All 4 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Wausau,
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.
Wausau Manor runs a 68-bed for-profit operation, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.58 hours per resident day, roughly 7% under the national average of 3.86, with weekends dipping about 13% below its own weekday level, so coverage thins out when families tend to visit. Turnover is the bright spot: 32.1% against a national 45.8% means the aides and nurses who show up are more likely to still be there next year. The 14 deficiencies on record include none at the harm level and none tied to abuse, and the most recent inspection was October 2025, so the paperwork is current. Quality measures score low at 2 stars, which is where I'd push for specifics.
Wood Aven's 3.90 nurse hours per resident day barely clears the national average of 3.86, roughly one percent, so its four-star staffing rating rests on thin ground. The bigger concern is turnover at 60.2%, well above the 45.8% national figure, and weekend staffing that drops about 16% below weekday levels, which matters most when families visit and residents need consistency. The inspection record shows 17 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and two tied to abuse, with the most recent survey dated April 1, 2026. Quality measures score well, but a for-profit limited liability company with that turnover and those abuse-related findings is worth asking hard questions about before deciding.
North Central Health Care is county-run, and the staffing numbers are its strongest card: 4.29 nurse hours per resident day, about 11% above the national average, with turnover at 36.5% against a national 45.8%. Weekends run roughly 11% thinner than weekdays, so coverage isn't perfectly even. The inspection record is where the trouble sits, 20 deficiencies, two at harm or jeopardy level and one tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $56,244 and a 2-out-of-5 inspection rating from CMS. That last inspection was August 2025, so the record is current rather than stale. Quality measures score well; the enforcement history is what weighs against it.
Amethyst Health Of Wausau carries six deficiencies classified at the harm or jeopardy level, six tied to abuse, and forty-five total on its current record, that's an unusually heavy inspection load, and it's why CMS has placed the home in its Special Focus Facility program. Staffing looks decent on paper at 4.17 nurse hours per resident day, about 8% above the national average, but weekend coverage drops roughly 9% below the home's own weekday level, and annual turnover sits at 62.2% against a national average of 45.8%. Six fines totaling $100,976 round out the picture. The most recent inspection was September 4, 2025, so the record is current. A for-profit limited liability company owns the 80-bed home.