167 of the 224 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Alabama (75%) are chain-owned, and all are listed below. 28 of the 167 graded homes earn an A and 5 earn a D or F. Nurse staff turnover runs 47.9%, 1 points higher than the 46.9% across all homes there. Marion Regional Nursing Home in Hamilton grades highest at A (93 out of 100).
How chain-owned homes in Alabama compare
This group set against every nursing home in Alabama, from the current CMS release.
Northside Health Care runs 115 certified beds in Gadsden under corporate for-profit ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.73 hours per resident day, slightly under the national average of 3.86. Weekends dip about 15% below the home's own weekday coverage, and annual turnover hits 56% against a national 45.8%. The inspection record shows 12 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, but a single fine of $221,520 on file. The last inspection was October 2019, so that snapshot is old. Quality measures score low; staffing scores comparatively well. For families, the questions worth asking are about weekend coverage and how the home has changed since that last look.
Cavalier Healthcare of Trussville runs 125 beds under corporate ownership, and its biggest problem shows up in the staffing numbers. At 3.34 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 13% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 14% below its own weekday level, so care thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Annual turnover of 78.5% is well above the national 45.8%, meaning the people caring for your relative are likely new, or about to be. The inspection record is better: nine deficiencies, none at harm level, though one is abuse-related, and six fines totaling $40,486. The last inspection was May 2021, so that record is aging.
Merry Wood Lodge runs 3.24 nurse hours per resident day, about 16% under the national average, and weekends dip roughly 11% below its own weekday staffing. That shortfall matters because the home carries 17 deficiencies, 6 of them at the harm or jeopardy level and 4 related to abuse, plus a single fine of $182,968. Annual turnover sits at 51.9%. CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, and its last inspection was September 2024.
Magnolia Ridge runs 4.49 nurse hours per resident day, about 16% above the national average, and that number looks good on paper until you notice weekends drop roughly 20% below the home's own weekday staffing. Annual turnover sits at 63.2% against a national 45.8%, meaning most of the people caring for residents this year won't be there next year. The inspection record is where it gets serious: 43 deficiencies, 19 of them at harm or jeopardy level, 6 abuse-related, and one $392,125 fine. CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, which is reserved for homes with a persistent pattern of poor care.
Falkville Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center is a 116-bed for-profit home in Morgan County, and the inspection record is the part that should give you pause. CMS has cited 33 deficiencies on its current record, 14 of them at the harm or jeopardy level and 7 tied to abuse, enough that the agency has placed the home in its Special Focus Facility program, which is reserved for the worst performers in the country. Two fines total $146,615. Staffing sits slightly under the national average at 3.79 hours per resident day, but the bigger issue is consistency: weekends run about 13% thinner than weekdays, and turnover is 55.2% against a national 45.8%. A September 2025 inspection is recent, but recent isn't the same as clean.
Cumberland Health and Rehab is a 100-bed nonprofit home in Bridgeport, and its numbers pull in two directions. The care side looks strong on paper: a 5/5 staffing star rating, a 5/5 quality measure rating, and turnover at 35.6%, well below the national average of 45.8%. But the inspection record is where the story turns. Eighteen deficiencies, six of them serious enough to cause harm or jeopardy, one tied to abuse, plus a $238,745 fine and a spot in CMS's Special Focus Facility program. Total nurse staffing sits slightly under the national average, and weekends run about 12% thinner than weekdays. That last inspection was June 2024, so the record is current.
Knollwood Healthcare runs 71 certified beds in Mobile under for-profit limited liability ownership, and the numbers behind its record are hard to read any other way. Nurse staffing sits at 3.42 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends drop roughly 17% below the home's own weekday level, so the thinnest coverage lands when families visit most. Staff turnover of 74.2% means most of the people caring for residents this year likely won't be there next year. Forty-six deficiencies are on the current record, twelve at harm or jeopardy level and ten abuse-related, with four CMS fines totaling $318,070. CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, its last inspection was September 11, 2025, and you should ask pointed questions before considering it.
Frequently asked questions
How many chain-owned nursing homes are there in Alabama?
There are 167 chain-owned Medicare-certified nursing homes in Alabama, 75% of the 224 nursing homes there.
Are chain-owned nursing homes better staffed?
In Alabama they average 3.84 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 3.88 for all nursing homes in Alabama, a difference of -0.04 hours. Staff turnover averages 47.9% against 46.9%.
Which chain-owned nursing home grades best in Alabama?