Smaller home · May offer a more intimate, personalized care environment.
LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates
Nestled within the vibrant landscape of Durham, North Carolina, LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates is an esteemed assisted living community. Standing proudly, this assisted living community presents an alternative vision of assisted living within the charming confines of Chapel Hill. Each dwelling within this community is meticulously crafted to exude warmth and hospitality, ensuring an environment that extends its embrace to friends and family alike.
Whether seniors are engaged in a stroll outdoors or savoring a delectable meal, the ethos of LiveWell encourages your presence, inviting you to share in their moments of joy and togetherness. Experience a different kind of assisted living community that redefines the essence of welcome and inclusivity at LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates.
Community insights.
About this community
Inspection History
In North Carolina, the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation conducts unannounced surveys to ensure nursing and adult care homes meet safety standards.
Includes all inspection records for this property, which could include management/ownership changes. 54 deficiencies 8 inspections 0 penalties 15 inspections with deficiencies
Inspection Scorecard
This scorecard compares key inspection, deficiency, and complaint metrics at this facility against the North Carolina state average. Metrics rated ≥15% worse than average are highlighted in red; those ≥15% better are highlighted in green.
Since 2015 vs. North Carolina state average• Total deficiencies (17% above)
• Deficiencies per inspection (36% above) 2 Better Metrics better than North Carolina average:
• Inspections with deficiencies (63% below)
• Inspection deficiency rate (4% below)
Deficiencies
| This Facility | NC Average | vs. NC Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
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Total deficiencies
| 54 | 46 | This facility has 17% more total deficiencies than a typical North Carolina nursing home (54 vs. NC avg 46).↑ 17% worse |
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Deficiencies per inspection
| 6.8 | 5.01 | This facility has 36% more deficiencies per inspection than a typical North Carolina nursing home (6.8 vs. NC avg 5.01).↑ 36% worse |
Inspections
| This Facility | NC Average | vs. NC Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total inspections
| 8 | 21 | This facility has had 62% fewer total inspections than the North Carolina average (8 vs. NC avg 21). More inspections can mean more regulatory scrutiny rather than worse care.↓ 62% fewer |
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Inspections with deficiencies
| 7 | 19 | This facility has 63% fewer inspections with deficiencies than a typical North Carolina nursing home (7 vs. NC avg 19).↓ 63% better |
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Inspection deficiency rate
| 88% | 92% | This facility has 4 percentage points lower inspection deficiency rate than a typical North Carolina nursing home (88% vs. NC avg 92%).↓ 4% better |
What does this home offer?
Housing Options: Private Rooms / Semi-Private Rooms
Staff to Resident Ratio: 1:3
Building Type: Single-story
Transportation Services
Fitness and Recreation
Places of interest near LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates
4.9 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Chapel Hill's city center to LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates's address, calculated via Google Maps.
— 5.36 miles to nearest hospital (Duke University Hospital)
Calculate Travel Distance to LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates
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Compare Nursing Homes around Chapel Hill
Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest-ranked to lowest-ranked based on our methodology.
The facility name. Click to view the full profile page on Assisted Living Magazine, including photos, services, and contact info.
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CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that regulates nursing homes) Overall 5-star rating — a composite of Health Inspection, Staffing, and Quality Measures scores. 5 stars = top 10% nationally. 1 star = bottom 10%. The single most important number to start with when comparing facilities.
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Care Types in This Table
AL (Assisted Living):
Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing.
NH (Nursing Home):
24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs.
SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility):
Round-the-clock nursing care, often for recovery after surgery, injury, or illness.
IL (Independent Living):
Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care.
HOS (Hospice Care):
Comfort-focused care for those with a terminal illness, prioritizing quality of life over treatment.
PC (Palliative Care):
Comfort-focused care for serious illness at any stage, including alongside curative treatment.
CCRC( (Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)):
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Neighborhood or city area where the facility is located. Proximity to family, hospitals, and green space matters for both quality of life and ease of visitation. Consider drive time and transit access when evaluating location.
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Licensed bed capacity. Larger facilities (300+ beds) often have more specialized programs but can feel institutional. Smaller homes (under 150 beds) tend to deliver more personalized care. Compare with Avg Res/Day to understand how full the facility typically runs.
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Percentage of licensed beds filled on an average day. Color indicates financial health: green (90%+) = operationally strong, typically profitable. Amber (80–89%) = stable but leaving revenue on the table. Orange (70–79%) = financial strain likely, may struggle with fixed costs. Red (<70%) = significant distress, closure or ownership change risk increases sharply.
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This facility's occupancy rate compared to the statewide average for similar facilities. A positive number means above-average demand. Facilities running 5%+ above the state average are typically the most sought-after in their market — a strong proxy for reputation.
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CMS-adjusted total nurse hours per resident per day (RN + LPN + CNA combined). The national average is approximately 3.5 hrs. Higher is better — more direct care time per resident. Below 3.0 is a red flag. CMS weights RN hours more heavily because RNs handle complex clinical decisions that CNAs cannot.
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CMS Health Inspection star rating (1–5 stars), based on the 3 most recent annual state surveys plus any complaint investigations. This is the hardest rating to manipulate — it reflects real surveyor findings on-site. 5 stars = fewest deficiencies found. 1 star = most. It carries the heaviest weight in the Overall CMS rating.
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CMS Staffing star rating (1–5 stars), based on daily nurse staffing hours submitted to CMS via verified payroll data. Compares RN, LPN, and CNA coverage relative to resident acuity level. 5 stars = well above expected staffing. Weekend staffing is evaluated separately, as that's where many facilities quietly reduce coverage.
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CMS Quality Measures star rating (1–5 stars), based on 15 clinical outcome metrics including fall rates, pressure ulcers, antipsychotic drug use, and hospital readmissions. Captures actual resident health outcomes, not just compliance. High QM combined with low Health Inspection scores can indicate a facility with strong care but weak documentation practices.
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Registered Nurse hours per resident/day compared to the statewide average. RNs are the highest-skilled nursing staff — they assess residents, manage medications, and respond to emergencies. A value of +50% means RN coverage is 50% above the state norm. Negative values are a concern for residents with complex or acute medical needs.
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Total nursing staff hours (RN + LPN + CNA combined) per resident/day vs. the statewide average. A broader measure than RN vs State — it captures the entire care team. A facility can have high total staffing but low RN hours, meaning more aides and fewer nurses. Read both columns together for the full picture.
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Total dollar amount of federal monetary fines (civil money penalties) issued by CMS in the past 3 years. Fines are only levied for serious violations — typically actual harm to residents, repeated uncorrected deficiencies, or systemic non-compliance. Even a single fine is noteworthy. Multiple fines strongly suggest a pattern, not isolated incidents.
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Total health deficiency citations from the most recent standard inspection cycle. Minor citations (scope A–C) are common and often administrative in nature. Higher counts aren't always disqualifying, but should be read alongside Severe Citations to understand actual harm levels. Under 10 is strong for a large facility; 30+ warrants a closer look.
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Average deficiency citations per CMS inspection (survey) in the reporting window — total citations divided by the number of inspections. Lower is better; compare alongside total Citations and Severe Citations for context.
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Citations at CMS scope/severity level G or higher — G–I means actual harm occurred; J–L means residents were placed in immediate jeopardy. (D–F is potential for harm only). Examples include unaddressed falls, medication errors causing injury, neglect, or abuse.
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Average number of residents in the building on any given day, derived from annual census data. Reflects true operating scale — a 400-bed facility running 200 residents/day operates very differently from one at 390. Higher resident counts generally mean more funded staffing hours.
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Better Business Bureau rating (A+ to F). Reflects complaint history, business transparency, and how family disputes were resolved. A+ means no significant unresolved complaints. A blank (—) means the facility isn't BBB-accredited, which is common for healthcare providers and not necessarily a negative signal.
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Walk Score® (0–100). Measures walkability of the surrounding area. 90–100 = Walker's Paradise. 70–89 = Very Walkable. 50–69 = Somewhat Walkable. Below 50 = Car-Dependent. Higher scores benefit family visitors, resident outings, and staff commuting.
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The licensed owner or operator of record filed with CMS — the individual or organization legally accountable for the facility. Searching the operator name across other facilities can reveal chain or multi-site ownership, which matters: chain-operated homes tend to have more variable quality outcomes than independently run facilities.
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What the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts — not gross billings. Taken from the latest complete annual cost report, so it is comparable across homes reporting the same period. Revenue alone doesn't indicate care quality, but it funds staffing and capital reinvestment. Pair with Payroll %. Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
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Staff salaries plus wage-related benefits from the latest complete annual cost report. Contract and agency labour is counted separately, under other operating costs, so a home leaning on agency staff can show a low figure here. Payroll is the cost most directly tied to care quality — compare with Payroll % for full context. Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
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Payroll as a share of NET PATIENT REVENUE (not gross revenue). Both figures come from the same cost-report year. A higher figure means more of each revenue dollar goes to staff pay. Read with the Staffing star rating to judge whether spend translates into coverage — and note that homes whose patient revenue covers only part of their operation can read implausibly high. The North Carolina average is: 58.6% Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
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CMS Certification Number: the unique federal identifier for this skilled nursing provider.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Woods | NH AL CCRC( IL SNF | Chapel Hill (Carol Woods) | 30
Facility
30
NC AVG
92
Rank
#71 / 80 |
93.0%
Facility
93.0%
NC AVG
81.3%
Rank
#13 / 72 | +14% | 5.32
Facility
5.32
NC AVG
3.98
Rank
#21 / 83 | +239% | +34% | $0
Facility
$0
NC AVG
$74.6k
Rank
#1 / 89 | 7
Facility
7
NC AVG
20.9
Rank
#27 / 85 | 3.5
Facility
3.5
NC AVG
5.0
Rank
#39 / 85 | - | 28 | - |
13
Facility
13
NC AVG
33
Rank
#88 / 112 | The Chapel Hill Residential Retirement Center, Inc | $29.1MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$29.1MFiscal year ending 12/2023
NC AVG
$15.7M
Rank
#8 / 84 | $18.0MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$18.0MFiscal year ending 12/2023
NC AVG
$8.2M
Rank
#4 / 84 | 61.7%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
61.7%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
NC AVG
58.6%
Rank
#16 / 84 | 345199 | ||||
| Signature HealthCARE of Chapel Hill | NH HOS PC SNF | Chapel Hill | 108
Facility
108
NC AVG
92
Rank
#26 / 80 |
88.5%
Facility
88.5%
NC AVG
81.3%
Rank
#27 / 72 | +9% | 3.88
Facility
3.88
NC AVG
3.98
Rank
#52 / 83 | +62% | -3% | $0
Facility
$0
NC AVG
$74.6k
Rank
#1 / 89 | 20
Facility
20
NC AVG
20.9
Rank
#58 / 85 | 5.0
Facility
5.0
NC AVG
5.0
Rank
#58 / 85 | - | 96 | - |
74
Facility
74
NC AVG
33
Rank
#5 / 112 | Moses Muhairwe | $11.3MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$11.3MFiscal year ending 12/2023
NC AVG
$15.7M
Rank
#57 / 84 | $4.4MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$4.4MFiscal year ending 12/2023
NC AVG
$8.2M
Rank
#70 / 84 | 39.1%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
39.1%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
NC AVG
58.6%
Rank
#66 / 84 | 345225 |
Rank badges are statewide: each nursing home is ranked against every NC nursing home we track that reports that metric, not just the 2 on this page. See how we rank facilities
Financial Assistance for
Nursing Home in North Carolina
LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in North Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions about LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates
What is the license number of LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates?
According to NC state health department records, LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates's license number is FCL-068-036.
What is the occupancy rate at LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates?
LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates's occupancy is 83.3%.
How long has LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates been in business?
LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates has been operating for approximately 8 years, based on available licensing and registration records.
Are pets allowed at LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates?
No, LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates has a no-pet policy.
How many beds does LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates have?
LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates has 6 beds.
Has LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates had any deficiencies?
LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates has had 54 reported deficiencies according to records from NC Dept. of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
Are there photos of LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates?
Yes — there are 7 photos of LiveWell at Birchwood Lake Estates in the photo gallery on this page.
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