4/5
CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is the federal agency that rates nursing home quality. Its Overall Rating runs from 1 to 5 stars, combining health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most heavily.
4/5
CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is the federal agency that rates nursing home quality. Its Overall Rating runs from 1 to 5 stars, combining health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most heavily.
Brightwater Assisted Living is a privately-owned senior living community in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, offering assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and short-term rehabilitation. Licensed as a Community Residential Care Facility (CRCF) with 56 beds, the community is owned by Brightwater Retirement LLC and administered by David Dunn, with management affiliated with the Maxwell Group. Medicare and private-pay arrangements are also accepted. Notably, the community received six national awards, a distinction that places it among the more highly recognized senior living providers in the Grand Strand market.
CMS ratings position the community well above South Carolina averages overall, with particularly strong performance in staffing measures. Moreover, total nursing care hours average five hours per resident per day, exceeding statewide benchmarks and ranking among the stronger staffing levels among skilled nursing communities in the state. Weekend nursing coverage and staff-to-resident ratio also significantly outperform the South Carolina average. Health inspection scores are similarly above statewide benchmarks, reflecting generally favorable regulatory performance.
Since 2022, the community has received 15 health citations, including two categorized as critical in severity. While this exceeds the South Carolina average for critical citations, no serious citations were identified, and all deficiencies have been corrected. Additionally, a civil money penalty was issued in July 2023, substantially below the South Carolina average penalty amount, and no payment denials were reported.
Several long-stay quality indicators compare favorably with state averages, with measures related to declines in daily living activities, urinary tract infection rates, and vaccination coverage performing particularly well. Other measures, including rates of bowel and bladder incontinence, falls with major injury, and pressure ulcers, were also above state averages and can be worthwhile discussion points for families evaluating care needs and clinical oversight.
An indoor heated therapy pool, secured courtyard spaces, wellness classes, concierge services, transportation assistance, a professional salon, pet-friendly accommodations, and a 24-hour emergency response system are among the amenities available. Dining services are made-to-order restaurant-style meals.
Combining elevated staffing levels, rehabilitation-focused amenities, and broad care offerings, Brightwater Assisted Living is well-suited for older adults seeking rehabilitation, assisted living, skilled nursing, or memory care services within a highly staffed and amenity-rich environment in the Myrtle Beach area, particularly families exploring Medicare-supported or private-pay senior care options.
The Overall CMS Rating combines results from health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. Health inspections carry the most weight. Staffing and quality scores can increase or decrease the final rating based on performance compared to state and national standards.
Based on the results of the facility's three most recent standard inspections and any complaint investigations. CMS reviews the number, scope, and severity of deficiencies, with more recent findings weighted more heavily.
Measures average nursing staff hours per resident per day, including Registered Nurses (RNs) and total nursing staff. Ratings are adjusted based on the level of care residents require and are compared to state and national benchmarks.
Based on clinical and physical health indicators reported to CMS, such as hospital readmissions, falls, pressure ulcers, and improvements in mobility. These measures reflect how well residents' health needs are being managed.
Daily nursing hours per resident by staff type, reported to CMS. Higher is generally better — compare this facility to state and national averages to see where staffing stands.
This home is ranked 15th out of 119 homes in South Carolina for nurse hours. Total adjusted nursing hours per resident per day, combining RN, LPN, and aide time. CMS adjusts this for case-mix so facilities can be fairly compared.
| Staff type | Hours / Day / Resident | vs state avg |
|---|---|---|
|
Registered Nurse (RN)
RNs hold the highest nursing license and can assess residents, interpret test results, and direct care plans. More RN hours per day often signals stronger clinical oversight and faster response to health changes.
| 1h 7m per day | ▲ 78% State avg: 38m per day · National avg: 41m per day |
|
LPN / LVN
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) deliver routine hands-on care — medication administration, wound dressing, and monitoring vital signs. They work under RN supervision and make up a large share of daily bedside care.
| 1h 19m per day | ▲ 31% State avg: 1h 0m per day · National avg: 52m per day |
|
Nurse Aide
Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) provide the most direct day-to-day assistance: bathing, dressing, feeding, and mobility. Nurse aide hours are typically the largest staffing category and directly affect residents' quality of life.
| 3h 11m per day | ▲ 43% State avg: 2h 13m per day · National avg: 2h 20m per day |
|
Weekend Total Nursing
Combined nursing hours (RN + LPN + Nurse Aide) per resident per day on weekends. Staffing often drops on weekends — this figure reveals whether the facility maintains adequate coverage outside of weekday hours.
| 4h 58m per day | ▲ 48% State avg: 3h 22m per day · National avg: 3h 27m per day |
|
Physical Therapist
Hours per resident per day provided by licensed Physical Therapists (PTs) or PT Assistants. PT services help residents recover mobility after injury or illness and are especially important for post-acute (short-stay) rehabilitation.
| 8m per day | ▲ 62% State avg: 5m per day · National avg: 4m per day |
|
Weekend RN
Registered nurse hours specifically on weekends. Facilities sometimes reduce RN presence on Saturdays and Sundays — a low weekend RN figure compared to weekday hours can indicate reduced clinical oversight when most administrative staff are absent.
| 44m per day | ▲ 73% State avg: 25m per day · National avg: 29m per day |
Average number of days residents stay at this facility, based on CMS cost report data. Shorter stays often reflect post-acute or rehab care; longer stays reflect long-term care.
Brightwater Assisted Living is legally operated by Brightwater Retirement LLC, and administered by David Dunn.
South Carolina average 3.9
Last Health inspection on Apr 2025
South Carolina average 13.7
South Carolina average 3.44
Health citations are formal notices following inspections when they fail to comply with safety and care standards.
14 of 15 citations resulted from standard inspections; and 1 of 15 came from combined inspections (standard and complaint).
100% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 1
100% better than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 0.3
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Reporting period: October 1 – December 31, 2025 (Q4 2025). Source: CMS Payroll-Based Journal report.
66% more staff per resident than South Carolina average
0% compared with South Carolina average
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Manages medical care and health needs.
All 15 RN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
15
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.7 hoursAssists with medical care and medications.
32 total: 24 full-time employees and 8 contractors.
32
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.5 hoursHelps with daily care and mobility.
All 50 CNA Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
50
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
9.4 hours
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Total hours from contractors
4,155 contractor hours this quarter
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | 50 | 0 | 50 | 14,268 | 92 | 100% | 9.4 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 24 | 8 | 32 | 5,901 | 92 | 100% | 8.5 |
| Registered Nurse | 15 | 0 | 15 | 2,958 | 91 | 99% | 8.7 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1,599 | 66 | 72% | 8 |
| Speech Language Pathologist | 0 | 6 | 6 | 930 | 79 | 86% | 6.8 |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 0 | 5 | 5 | 714 | 70 | 76% | 5.6 |
| Other Dietary Services Staff | 2 | 0 | 2 | 682 | 75 | 82% | 6.5 |
| Respiratory Therapy Technician | 0 | 4 | 4 | 597 | 80 | 87% | 4.8 |
| Physical Therapy Aide | 0 | 4 | 4 | 595 | 70 | 76% | 5.8 |
| Administrator | 2 | 0 | 2 | 512 | 64 | 70% | 8 |
| Dental Services Staff | 1 | 0 | 1 | 496 | 62 | 67% | 8 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 488 | 61 | 66% | 8 |
| Feeding Assistant | 0 | 6 | 6 | 432 | 64 | 70% | 5.8 |
| Qualified Social Worker | 0 | 8 | 8 | 377 | 58 | 63% | 6 |
| Medical Director | 0 | 2 | 2 | 273 | 39 | 42% | 7 |
| Other Physician | 0 | 1 | 1 | 69 | 23 | 25% | 3 |
| Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | 0 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 13 | 14% | 4.5 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 12% | 2.1 |
Federal penalties imposed by CMS for regulatory violations, including civil money penalties (fines) and denials of payment for new Medicare/Medicaid admissions.
Source: CMS Penalties Database (Data as of Jan 2026)
78% lower than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: $34K
59% fewer fines than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 2.4
Serious action where Medicare and/or Medicaid temporarily stops payments for new residents until issues are fixed.
0
100% fewer payment denials than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 0.1
No penalties in the past 3 years
No civil money penalties or payment denials were reported in the last 3 years.
These measures show how residents usually do over time at this home, based on health outcomes and preventive care.
A composite score based on pressure ulcers, falls with injury, weight loss, walking ability decline, and activities of daily living decline.
6.7
23% better than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 8.7
A composite score based on activities of daily living decline, walking ability decline, and incontinence.
15.6
In line with South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 15.5
Percent of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased
6.1%
53% better than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 13.1%
Percent of low risk long-stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
25.1%
48% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 17.0%
Percent of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury
4.7%
58% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 3.0%
Percent of long-stay high risk residents with pressure ulcers
8.2%
34% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 6.1%
Percent of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection
0.0%
100% better than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 1.6%
Percent of long-stay residents who lose too much weight
7.8%
27% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 6.2%
Percent of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms
3.9%
40% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 2.8%
Percent of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication
15.5%
6% worse than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 14.5%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
92.9%
In line with South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 90.5%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
92.3%
In line with South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 90.6%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
86.9%
9% better than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 79.5%
Percent of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication
1.7%
In line with South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 1.7%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
89.9%
15% better than South Carolina averageSouth Carolina average: 78.0%
Quality measures are calculated from Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. For most measures, lower percentages indicate better care quality.
71% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.
29% of new residents, often for short stays.
Source: CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics (Data as of Jan 2026)
Total residents
48Residents meet regularly to discuss policies, care quality, and activities
Part of a Continuing Care Retirement Community offering multiple care levels
Organized group of residents that meets regularly to discuss facility policies, quality of life, and activities.
Data sourced from CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics quarterly report. Payer mix reflects the current resident census by primary payment source.
Historical financial and operational data for Brightwater Assisted Living from 2011–2023, based on CMS SNF Cost Reports.
Key figures below are for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.
Based on CMS SNF Cost Report for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.
Net patient revenue — what the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts are subtracted from its gross charges (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It covers resident care only; money the home earns from other sources is shown separately as "Other income."
Net patient income: net patient revenue minus the home's total operating expenses. A positive figure means it earns more from resident care than it spends to deliver it; a negative figure means the opposite. It excludes non-operating "other income."
Net patient revenue — what the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts are subtracted from its gross charges (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It covers resident care only; money the home earns from other sources is shown separately as "Other income."
Net patient income: net patient revenue minus the home's total operating expenses. A positive figure means it earns more from resident care than it spends to deliver it; a negative figure means the opposite. It excludes non-operating "other income."
Money the home earns outside of resident care — such as investments, grants, rentals and other non-operating sources (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It is tracked separately from net patient revenue: it is not part of that figure, and it is not included in net patient income.
Staff salaries plus wage-related costs — benefits such as payroll taxes, health insurance and retirement — from the home's own accounting records (CMS cost report, Worksheet A). Contract or agency labor is counted separately, under other operating costs.
Rank #35 / 122Payroll — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 35th out of 122 homes in South Carolina for Payroll. Shows total annual staff payroll benchmarked to the South Carolina average. Higher payroll investment relative to peers often signals better staffing and less reliance on cheaper contract labor.Facilities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings are based only on facilities in South Carolina that report data for that category. Facilities without available data are excluded from the ranking.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
Payroll as a share of revenue: staff salaries and wage-related benefits divided by net patient revenue. A higher figure means more of each revenue dollar goes to staff pay.
Rank #102 / 122Payroll % — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 102nd out of 122 homes in South Carolina for Payroll %. Shows payroll as a percentage of revenue versus the South Carolina average. Well-run South Carolina facilities typically land around 52–64% — the top third Statewide. Below 25% may signal understaffing or heavy agency use — read with Staffing ratings.Facilities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings are based only on facilities in South Carolina that report data for that category. Facilities without available data are excluded from the ranking.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
Everything it costs to run the home apart from payroll — food, utilities, supplies, maintenance, contract labor and administration. Calculated as total operating expense minus payroll (staff salaries and wage-related benefits).
The home's total operating expense for the year — all the costs of running it, salaries included (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3).
Pets Allowed
Most residents typically stay for a few weeks or months before returning home or moving on.
Most new residents arrive under Medicare (71% of admissions), and a typical Medicare stay runs around 27 days.
Coverage residents most often arrive under.
Coverage residents most often leave under.
201 Brightwater Dr, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579-8298
Add your location
The information below is reported by the South Carolina Department of Public Health, Bureau of Healthcare Quality.
| Brightwater Assisted Living | AL IL MC NH SNF | Myrtle Beach | 56
Facility
56
SC AVG
90
Rank
#230 / 307 | - | - | 5.00
Facility
5.00
SC AVG
4.00
Rank
#15 / 119 | +10% | +25% | $7.3k
Facility
$7.3k
SC AVG
$34.8k
Rank
#64 / 121 | 15
Facility
15
SC AVG
13.7
Rank
#78 / 120 | 5.0
Facility
5.0
SC AVG
3.4
Rank
#100 / 120 | 2 | 49 | - | - | Brightwater Retirement LLC | $8.8MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$8.8MFiscal year ending 12/2023
SC AVG
$13.0M
Rank
#23 / 122 | $6.7MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$6.7MFiscal year ending 12/2023
SC AVG
$5.4M
Rank
#35 / 122 | 76.7%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
76.7%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
SC AVG
44%
Rank
#102 / 122 | 425395 | ||||
| Myrtle Beach Manor | AL NH MC RC SNF | Myrtle Beach | 111
Facility
111
SC AVG
90
Rank
#88 / 307 | - | - | 4.34
Facility
4.34
SC AVG
4.00
Rank
#35 / 119 | +36% | +9% | $27.8k
Facility
$27.8k
SC AVG
$34.8k
Rank
#105 / 121 | 17
Facility
17
SC AVG
13.7
Rank
#89 / 120 | 2.8
Facility
2.8
SC AVG
3.4
Rank
#48 / 120 | 3 | 34 | - |
41
Facility
41
SC AVG
32
Rank
#79 / 230 | Tonya Fulk | $7.1MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$7.1MFiscal year ending 12/2023
SC AVG
$13.0M
Rank
#111 / 122 | $4.7MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$4.7MFiscal year ending 12/2023
SC AVG
$5.4M
Rank
#99 / 122 | 66.4%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
66.4%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
SC AVG
44%
Rank
#15 / 122 | 425070 |
Brightwater Assisted Living is located in MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in South Carolina.
Brightwater Assisted Living is legally operated by Brightwater Retirement LLC, and administered by David Dunn.
According to SC state health department records, Brightwater Assisted Living's license number is CRC-1489.
According to SC state health department records, Brightwater Assisted Living's license expires on April 30, 2026.
Brightwater Assisted Living's occupancy is 70.0%.
Yes, Brightwater Assisted Living allows residents to bring their pets.
The team at Brightwater Assisted Living can be reached at DDUNN@MAXWELL-GROUP.COM.
Brightwater Assisted Living is registered as a for-profit in SC.
Care Cost Calculator: See Prices in Your Area
Nursing Home Data Explorer
Don’t Wait Too Long: 7 Red Flag Signs Your Parent Needs Assisted Living Now
The True Cost of Assisted Living in 2025 – And How Families Are Paying For It
Understanding Senior Living Costs: Pricing Models, Discounts & Financial Assistance
