Page 9 of Best Nursing Homes in Nebraska

Westfield Quality Care of Aurora is a 64-bed skilled nursing facility in Aurora, Nebraska, providing long-term care, memory care, skilled nursing, respite care, hospice care, and short-term rehabilitation to residents in Hamilton County. The facility is privately owned by Kauffman Investments LLC.

CMS assigns the facility a 1-star overall rating, with all four sub-ratings below Nebraska averages. The Health Inspection score is 63.8% below the state average — the primary driver of the overall rating. Total nursing staffing averages 4 hours and 22 minutes per resident per day, nearly matching Nebraska’s average of 4 hours and 20 minutes, though staffing and quality measure scores each rank in the bottom third statewide.

The inspection record spans over a decade of recurring deficiencies. Over the 12-year reporting window, the facility averaged 10.3 deficiencies per year — 145% above Nebraska’s average of 4.2. Major annual surveys in 2016, 2018, and 2019 each produced 16 to 24 citations involving pressure ulcer prevention, infection control, care planning, medication administration, and fire safety. Enforcement actions include a 90-day probation in 2019 for failure to prevent pressure sores and a 180-day probation issued in April 2024 — accompanied by a prohibition on new admissions — after inspectors found glucometers were not being calibrated before use.

On-site services include a secured memory care unit, physical and speech therapy, and in-house physician visits. The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, and its current occupancy rate is 89% — roughly 19 points above the Nebraska average.

Westfield Quality Care of Aurora is best suited for long-term and memory care residents in Aurora and Hamilton County, with secured dementia programming and a residential care model that has remained continuously licensed. Families should carefully review the facility’s long-term inspection history and prior enforcement actions before making a placement decision.

Overview of Good Samaritan Society – Atkinson

Good Samaritan Society – Atkinson is a 61-bed nonprofit nursing home in Atkinson, Nebraska, operated by a church and administered by Dale Gould. The facility accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private pay. Medicaid accounts for 46% of new admissions, and a current average length of stay of 117 days — a profile oriented toward long-term care.

The inspection record carries significant weight in any evaluation. Over roughly nine years of state oversight, the facility has averaged 10.1 deficiencies per year — 140% above the Nebraska average of 4.2. In the most recent four-year CMS period, five health inspections produced 39 citations at a rate of 7.8 per inspection, placing it 119th out of 122 Nebraska skilled nursing facilities on that metric. A $23,000 federal civil money penalty was assessed in January 2024, and the most recent citation in April 2025 involved an abuse/neglect finding, rated moderate and subsequently corrected. No immediate jeopardy findings appear in the record.

CMS quality measures and staffing ratings are more positive. The facility holds a 5-star Quality Measures rating — 47% above the Nebraska average — driven in part by a short-stay rehospitalization rate of 4.8%, compared with the state average of 20.9%. Staffing earns 4 stars, 27% above average overall, though CNA staffing averages 2 hours and 1 minute per resident per day against a state benchmark of 2 hours and 46 minutes. The facility’s occupancy rate is 100%, ranked first among 194 Nebraska facilities, compared with the state average of 70.3%.

Amenities include on-site meals, salon services, religious programming, and transportation. The facility participates in caregiver support and home-based services programs and offers respite care. Starting price is approximately $3,761 per month.

Good Samaritan Society – Atkinson is best suited for long-term Medicaid residents in rural Holt County, with the capacity and payer mix to support extended stays

Owned by Beverly Schnell, Kimball County Manor is a skilled nursing facility in Kimball, Nebraska. The 49-bed community is on East 7th Street with a Walk Score of 58. Some errands can be accomplished on foot in the surrounding neighborhood. The facility accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private pay, providing multiple coverage options for residents.

It has an occupancy rate of 96%. Most residents stay an average of 522 days; the home serves both short-term rehabilitation residents and those seeking long-term nursing care.

The home offers a full range of skilled nursing services, including rehabilitation, respite care, and short-term rehab programs, with 24-hour staffing. Total nurse staffing averages roughly 4 hours and 9 minutes per resident each day. Residents receive daily support from registered nurses for approximately 26 minutes per day, nurse aides for 2 hours and 50 minutes per day, and licensed practical nurses for 29 minutes per day. The community also operates an adult day care program and provides restorative therapy services for residents working toward functional goals.

Dining is served three times daily, with alternative entrees available for various preferences. There’s also a snack cart that’s available all day and night. Other amenities include a beauty and barber shop for routine grooming services.

Inspections by the state regulatory agency have identified findings involving resident care practices, safety protocols, medication management, and food service standards. Families evaluating the home should ask how these areas are managed and monitored daily.

Callaway Good Life Center is a 38-bed skilled nursing home owned by Todd Sutherland in Callaway, Nebraska. The facility operates under a payment framework that accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay. For visitors, the surrounding rural area is car-dependent with a walkability score of 41 out of 100, meaning family members will generally need a vehicle to travel to the property or manage errands.

Stays typically last about a year, showing a standard balance between permanent residential care and short-term post-acute therapy. These ongoing residential needs keep the building running at a 79 percent occupancy level. Around-the-clock staffing handles the daily clinical workload, delivering an average of 4 hours and 19 minutes of total nursing care per resident each day through a combined team of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides who cover physical rehabilitation, mental health support, and temporary respite care.

State regulatory files reveal a long-term look at the facility’s compliance tracking record. Health department reports indicate that the property updated its operational protocols to clear previous inspection notes regarding fall prevention, staff licensing, and infection control, leaving the current record clear of active enforcement penalties. Across its broader regulatory data profile, the center maintains a cumulative citations-per-inspection rate of zero.

Interested individuals can expect a community layout featuring courtyard access, an on-site beauty shop, and a regular calendar of social programs. Meals are planned to meet standard daily nutritional guidelines and are served with choices in a communal dining space. The routine balances targeted physical recovery sessions with personal care assistance, laundry services, and open visiting times for families.

Monument Rehabilitation and Care Center is a privately owned skilled nursing facility in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, operated by Scottsbluff Operations LLC. The 160-bed community provides subacute and post-acute rehabilitation, long-term care, dementia care, and hospice services to residents in Scotts Bluff County.

CMS gives the facility a 1-star overall rating, about 63.9% below the Nebraska average. The rating is primarily due to its Health Inspection record. During the past 15 years, the facility has averaged 15.5 deficiencies per year, compared to Nebraska’s average of 4.2, a rate 269% worse than its peers.

Enforcement actions were substantial. In August 2024, the facility got a license probation for 180 days after not following advance directives for three residents. A second probation period lasting 90 days began in May 2025 after findings related to the over-medication of a resident.

Nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 44 minutes per resident per day. Its occupancy rate is 54%, well below Nebraska’s average of 70.3%, indicating current availability across care settings.

The facility holds a licensed Alzheimer’s special care unit with a capacity for up to 32 residents, alongside rehabilitation services and physical therapy.

Monument Rehabilitation and Care Center is best suited for residents requiring short-term post-acute rehabilitation or long-term dementia and skilled nursing care in Scottsbluff. However, families evaluating placement should carefully review the facility’s long-term compliance history and recent enforcement actions alongside its available care programs and services.

Overview of Chimney Rock Villa

Chimney Rock Villa is a 49-bed nursing home owned by the City of Bayard in rural Bayard, Nebraska. The facility operates under a payment framework that accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay options. For visitors, the surrounding rural neighborhood is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 29 out of 100, meaning family members will generally need a personal vehicle to travel to the property or manage errands.

Stays average around 406 days, demonstrating a workload that shifts primarily toward permanent, extended nursing placements rather than rapid short-term therapy loops. This baseline caseload utilizes 65 percent of the building’s overall capacity. To manage daily care, around-the-clock staffing delivers an average of 4 hours and 18 minutes of total nursing care per resident each day, with a combined team of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides handling post-hospital recovery and standard physical conditioning.

State records present a long-term look at the property’s compliance tracking history. Health department inspection logs confirm that the facility adjusted its operational protocols to address past tracking notes regarding wound care and infection prevention, leaving the building free of recent citations and maintaining an overall cumulative citations-per-inspection rate of zero.

Older adults will find a quiet, small-scale layout configured for essential medical oversight and physical therapy tracks. Daily meals are planned by the kitchen to meet standard nutritional guidelines and are served in a centralized community dining room. The routine pairs personal care assistance and laundry services with comfortable common lounges, structured exercise blocks, and flexible hours for family visits.

Overview of Sumner Place Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

A member of the Vetta Senior Living group, Sumner Place Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation is one of Lincoln’s most trusted nursing homes because of the quality of service they follow through. The staff is committed to creating a comfortable atmosphere for the residents to build a mutual level of trust and respect among each other. The resident-centered community promotes independence in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Sumner Place is where seniors thrive in a nurturing environment for almost 50 years.
Their areas of specialization are found in short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and memory care. 

Overview of Hillcrest Shadow Lake

Hillcrest Shadow Lake is a nursing home that offers an inviting atmosphere so that residents can be comfortable and feel a sense of belonging in their new home. Awarded the Best Nursing Home by U.S. News and World Report, residents can trust the high-end quality of care in a nurturing environment. The senior care home is composed of a professional care staff who brings not only excellence to the recovery of every seniors

Hillcrest is an excellent community with a proven exemplary resident-centered community where seniors can thrive while living a lovely life. A senior living community that aims to let its residents live a worry-free lifestyle, they ensure they can do many daily activities; services include medication management, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, and specialized programs.

Old Cheney Rehabilitation is an elegant community that focuses on personalized care that allows for efficient senior living care. They make a home for its residents when they ‘get back home’; they consist of a team of dedicated staff ready to accommodate the needs of its residents with compassionate care. Seniors can rest assured that they can find comfort and convenience all around the campus and all throughout their stay.  Old Cheney is a warm and welcoming home-like environment that boasts successful personalized care that leads to a speedy recovery.

Old Cheney is a results-driven community that provides full support and care to get one to recover as soon as possible. They provide nurses, physicians, and therapies who cultivate the wellness of its residents as efficiently as possible.