Page 14 of Best Nursing Homes in Georgia

Altamaha Healthcare Center is a 62-bed, faith-based non-profit nursing home located at 1311 West Cherry Street in Jesup, Georgia. Owned by Chido Mukwindidza and run by administrator Stephanie Williams, the nine-year-old facility operates at an 89 percent occupancy rate with 55 residents currently placed. The average stay lasts about five months, meaning the workload is balanced between temporary post-hospital therapy and long-term medical care. For billing, the office works with standard private pay, Medicare, and Medicaid.

The surrounding area is moderately walkable, scoring a 64 out of 100, which allows visitors to handle some quick tasks nearby on foot. Inside the building, residents receive an average of 2 hours and 46 minutes of direct nursing care each day, primarily from LPNs and nurse aides. The clinical staff coordinates targeted programs for wound care, stroke recovery, fall prevention, and post-operative care. Because the home brings in visiting specialists, including a podiatrist, optometrist, psychiatrist, and audiologist, residents can get basic checkups without traveling out for appointments.

Recent surveys focused on medication management, infection control, paperwork accuracy, and resident rights; a subsequent follow-up inspection confirmed that the management team corrected all past issues to meet state operating rules.

Families can contact the main registration office to check on current openings, ask about the available therapy programs, or set up a time to walk through the building.

Overview of Sadie G. Mays Health & Rehabilitation Center

At 1821 Anderson Ave NW in Atlanta’s Dixie Hills neighborhood, Sadie G. Mays Health & Rehabilitation Center operates as a 206-bed nonprofit skilled nursing facility under Kathi Laxton’s ownership and Gerialean Cooper’s administration.

Affiliated with PruithHealth, the facility has served residents for 53 years. Services include 24/7 skilled nursing, rehabilitation programs, personalized care plans, and an active resident council. Current census is predominantly Medicaid (84.9%). Medicare admissions average 1 to 2 months; private-pay residents typically remain 1 to 2 years. Average length of stay across all payers is 385 days.

Since 2017, inspectors documented 142 deficiencies; an annual average of 15.8 violations, 587% above Georgia’s typical 2.3 per year. Seven years of health inspections produced 48 citations, ranked #189 of 191 Georgia facilities.

Citation severity includes three serious violations (compared to state average 0.5), significantly above norm.

A July 2025 complaint investigation identified nine deficiencies affecting 21 residents. Substantive findings involved failure to timely report and investigate substantiated sexual abuse allegations, missed medication doses affecting multiple residents, absent dignity accommodations (no urinary drainage supplies), insufficient supervision correlating with resident falls, and infection control lapses.

An October 2024 complaint survey documented eight deficiencies including improper background checks, infection control failures in equipment handling, antibiotic stewardship documentation gaps, and nonfunctional resident call systems.

A June 2024 routine inspection cited twelve violations spanning environment safety, staff licensing deficiencies, medication administration errors exceeding acceptable rates, unnecessary psychotropic medication continuation, and pest infestation.

Federal penalty imposed June 26, 2024: $54,000 civil money penalty.

Total staff of 432 (75 employees, 357 contractors) generates a 2.44:1 staff-to-resident ratio exceeding state average. However, registered nurse hours remain at 26 minutes daily, 13% below state; with weekend RN coverage just 11 minutes, 45% below state benchmark. Licensed practical nurse and certified nursing assistant roles are heavily contractor-dependent: 93% of LPNs and 77% of CNAs work through temporary staffing.

Payroll comprises 41.3% of revenue, substantially below the 51–61% indicator of operational adequacy.

Long-stay depressive symptom prevalence reaches 0.4% (95% better than state), yet functional decline affects 22% of residents (worse than state). Vaccine coverage shows critical gaps: pneumococcal vaccination 74.2% (19% worse than state), influenza vaccination 47.7% (50% worse). Occupancy contracted from 90.5% in 2019 to 71.6% in 2024; a July 2025 census recorded 10% occupancy.

The facility holds a 1-star CMS rating (61.1% below Georgia average), reflecting compliance violations, abuse reporting failures, medication safety concerns, occupancy decline, and federal financial penalty.

Overview of Nurse Care of Buckhead

Nurse Care of Buckhead is a 220-bed privately owned skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located in Atlanta, Georgia. Positioned six miles from the city center, the community experiences high local demand, operating at full capacity with 219 active residents. The property coordinates 24-hour clinical nursing, short-term post-acute rehabilitation, and specialized medical programs.

State administrative tracking records from the Georgia Department of Community Health document a historically challenging compliance history that has shown notable recent improvement. Over a nine-year assessment period, the facility averaged 9.9 deficiencies annually, focusing on recurring lapses in employee background check completions, incomplete personnel files, and inadequate competency training for medication technicians.

Past complaint logs also substantiated infractions regarding resident admission records, verbal abuse, and localized infection control practices. However, following a March 4, 2025, complaint survey, a subsequent state inspection on April 25, 2025, concluded with a citations-per-inspection rate of zero, confirming that field evaluators verified the correction of all previously cited operational issues.

On-site operations deliver an average of three hours and 17 minutes of direct nursing care per resident daily. Specialized clinical services incorporate intravenous therapy, pain management, respiratory therapy with tracheostomy care, outpatient dialysis, wound care, and PEG tube management, alongside physical, occupational, speech, and psychiatric treatments. Public regulatory registries display no active corporate fines or operating license restrictions against the operator, indicating that prior infractions were resolved through standard administrative remedies.

Prospective residents requiring high-acuity medical care or short-term physical therapy can look to this high-occupancy facility’s recent trajectory of successful regulatory corrections. The large-scale setting is structured for individuals who need comprehensive clinical resources and whose sponsors prioritize close proximity to Atlanta’s established hospital infrastructure. Families are encouraged to visit the campus, look over the specialized rehabilitation centers, and verify current staffing and training logs with the administrator before scheduling an admission.

Owned by Christopher King, Harborview Thomasville is a 68-bed nursing and rehabilitation community in Thomasville, Georgia. Situated at 930 South Broad Street in a really walkable neighborhood that rates 72 out of 100, the facility sits near downtown and is easily accessible to visiting family members and local services. It’s been operating for four years. It runs at full occupancy, indicating strong local demand for its services.

The facility specializes in post-acute rehabilitation and active skilled care, with dedicated programs for cardiac management and Alzheimer’s and dementia care. With 24-hour staffing and total nursing care averaging 2 hours and 45 minutes per resident day, the community supplies the clinical support needed for residents recuperating from surgery or managing complex medical needs. The community welcomes Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, giving families many routes to cover short-term rehabilitation stays and longer-term care. The average stay duration is 61 days, typical of a setting that balances post-acute rehabilitation admissions with residents on longer-term skilled nursing stays. Comfortable private rooms and the flexibility to dine in residents’ rooms or in common areas are beneficial to them. The home’s Esteem Salons offer free beautician and barber services on weekdays, and the community provides free Wi-Fi, cable TV, and telephone service to bolster daily life and family connections.

Various operational and care-delivery matters throughout the community’s operations have been addressed by state inspections.

Families thinking of choosing Harborview Thomasville may want to speak directly with staff regarding how the facility works to maintain its care standards.

Glenwood Healthcare is a nursing-focused community serving residents in rural Georgia. Operated under the ownership of Lisa Guthrie, the 62-bed facility delivers skilled nursing care focusing on rehabilitation, cardiac management, and specialized dementia and Alzheimer’s care. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are welcome, giving families numerous ways to arrange short-term recovery and longer-term care.

Maintaining a robust nursing presence, the community has total care averaging 2 hours and 43 minutes per resident day. This mix of registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical nurses provides continuous daily support for residents handling chronic conditions, recovery from acute events, or complex medical needs. The facility also has a physician on staff, which can decrease trips to outside hospitals for routine medical matters. The typical stay runs roughly 280 days, indicating a mix of post-acute rehabilitation residents and those settling into active nursing care. With 68 percent occupancy across its 62 beds, the community has established itself as a stable presence in the region over its nine-year operation. Everyday life centers on comfortable patient rooms with in-room or common area dining options. In their rooms, residents can use free Wi-Fi and cable television, and the facility supplies complimentary beautician and barber services on weekdays via its Esteem Salons. The warm and welcoming staff creates a bedrock for the daily routines and programs that bolster each resident’s life quality. The facility’s location rates 21 on the Walk Score scale, indicating that the surrounding area is car-dependent and most errands necessitate driving. That setting appeals to families seeking a quieter and less urban environment for their loved one’s care.

Medication management, food safety, environmental maintenance, and fire safety compliance were the focal themes state inspections have identified. Glenwood Healthcare works within its regulatory framework to deal with the areas that inspectors review.

The facility’s setting attracts families wanting a calmer, less urban atmosphere for their loved one’s care.

Riverside Health Care Center is a 159-bed skilled nursing facility located at 5100 West Street NW in Covington, Georgia. Operated by Senior Care Holdings Inc., the Newton County property maintains a high 97% occupancy level and has a 2-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The facility coordinates 24-hour clinical nursing, short-term rehabilitation, and specialized medical programs.

State administrative logs from the Georgia Department of Community Health document persistent compliance challenges, with the property averaging 9.1 deficiencies annually over an eight-year tracking window. An April 3, 2025, recertification survey cited two deficiencies involving illegible medication labels, missing expiration dates across six medication carts, and an expired pneumococcal vaccine stored in a refrigerator.

A follow-up revisit on May 13, 2025, determined that these medication management and labeling failures persisted, revealing inadequate staff training and inconsistent internal audits. Historical records also note recurring infractions for incomplete resident self-administration assessments, care planning gaps, and employee fingerprint background check omissions. A subsequent July 3, 2025, reinspection verified that all prior medication and training tags were corrected, while a concurrent complaint audit concluded with a citations-per-inspection rate of zero.

On-site operations utilize a 24-hour staffing structure that delivers an average of three hours and 39 minutes of direct nursing care per resident daily. Specialized medical services incorporate intravenous therapy, pain management, wound care, PEG tube management, and outpatient dialysis. Residents also have access to physical, occupational, and speech therapies, alongside visiting podiatry, dental, vision, psychiatric, and audiology professionals.

Families investigating local skilled nursing or dementia care options must carefully weigh this high-occupancy facility’s history of recurring medication management and staff training infractions. This large-scale environment requires a resident’s sponsors to maintain close communication with the clinical team to ensure routine care plans and prescription safety protocols are actively followed. Prospective representatives are encouraged to schedule an on-site tour, request copies of recent pharmacy audit reports, and discuss ongoing staff training initiatives.

Overview of Rosemont at Stone Mountain

Rosemont at Stone Mountain is a privately owned 149-bed skilled nursing facility offering short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, memory care, hospice, and respite care in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Serving DeKalb County residents, the community welcomes Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, and received the AHCA Bronze Quality Award in 2025.

The 3-star CMS overall rating reflects a health inspection sub-rating 49.3 percent above Georgia’s average, the strongest sub-rating in the profile, offset by a staffing sub-rating 55.6 percent below state benchmark. Over eight years on file, the facility averaged 5.8 deficiencies per year against a 4.9 Georgia average, with no immediate jeopardy findings, fines, or enforcement actions, and all prior deficiencies corrected on revisit. Two findings from the current review window carry more weight than the annual averages. A March 2025 survey substantiated failure to immediately report a resident-to-resident sexual abuse allegation to the administrator, delaying the investigation. An April 2025 life safety survey found one dry sprinkler system red-tagged as non-operational and others yellow-tagged, placing the facility under fire watch, all corrected by the June 2025 follow-up. The March 2022 annual survey cited a medication error rate of 22.86 percent, cockroaches found in two resident rooms were cited in September 2022, and a July 2021 complaint substantiated a dish machine operating below sanitizing temperatures for multiple months. The March 2025 annual survey itself was clean. Occupancy at 88 percent runs well above Georgia’s 78.1 percent average.

Amenities span outdoor space, transportation services, and on-site therapy programming. Hospice care is present for those transitioning to end-of-life services.

With strong occupancy reflecting consistent local demand, the community fits residents in DeKalb County who need long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, or hospice in Stone Mountain.

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.