Best Nursing Homes in Tennessee

Overview of Nhc Healthcare, Smithville

NHC Healthcare, Smithville is a nursing home on Fisher Avenue in Smithville, Tennessee, with 114 beds. Ryan Vaden owns the facility, which has been operating for 55 years, making it a long-standing part of the community. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, so families have options to cover both short-term rehabilitation stays and longer-term nursing care. Residents stay an average of 110 days, which are mostly under post-acute rehabilitation and are receiving ongoing care.

Short-term rehabilitation and recovery are its clinical focus. Each resident receives daily nursing support averaging 3 hours and 31 minutes, which is the backbone of direct care. Through its partnership with Caris Hospice, it provides support to those nearing the end of life. At the same time, it offers respite care and home care services for families managing care at home. With 24-hour staffing, the home can accommodate residents’ needs around the clock.

The neighborhood is moderately walkable, with a Walk Score of 53. Some errands can be done on foot, but most trips require a short drive. The location is easy to access and navigate for families planning to visit.

Residents stay comfortable and engaged daily. Every room is equipped with high-speed wireless internet and cable television. Plus, there is an on-site beauty and barber shop for grooming, and daily activities and entertainment keep residents engaged.

Other available services include housekeeping and laundry, an outdoor area for relaxation, and a dining room. Meals are prepared by a dietitian and are chef-approved to meet nutritional needs. Families considering placement will find it beneficial, particularly those concerned about appetite and health.

NHC Healthcare, Sequatchie is a skilled nursing home in Dunlap, Tennessee. Randy Reynolds owns the facility, which has been serving the community for 48 years. With 47 beds, its current occupancy is 66%. The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, offering families several payment options for short-term rehabilitation and longer-term nursing care.

As a post-acute rehabilitation facility, it offers short-term rehab, respite care, and 24-hour staffing. Total nurse staffing averages approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes per resident per day. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing aides are all part of the team. This staffing level makes it suitable for residents recovering from surgery, an illness, or a hospital stay. Residents stay an average of 89 days, with most in short-term recovery and ongoing skilled nursing support.

Residents are cared for by a range of on-site amenities and services. A dietitian and chef prepare meals to meet individual nutritional needs. There’s a beauty and barber shop for personal care, high-speed wireless internet and cable television in all rooms, and housekeeping and laundry services.

The facility also has a dining room and an outdoor relaxation area, including daily activities and entertainment programming. Plus, it offers home care and hospice services for residents who need broader support beyond nursing care.

The location in Dunlap scored 40 for walkability. Some nearby services may be reached on foot, but most trips still require transportation. This location is best for families who a medical facility over a busy city setting.

Overview of Nhc Healthcare, Knoxville

NHC Healthcare in Knoxville is a nursing home on East Emerald Avenue. With 115 beds, it has been serving patients and families for 33 years. Thomas Shuford owns the facility. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, so families have various options to access care for residents.

Residents stay for an average of 71 days in the community due to its strength in short-term rehabilitation. It’s best suited for seniors recovering from surgery, injury, or hospitalization and ready to move toward independent living or a long-term care setting.

The home supports its rehabilitation mission through dedicated therapy and recovery services. Additionally, there is 24-hour staffing, as well as options for respite, hospice, and home care referrals.

Total nurse staffing averages approximately 3 hours and 32 minutes per resident. Nurse aides provide an additional 3 hours and 10 minutes of direct support each day. This level of hands-on support is central to the home’s services.

Residents have access to chef-approved dining tailored to individual nutritional needs, high-speed internet and cable TV in rooms, and a beauty and barber shop on the premises. Additionally, there is a dining room and outdoor relaxation area for residents and visiting family who want to share meals and time together. The facility also hosts daily activities and entertainment programming.

The neighborhood has a Walk Score of 31, which means a few services are within walking distance. However, most trips require driving. This may matter for families planning how often they can visit and which amenities they’ll rely on without a car.

NHC Healthcare Knoxville is best suited for those seeking a stable, service-rich short-term rehabilitation setting with lots of staffing support and thoughtful amenities.

Overview of Magnolia Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

Magnolia Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is a 181-bed nursing home and rehabilitation facility in Columbia, Tennessee, offering short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, memory care, respite care, and palliative and hospice services. The facility is operated by Columbia TN SNF LLC, and the community has been operating for 33 years

Across three inspections from 2018 to 2022, the facility recorded a deficiency rate of 7.7 per year — 75% above the Tennessee average of 4.4 — with recurring findings in care planning, medication administration, infection control, and food safety. No fines, immediate jeopardy findings, or enforcement actions were documented in the available record.

Staffing presents a mixed picture: RN staffing averages 18 minutes per resident per day, 51% below the Tennessee average of 37 minutes, though LPN and CNA staffing are modestly above state averages.

The facility has a dedicated rehabilitation unit supported by physical, occupational, and speech therapies, as well as specialty programs for orthopedic recovery, neurological recovery, pulmonary rehabilitation, and joint replacement therapy. Additional services include cardiac telemetry, wound care, IV administration, and outpatient therapy, which are available on-site. A private hospice room and palliative care program round out the post-acute continuum. The facility’s occupancy rate is 40%, compared with a Tennessee average near 72%, indicating broad availability.

The combination of specialty rehabilitation programs, 7-day admissions, and extensive clinical services makes Magnolia Healthcare a practical option for residents needing short-term post-acute care, particularly those recovering from orthopedic procedures, cardiac events, or other complex medical conditions requiring skilled nursing oversight in Columbia, Tennessee.

West Meade Place LLP is a 120-bed skilled nursing facility in Nashville, Tennessee, providing skilled nursing, rehabilitative therapy, and respiratory care to residents in Davidson County’s West Meade neighborhood. Licensed since 1992, the privately owned community is owned by Barbara Friedbauer and administered by James L. Wright.

The facility holds a 4-star overall CMS rating, landing 30.7% above the Tennessee average — driven largely by a 5-star Quality Measures score. Across three inspections over the past seven years, West Meade recorded 16 citations with zero critical or serious findings, compared with a Tennessee average of 1.7 combined — a clean severity profile. No federal fines or payment penalties have been imposed in the past three years.

Quality outcome data reinforces the facility’s CMS profile. Hospitalization rates are 1.00 per 1,000 resident days, 37% below the Tennessee average, and emergency department visits are 0.39 per 1,000 days — 75% better than its peers’. The 2-star staffing rating reflects total nursing hours of 2 hours and 56 minutes per resident per day, roughly 20% below the state average, while RN hours are 59% above the state average. Weekend RN hours are notably high at 1 hour and 7 minutes per day, nearly three times the Tennessee average of 24 minutes per day.

Clinical services include in-house dialysis, stroke and neurological care, respiratory therapy, podiatry, dental and psychiatric services, and a certified dietitian — a depth of clinical support that extends beyond standard SNF programming. Amenities include an atrium and outdoor garden area. The facility holds a VA contract and serves veterans directly.

At 77% occupancy — slightly above the state average of 73% — and with a 90-day average length of stay, West Meade primarily serves long-term residents, with 63% of admissions coming through private pay.

West Meade Place LLP is best suited for residents requiring continuous skilled nursing care, including those with complex clinical needs such as respiratory conditions, stroke recovery, or dialysis, in an established West Nashville location.

Waverly Hills Post Acute is a 100-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation community in Waverly, Tennessee, providing both short-term and long-term care, including skilled nursing, memory care, hospice services, and respite care for residents in Humphreys County. The facility is operated by Tennessee Health Management LLC.

CMS rates the facility at 2 stars overall. Quality Measures score 34% above the Tennessee average — a meaningful signal for residents whose care involves managing chronic conditions, hospital readmissions, or mobility outcomes. Staffing runs the other direction: nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 0 minutes per resident per day, 18% below the Tennessee average of 3 hours and 40 minutes, placing the facility 142nd out of 172 Tennessee SNFs on that measure. The facility’s occupancy rate is well below the state average of 73%, which typically indicates current availability.

The program list is broad for a community this size. Services include short-term rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, complex wound care, palliative care, diabetes care, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care. An expansive rehab gym supports the post-acute side; a dedicated memory care program and a hospice partnership extend the continuum of care for longer-stay residents. The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

Waverly Hills Post Acute serves residents seeking short-term post-acute rehabilitation or longer-term skilled nursing care in Humphreys County, particularly those managing complex chronic conditions where quality measure performance is a meaningful input alongside below-average staffing levels.

Holston Rehabilitation and Care Center is a 204-bed skilled nursing facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, offering short-term rehabilitation, memory support care, and long-term skilled nursing to residents in Sullivan County. Licensed since 1992, the center is operated by Holston Manor SNF Operations, LLC, under the administration of Johnathan Blaine Kelly.

CMS rates the facility 1 star overall, with 1-star sub-ratings across Health Inspection, Staffing, and Quality Measures — the Health Inspection component carrying the most weight in that overall score. No civil money penalties or payment denials appear in CMS records for the past three years. Total nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 46 minutes per resident per day, slightly above Tennessee’s average of 3 hours and 40 minutes; however, registered nurse staffing averages 29 minutes per day — 22% below the state benchmark — which is the staffing figure most relevant to clinical oversight.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 51.2%, well below Tennessee’s average of 73%, placing the facility 261st out of 302 state SNFs by that measure. Admissions run 71% private pay and 20% Medicare, with an average length of stay of 89 days — a profile consistent with post-acute and short-term recovery stays.

Rooms are typically available. The center’s amenities and services include a therapy gym, an interior courtyard, an atrium for private gatherings, an activities department, and 24-hour on-site staffing.

Holston Rehabilitation and Care Center is best suited for residents seeking short-term rehabilitation or transitional care in the Kingsport area, where current availability is high

Overview of Camden Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

Operated by Camden Operator, LLC, Camden Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is a skilled nursing facility at 197 Hospital Drive in Camden, Tennessee. The privately owned community has 120 beds, accepts Medicare and Medicaid, and provides short- and long-term care, rehabilitation services, memory care, and hospice support.

CMS gives the facility a 1-star overall rating. Across the available inspection history, Camden Healthcare averages about 5.7 deficiencies yearly, roughly 30% above Tennessee’s average of 4.4.

The most serious findings in recent years came from two complaint investigations in April 2024 that resulted in Immediate Jeopardy citations. The facility failed to protect several residents from sexual abuse by another resident, failed to promptly report those allegations to the State Survey Agency and Adult Protective Services, and failed to conduct adequate investigations. The May 2025 annual survey later identified deficiencies, including inaccurate fall documentation, inadequate psychotropic medication monitoring, and failure to provide physician-ordered adaptive eating equipment.

Staffing is one of the stronger parts of the facility’s profile. Nurse hours average 3 hours and 48 minutes per resident per day.

The facility maintains 24-hour staffing and an on-site medical director, on-site podiatrist, and on-site dentist. It also operates a 900-square-foot rehabilitation and therapy center that supports post-acute care. Services extend to wound care, IV medication therapy, post-operative care, and outpatient therapy.

The facility’s care mix, such as Medicare and Medicaid acceptance, active rehabilitation programming, and memory care capacity, makes it suitable for residents seeking both short-term post-acute stays and longer-term placement, especially those with complex care needs in the Camden area.

Operated by the Dixie Mae Taylor-Huff Estate, White House Health Care, Inc. is a skilled nursing facility in White House, Tennessee, offering short-term rehabilitation, long-term skilled nursing, hospice, memory care, and respite care. The 140-bed community serves Robertson County and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

CMS rates the facility 5 stars overall, placing it well above Tennessee averages across all four sub-categories. The strongest differentiator is staffing. Total nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 38 minutes per resident per day, about 27% above Tennessee’s average of 3 hours and 40 minutes. Physical therapy staffing is 80% above state averages, an important measure for a facility with an average resident stay of 87 days and a meaningful post-acute caseload alongside longer placements.

Residents have access to 24-hour staffing coverage.

White House Health Care is best suited for residents seeking post-acute rehabilitation or longer-term skilled nursing care in Robertson County, with staffing depth for higher-acuity clinical needs across both short- and long-stay populations.