus between temporary post-hospital therapy and long-term residential placements. To manage room costs and clinical billing, the front desk handles payments through private funds, traditional Medicare, and state Medicaid.

On the floor, the nursing crew logs an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes of direct, hands-on attention per resident each day. This 24-hour staffing includes registered nurses, practical nurses, and assistants who run physical rehabilitation programs and personal care routines.

For daily living, the campus organizes social activities under its Life at The Blossoms calendar, while the surrounding neighborhood has a walk score of 55, meaning visitors can handle some simple errands on foot.

Prospective representatives can call the main desk to check on current openings or to review the intake process. The administrative team can also detail how the staff handles everyday compliance and updates routines based on standard findings from government health inspectors, who monitor areas such as food safety, infection control, environmental upkeep, and care planning during their routine safety surveys.

Briarwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Inc., is a 120-bed nursing home in Little Rock, Arkansas. It’s owned by Joan Robbins and operated by Briarwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Inc. Situated at 516 South Rodney Parham Road, the facility welcomes Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, giving families flexibility in covering short-term rehabilitation and longer-term care.

The home operates with robust nursing coverage, averaging 4 hours and 20 minutes of total nursing care per resident day, with registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical nurses on staff. This level of daily support suits residents recovering from illness or injury and those requiring ongoing skilled nursing care. The community specializes in rehabilitation services, respite care, and short-term rehab, making it a practical choice for post-acute recovery stays. The average stay length is 79 days, reflecting the mix of rehabilitation residents and those in longer-term care. The facility maintains an occupancy rate of 86 percent, with 103 of its 120 beds currently occupied. The neighborhood scores 37 on the Walk Score, so some errands are manageable on foot, but most trips need transportation.

Briarwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Inc., offers a quieter and more residential character instead of a bustling commercial location, suitable for families visiting from out of town or within the Little Rock area.

Overview of Fianna Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Serving residents needing short-term rehabilitation or longer-term nursing care, Fianna Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a 102-bed skilled nursing home in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Operated by KMJ Enterprises Fianna Hills, LLC and owned by Rhs Nursing, the center has been operating for 27 years with an 85 percent occupancy rate and a typical stay duration of 59 days. Accepted are Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, opening care access to families with different coverage options.

With steadfast short-term rehab and respite care programs, the home focuses on rehabilitation and restorative care, alongside its core nursing services. All-day staffing supports residents 24/7, with about 4 hours and 51 minutes of total nursing care provided per resident day. That foundation lets the center manage acute post-hospital recovery and ongoing skilled care needs within the same community. The community is well-situated on South 28th Street, rating a Walk Score of 73, meaning most errands can be completed on foot. The neighborhood offers reasonable walkability for visiting family members. Semi-private room options exist, with therapy and hospice services delivered on-site to support care continuity.

State inspections have detected operational themes around environmental controls, sanitation, and facility management practices, along with documentation accuracy in care planning and infection control protocols. Families can explore such areas amid a tour to get familiarized with how the home manages everyday operations and quality assurance.

The Green House Cottages of Belle Meade is a 167-bed skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care facility privately owned and administered by Pamela Diggs through Paragould GH Operations, LLC, at 2200 Chateau Blvd in Paragould, Arkansas, in Greene County. Occupancy stands at 73.2 percent, modestly exceeding the Arkansas average of 71.3 percent with an average length of stay of 203 days across all residents. The facility accepts private pay and holds dual Medicare and Medicaid certification. Like its sister facility in Mena, it operates under The Green House Project model, now known as AgingIN, which organizes care around dignity, personal choice, privacy, and relationship-rich living in a home-like setting rather than a conventional institutional structure.

The health inspection rating sits 30.6 percent below the Arkansas average, the primary driver of the 3-star overall rating. Across 4 inspections since 2023: February 2023, April 2024, December 2024, and August 2025, the facility accumulated 21 citations, matching the Arkansas average of 21.8. The severity picture requires attention: 1 critical citation was issued at the December 2024 inspection in the Quality of Care category. Critical citations indicate noncompliance that placed or could place residents at risk of serious harm. It has since been corrected. The August 2025 survey cited Abuse/Neglect, Infection Control, and Nutrition at moderate severity and all were corrected. Of the 21 total citations, 19 were moderate, 1 was minor, and 1 was critical. The leading deficiency categories over the inspection window are Infection Control (5 deficiencies, 24 percent) and Quality of Life & Care (5 deficiencies, 24 percent), with one Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation citation recorded. One inspection was triggered by a complaint investigation. The facility is rated at 3 stars overall, with a mixed performance profile. Staffing is a clear strength: total adjusted nursing hours reach 5 hours 25 minutes per resident per day, 14 percent above the Arkansas average and ranking well within the top tier statewide. CNA hours of 3 hours 26 minutes per day are 26 percent above the state benchmark, and weekend total nursing of 4 hours 18 minutes per day is 23 percent above average, meaningful for families concerned about weekend care consistency. Physical therapist hours are double the state average, supporting the facility’s short-term rehabilitation positioning. RN hours match the state average on weekdays but fall 25 percent below on weekends (12 minutes vs. 16 minutes), a gap worth noting for residents with complex clinical needs. Q2 2025 staffing data shows 221 total staff, including 132 CNAs, 29 LPNs, and 13 RNs, with a staff-to-resident ratio of 1.71:1, 6 percent above the Arkansas average. Quality measures exceed the state benchmark by 35.1 percent, the facility’s strongest CMS dimension. The facility primarily serves short-stay rehabilitation residents: 57 percent of admissions are Medicare-funded with typical stays of one to two months. Private-pay admissions account for 37 percent, with longer average stays of four to five months. Long-term Medicaid residents make up 7 percent of admissions with average stays of approximately five years. Revenue is $16.7 million annually, with a $2.7 million profit and payroll of $7.4 million (44 percent of revenue). The Paragould location has a walk score of 69, with some daily errands reachable on foot.

Amenities are broad: beauty and barber services, library and reading areas, transportation, arts and crafts, music therapy, exercise classes, gardening, cooking and baking, pet therapy, intergenerational programs, cultural and spiritual activities, and special events and celebrations are all within an operating model running 24 hours a day. Meals are made-to-order by a professional chef and described as nutrient-dense, a differentiator reflecting the model’s emphasis on quality of daily life.

The Green House Cottages of Belle Meade suits families seeking a staffing-strong, rehabilitation-focused skilled nursing facility in northeast Arkansas with an elder-centered care philosophy. The now-corrected critical citation from December 2024, along with the Abuse/Neglect citation from August 2025, are meaningful data points that families should investigate further before deciding by reviewing the full inspection reports through the Arkansas DHS Office of Long Term Care.

Operating at 96% occupancy, Sherwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a skilled nursing home in Sherwood, Arkansas. Michael Nickols owns the facility, and Sherwood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Inc. operates it. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families multiple ways to cover post-acute recovery and ongoing skilled nursing care.

The community has 98 residents, who stay an average of 102 days, including post-hospital rehabilitation residents and those requiring longer-term skilled care.

Residents receive nearly 5 hours of nursing care each day. They are supported by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, and other clinical staff. Rehabilitation services and short-term rehabilitation programs are available. The facility can be a great option for residents recovering from surgery, illness, or hospitalization. Respite care is also offered for families who need temporary support.

State inspections focused on care protocols, infection control practices, equipment safety, medication storage security, facility cleanliness, and accident prevention. Those areas have been recurring themes in regulatory reviews of the facility.

The neighborhood’s Walk Score is 63, so nearby errands are within walking distance. Most trips require driving. Specialized rehabilitation services and on-site salon services are available to residents. Families considering the facility should take an in-person tour to get a closer look at the rehabilitation areas, care spaces, and daily activities.

Overview of Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Chad Curtis owns Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a 100-bed home managed by Russellville Care Center, Inc., on South Portland Avenue in Russellville, Arkansas. The building currently runs at a 60 percent occupancy rate, leaving open rooms for immediate placements. Residents stay for an average of 133 days, meaning the daily work routine splits its focus between temporary post-hospital recovery and long-term care.

Medical needs are handled by a 24-hour nursing team that delivers about 4 hours and 45 minutes of direct, hands-on care per resident each day. This group of registered nurses, practical nurses, and assistants coordinates physical therapy in an on-site gym and manages respite care alongside 24/7 physician coverage.

The building features a covered outdoor patio, an on-site hair salon, and a structured social activities calendar for daily life. The surrounding neighborhood scores a high 71 for walkability, so visiting families will find it easy to run most everyday errands completely on foot.

Older adults looking into local placements can contact the admissions office to check on current bed availability or to learn about the intake requirements. The staff can also explain how the team manages daily compliance and updates workflows based on standard findings from government health inspectors, whose routine safety surveys previously highlighted past issues here with environmental maintenance, medication administration, grievance handling, and infection control.

Operated by Malvern Health and Rehab, LLC under owner Hope Bates and administrator Hope Burchfield, Encore Healthcare and Rehab of Malvern is a skilled nursing community in Malvern, Arkansas. The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, giving families multiple ways to arrange short-term rehabilitation and longer-term nursing care. The neighborhood has a Walk Score of 58. Some errands can be handled on foot, but most trips require a vehicle.

The 108-bed community has an occupancy rate of 77%. Residents stay an average of 150 days, with people receiving short-term rehabilitation as well as those needing ongoing nursing support. Rehabilitation is a major clinical focus of the facility. Dedicated short-term rehabilitation, with services and general therapy are available on site. Residents recovering from surgery or a hospital stay will find the community a great option.

Nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 12 minutes per resident daily. Registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical nurses provide support as part of a 24-hour staffing model.

A doctor is on-staff, so there’s no need for outside medical consultations. Residents can address their clinical concerns without leaving the community. Respite care is available for temporary stays, and transportation to off-site medical appointments is provided.

The facility is located on West Moline Street in a quiet residential area of Malvern. The setting can be convenient for family members who visit regularly.

Apple Creek Health & Rehab, situated in the peaceful town of Centerton, Arkansas, proudly stands as the newest long-term care and skilled nursing facility in NWA. This senior community includes a team of experienced professionals, such as Licensed Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists, Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Certified Nursing Assistants. These healthcare experts are committed to ensuring the well-being and recovery of senior residents.

At Apple Creek, every aspect, from meals to activities and facilities, is meticulously designed with the comfort and happiness of residents in mind. The community’s mission is to offer an environment that fosters the overall well-being of residents and provides them with the highest quality of care and support. With an emphasis on providing the utmost comfort and care, they offer exclusively private rooms and are certified for both Medicare and Medicaid.