29 of the 61 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Montana (48%) are independently owned, and all are listed below. 10 of the 29 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. They average 4.79 nursing hours per resident per day, 0.74 hours above the 4.05 for every home in Montana. St John's Lutheran Home in Billings grades highest at A (93 out of 100).
How independently owned homes in Montana compare
This group set against every nursing home in Montana, from the current CMS release.
Nursing hours per resident per day
4.79
All homes in Montana: 4.05
Better than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
49.9%
All homes in Montana: 54.8%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
77.9/100
All homes in Montana: 72.4/100
Better than the local average
Grade spread
A
B
C
10 grade A, 12 grade B, 7 grade C,
The best-graded independently owned home in Montana is
St John's Lutheran Home
in Billings, MT, grade A, 93/100.
Awe Kualawaache Care Center runs 4.08 nurse hours per resident day, about 6% above the national average, and it holds a 5-star health inspection rating with a survey completed in May 2025. The catch is consistency: weekend staffing drops roughly 17% below its own weekday level, and 61.5% of staff turn over each year against a national average of 45.8%. Eighteen deficiencies sit on the current record, none at the harm level, though two are abuse-related. The quality measure rating of 1 out of 5 is the other weak spot, and it's the piece that most clashes with the strong inspection history.
Brendan House runs a nonprofit home with 110 certified beds in Kalispell, and its staffing is the strongest thing it has going: 4.60 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 19% above the national average of 3.86. That cushion thins on weekends, which run about 9% below the home's own weekday level, and turnover sits at 56.1% against a national 45.8%, meaning many of the people providing that care are still new. The current record carries 31 deficiencies, including three at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $92,755. The most recent inspection was July 17, 2025.
Benefis Senior Services - Westview runs 34 certified beds in Great Falls, and the numbers there are worth a close look before you decide anything. Nurse staffing sits at 3.24 hours per resident per day, roughly 16% under the national average of 3.86, and weekend coverage barely dips below its own weekday level, so the shortfall is steady rather than occasional. The inspection record shows 18 deficiencies, two of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy and two tied to abuse, with one fine of $13,865 and a survey completed in May 2025. It's a nonprofit operation, which doesn't change what the staffing and survey figures show.
Blackfeet Care Center is a 47-bed for-profit home in Browning, and the numbers split in an unusual way. Residents' clinical outcomes look decent, four out of five stars on quality measures, but that's happening with one of the thinnest staffing levels CMS records, a single star. Inspections back that up: 32 deficiencies on the current record, including 2 at the harm or jeopardy level and 6 tied to abuse, with $87,690 in fines across two penalties. The last inspection was in March 2026. Fewer hands on deck tends to show up exactly where it did here.
Benefis Senior Services - Eastview runs a nonprofit operation with 64 certified beds in Great Falls, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.15 hours per resident day, roughly 7% above the national average, which is the strongest number here. But weekends run about 9% thinner than weekdays, and annual turnover hits 53.4%, well past the national 45.8%, so that staffing edge depends on a workforce that keeps changing. The inspection record is the real drag: 40 deficiencies, including three at harm or jeopardy level and five tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $99,129, with the most recent inspection in June 2025. High direct-care hours and a troubled enforcement history can both be true at once.
If you're weighing Sheridan Memorial for a family member, the staffing number is the first thing to understand: 6.10 nurse hours per resident per day, roughly 58% above the national average of 3.86. That's a real difference in daily attention. Weekends dip about 13% below the home's own weekday level, so coverage isn't perfectly even.
The rest of the record is harder to read. Two of the 22 deficiencies on file are at the harm or jeopardy level, five are abuse-related, and one fine totaling $10,358 has been assessed. The last inspection was July 2025, so the picture is current. Staff turnover sits at 60% against a national 45.8%, which matters because consistent caregivers know residents' routines. Strong hours, unsettled oversight.
Wibaux County Nursing Home runs about 2.79 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter below the national average of 3.86, and weekends drop another 20% beneath its own weekday coverage. That thin staffing shows up in the federal ratings: one star each for staffing and health inspections. The inspection record carries 30 deficiencies, including three at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus one fine of $16,985, with the most recent inspection dated April 9, 2026. Turnover sits at 35%, better than the national 45.8%, so the people who stay tend to stay. With 40 certified beds under nonprofit ownership, this is a small rural home where the staffing math and inspection history are the main things to weigh.
Tobacco Root Mountains Care Center is county-owned and runs on unusually heavy staffing, 7.05 nurse hours per resident day, roughly double the national average. That's the strongest thing in its file. The problems sit elsewhere. Inspectors logged 11 deficiencies, two of them at harm or jeopardy level, and four tied to abuse; the most recent inspection was May 21, 2026. Staff turnover runs 72.7% a year against a national 45.8%, meaning most of the people delivering those generous hours are new. Weekend coverage also dips about 10% below weekday levels. High staffing with high churn and abuse findings is a mixed picture, the hours are there, but consistency and safety aren't fully keeping pace.
If you're considering Gallatin Rest Home, the inspections are the strong part, a recent visit in June 2025 and a four-star health inspection rating. But the staffing picture is thin: one star, well below average, and 62.7% of staff left last year against a national average around 46%. The current record shows 15 deficiencies, including two at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus a $55,413 fine. Quality measures sit at two stars. County ownership can mean stability, but it doesn't fix turnover. Ask about direct-care hours per resident and how they're holding staffing together before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
How many independently owned nursing homes are there in Montana?
There are 29 independently owned Medicare-certified nursing homes in Montana, 48% of the 61 nursing homes there.
Are independently owned nursing homes better staffed?
In Montana they average 4.79 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.05 for all nursing homes in Montana, a difference of +0.74 hours. Staff turnover averages 49.9% against 54.8%.
Which independently owned nursing home grades best in Montana?