All 5 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Traverse City,
side by side on the things that separate them: how many nursing hours each resident gets, how much of the
staff leaves each year, and what inspectors found on their last visit.
Medilodge of Traverse City runs 84 certified beds under corporate for-profit ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.57 hours per resident day, about 8% under the national average. Weekends dip roughly 16% below its own weekday coverage, so the hours your family member gets depend partly on which day of the week it is. The inspection record carries 26 deficiencies, including 2 at the harm level and 5 tied to abuse. The last inspection was May 2025, so that record is recent. Turnover at 45.1% lands right around the national figure, and the quality measure score is strong, but the survey history is the part worth asking about directly.
Medilodge of Gtc runs 125 certified beds in Traverse City under for-profit LLC ownership, and its record shows a real split between what inspectors found and what the quality measures suggest. The health inspection rating sits at 1 out of 5, with 32 deficiencies on the current record, six serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, one tied to abuse, plus a $69,430 fine. Staffing hours land at 3.77 per resident day, slightly under the national 3.86, and weekends run about 21% thinner than weekdays, which matters when families visit less. Turnover at 40.2% is better than the 45.8% national figure, and the last inspection was March 2026.
The Villa At Traverse Point runs a 61.9% annual staff turnover rate against a national average of 45.8%, meaning roughly three of every five caregivers left within the year. Nurse staffing sits at 3.67 hours per resident day, about 5% under the national figure, and weekends run roughly 20% thinner than weekdays, so the thinnest coverage lands when families visit most. Inspections look cleaner: a May 2025 survey with 15 deficiencies, none at harm level, though one abuse-related citation appears on the record. Ownership is for-profit corporate.
Grand Traverse Pavilions is county-owned and large, 240 beds, and its inspection record is the first thing to know. Sixty-five deficiencies on the current record, seven of them serious enough to involve actual harm or jeopardy, plus eight tied to abuse. Three fines totaling about $158,000. The last inspection was June 2025, so this isn't stale paperwork.
Staffing is the other problem. CMS rates it at the bottom of the scale, meaning residents here get fewer direct care hours than most homes nationally. The quality measure score looks better, but that number reflects clinical outcomes like rehospitalization rates, not whether someone answers the call light.
For a family weighing this placement, ask about direct-care hours per resident per day and how the last inspection's abuse findings were resolved.
Orchard Creek runs 5.75 nurse hours per resident day, roughly half again the national average, and its staff turnover sits just under the national figure, so the people caring for your relative tend to stay. Weekends are thinner, about 16% below weekday coverage, worth asking about if you visit Saturdays. The trouble is the inspection record: 19 deficiencies, two serious enough to put residents in harm's way, five tied to abuse. That mix, strong daily staffing, weak state survey results, is why this small for-profit home lands in the middle rather than near the top. Ask directly what changed since the September 2025 inspection.