1/5
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.
1/5
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.
Located near shopping, restaurants, banks, and parks in Merrillville, Indiana, Golden LivingCenter is a nursing home and skilled nursing community. The community is owned by Merrillville Operating LLC. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families several ways to help cover the cost of care.
The 164-bed community has been serving residents for 18 years. The area is car-dependent, so residents and visiting family will usually need a vehicle for errands and outings.
Golden LivingCenter provides a wide range of healthcare services in one location, including skilled nursing, hospice care, palliative care, rehabilitation therapy, cardiac care, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care. On-site pharmacy, dental, dialysis, and podiatry services are also available. Residents receive an average of about 3 hours and 6 minutes of nursing care each day, reflecting the hands-on support provided as part of daily care.
Residents also have access to a fitness center, spiritual services, and a variety of recreational and social activities that help keep daily life active and balanced.
State inspections conducted by the Indiana Department of Health have most often identified findings related to quality of life and care practices, pharmacy services, infection control, and building maintenance. These were the areas that most often came up during inspections and were not one-time issues.
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 184th out of 280 homes in Indiana 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.
| 35m per day | ▼ 12% State avg: 40m 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.
| 32m per day | ▼ 32% State avg: 46m 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.
| 2h 10m per day | ▼ 4% State avg: 2h 16m per day · National avg: 2h 21m 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.
| 2h 49m per day | ▼ 13% State avg: 3h 14m per day · National avg: 3h 26m 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.
| 4m per day | ▼ 3% State avg: 4m 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.
| 28m per day | ▲ 5% State avg: 27m 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.
In Indiana, the Department of Health, Division of Long Term Care is the primary regulatory body that performs onsite inspections and quality of care reviews for all licensed facilities.
A composite 0–100 score combining this facility's inspections, deficiencies, complaints, and enforcement actions relative to the Indiana state average. The score below shows how many points this facility sits above or below the typical Indiana nursing home score (the benchmark); higher is better.This is a proprietary Assisted Living Magazine score.
5 points below the Indiana average for nursing homes (83/100)
Rank #228 / 392 in Indiana Inspection Score — State benchmarked This home is ranked 228th out of 392 homes in Indiana for inspection score. Shows this facility's inspection score compared to the Indiana average among 392 comparable communities in the ranking pool. Facilities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings are based only on facilities in Indiana that report data for that category. Facilities without available data are excluded from the ranking. This is a proprietary Assisted Living Magazine score. Inspection score: 78 out of 100. Letter grade C+. 5 points below the Indiana average for nursing homes (83/100)
This scorecard compares key inspection, deficiency, and complaint metrics at this facility against the Indiana state average. Metrics rated ≥15% worse than average are highlighted in red; those ≥15% better are highlighted in green.
Deficiencies
| This Facility | IN Average | vs. IN Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total deficiencies
Formal regulatory issues recorded by inspectors across all inspection types.
| 38 | 36 | This facility has 6% more total deficiencies than a typical Indiana nursing home (38 vs. IN avg 36).↑ 6% worse |
|
Deficiencies per inspection
Average deficiencies per inspection.
| 4.8 | 1.9 | This facility has 153% more deficiencies per inspection than a typical Indiana nursing home (4.8 vs. IN avg 1.9).↑ 153% worse |
Inspections
| This Facility | IN Average | vs. IN Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total visits
Combined count of all on-site visits — routine inspections, complaint visits, follow-ups, and other focused visits.
| 8 | 19 | This facility has had 58% fewer total visits than the Indiana average (8 vs. IN avg 19). More inspections can mean more regulatory scrutiny rather than worse care.↓ 58% fewer |
Indiana average 6
Last Health inspection on Aug 2025
Indiana average 25
Indiana average 4.12
Health citations are formal notices following inspections when they fail to comply with safety and care standards.
27 of 42 citations resulted from standard inspections; and 15 of 42 resulted from complaint investigations.
100% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 0.2
67% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 0.6
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Reporting period: October 1 – December 31, 2025 (Q4 2025). Source: CMS Payroll-Based Journal report.
1116338% more staff per resident than Indiana average
6% better than Indiana 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.
10 hoursAssists with medical care and medications.
All 19 LPN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
19
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
9.1 hoursHelps with daily care and mobility.
71 total: 68 full-time employees and 3 contractors.
71
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.1 hours
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Total hours from contractors
4,578 contractor hours this quarter
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | 68 | 3 | 71 | 23,533 | 92 | 100% | 8.1 |
| Registered Nurse | 15 | 0 | 15 | 6,195 | 92 | 100% | 10 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 19 | 0 | 19 | 5,789 | 92 | 100% | 9.1 |
| Medication Aide/Technician | 11 | 0 | 11 | 4,863 | 92 | 100% | 9.6 |
| Other Dietary Services Staff | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1,305 | 86 | 93% | 7.7 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1,257 | 85 | 92% | 7.1 |
| RN Director of Nursing | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1,242 | 65 | 71% | 7.9 |
| Administrator | 2 | 0 | 2 | 968 | 64 | 70% | 8 |
| Mental Health Service Worker | 2 | 0 | 2 | 929 | 70 | 76% | 7.6 |
| Qualified Social Worker | 0 | 4 | 4 | 913 | 67 | 73% | 7.4 |
| Respiratory Therapy Technician | 0 | 2 | 2 | 868 | 81 | 88% | 6.7 |
| Physical Therapy Aide | 0 | 5 | 5 | 749 | 80 | 87% | 5.8 |
| Nurse Aide in Training | 4 | 0 | 4 | 698 | 55 | 60% | 7.1 |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 0 | 2 | 2 | 502 | 62 | 67% | 8.1 |
| Dietitian | 1 | 0 | 1 | 432 | 55 | 60% | 7.9 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 400 | 50 | 54% | 8 |
| Speech Language Pathologist | 0 | 1 | 1 | 336 | 56 | 61% | 6 |
| Occupational Therapy Aide | 1 | 1 | 2 | 191 | 41 | 45% | 3.5 |
| Dental Services Staff | 2 | 1 | 3 | 184 | 26 | 28% | 7.1 |
| Medical Director | 0 | 1 | 1 | 86 | 13 | 14% | 6.6 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 0 | 1 | 1 | 54 | 7 | 8% | 7.7 |
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
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.
8.2
In line with Indiana averageIndiana average: 8.0
A composite score based on activities of daily living decline, walking ability decline, and incontinence.
18.7
10% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 17.1
CMS star rating based on long-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = significantly above average, 1 star = significantly below average.
Percent of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased
8.9%
27% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 12.0%
Percent of long-stay residents whose ability to move independently worsened
14.7%
In line with Indiana averageIndiana average: 14.4%
Percent of low risk long-stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
32.7%
33% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 24.6%
Percent of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury
2.9%
26% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 3.9%
Percent of long-stay high risk residents with pressure ulcers
10.9%
149% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 4.4%
Percent of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection
0.2%
83% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 1.2%
Percent of long-stay residents who lose too much weight
3.9%
31% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 5.7%
Percent of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms
30.3%
26% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 24.1%
Percent of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication
2.2%
82% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 12.4%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
97.4%
In line with Indiana averageIndiana average: 93.7%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
80.9%
15% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 95.4%
Number of hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
2.03
27% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 1.60
Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
1.49
In line with Indiana averageIndiana average: 1.48
CMS star rating based on short-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = much above average, 1 star = much below average.
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
96.7%
18% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 81.7%
Percent of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication
2.5%
83% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 1.4%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
95.4%
21% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 79.0%
Percentage of short-stay residents who were re-hospitalized after their nursing home admission.
25.9%
16% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 22.4%
Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit.
13.5%
29% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 10.5%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience falls with major injury during their stay.
0.0%
100% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 0.8%
Percentage of residents at or above expected ability to care for themselves at discharge.
61.4%
14% better than Indiana averageIndiana average: 53.7%
Rate of successful return to home or community from a skilled nursing facility.
33.3%
34% worse than Indiana averageIndiana average: 50.6%
Quality measures are calculated from Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. For most measures, lower percentages indicate better care quality.
20% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.
47% of new residents, often for short stays.
32% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.
Source: CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics (Data as of Jan 2026)
Total residents
146Data 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 Golden LivingCenter 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 #40 / 282Payroll — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 40th out of 282 homes in Indiana for payroll. Shows total annual staff payroll benchmarked to the Indiana 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 Indiana 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 #95 / 282Payroll % — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 95th out of 282 homes in Indiana for payroll %. Shows payroll as a percentage of revenue versus the Indiana average. Well-run Indiana facilities typically land around 54–69% — 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 Indiana 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).
This home supports both short-term rehab and long-term care, with residents staying for a wide range of durations.
New residents most often arrive under private pay (47% of admissions), and a typical private pay stay runs around 2 - 3 months.
Coverage residents most often arrive under.
Coverage residents most often leave under.
1.9 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Merrillville's city center to Golden LivingCenter's address, calculated via Google Maps.
— 0.49 miles to nearest hospital (Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus)
Add your location
Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the IN Dept. of Health (IDOH), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest to lowest based on our ranking methodology.
| Golden LivingCenter | NH SNF | Merrillville | 164
Facility
164
IN AVG
116
Rank
#65 / 433 |
88.7%
Facility
88.7%
IN AVG
65.4
Rank
#40 / 423 | +36% | 3.10
Facility
3.10
IN AVG
3.44
Rank
#184 / 280 | -6% | -10% | $0
Facility
$0
IN AVG
$31.4k
Rank
#1 / 282 | 78
Facility
78
IN AVG
83
Rank
#228 / 392 | 42
Facility
42
IN AVG
25.0
Rank
#236 / 282 | 4.7
Facility
4.7
IN AVG
4.1
Rank
#191 / 282 | 1 | 146 | - |
5
Facility
5
IN AVG
37
Rank
#518 / 587 | Merrillville Operating LLC | $17.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$17.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IN AVG
$10.7M
Rank
#66 / 282 | $7.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$7.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IN AVG
$4.2M
Rank
#40 / 282 | 42.8%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
42.8%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
IN AVG
42%
Rank
#95 / 282 | 155362 | ||||
| Lincolnshire Health Care Center | NH HOS RC SNF | Merrillville | 100
Facility
100
IN AVG
116
Rank
#235 / 433 |
74.0%
Facility
74.0%
IN AVG
65.4
Rank
#154 / 423 | +13% | 2.65
Facility
2.65
IN AVG
3.44
Rank
#258 / 280 | -29% | -23% | $3.4k
Facility
$3.4k
IN AVG
$31.4k
Rank
#236 / 282 | 70
Facility
70
IN AVG
83
Rank
#379 / 392 | 51
Facility
51
IN AVG
25.0
Rank
#262 / 282 | 5.1
Facility
5.1
IN AVG
4.1
Rank
#204 / 282 | - | 74 | - |
33
Facility
33
IN AVG
37
Rank
#313 / 587 | Lincolnshire Health & Rehabilitation Center LLC | $7.4MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$7.4MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IN AVG
$10.7M
Rank
#191 / 282 | $4.2MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$4.2MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IN AVG
$4.2M
Rank
#194 / 282 | 56.9%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
56.9%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
IN AVG
42%
Rank
#148 / 282 | 155650 |
Golden LivingCenter is located in Merrillville, Indiana.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in Indiana.
Golden LivingCenter has a walk score of 5. Car-dependent. Most errands require a car, with limited nearby walkable options.
Golden LivingCenter's occupancy is 81.4%.
Golden LivingCenter has been operating for approximately 19 years, based on available licensing and registration records.
No, Golden LivingCenter has a no-pet policy.
Golden LivingCenter is registered as a for-profit in IN.
Golden LivingCenter has had 38 reported deficiencies since 2023 according to records from Indiana Department of Health (IDOH).
Yes — there are 2 photos of Golden LivingCenter in the photo gallery on this page.
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