ElderGrade
D

48.9/100

Below average

Littlefork Care Center

912 Main Street, Littlefork, MN 56653

CMS 1/5 stars #2 of 2 in Koochiching County (218) 278-6634
Certified beds
42
Occupancy
86%
Ownership
Non-profit
Accepts
Medicare + Medicaid

What to ask about before you visit

These are findings in the public CMS record for this home. They are not our opinion — each one comes straight from a federal inspection or enforcement file.

  • 1 citation(s) involving actual harm or immediate jeopardy

    Inspectors found violations at scope/severity G or above, meaning residents were harmed or placed in immediate jeopardy.

  • $218,595 in federal fines

    CMS has fined this facility across 1 penalty action(s).

How this grade was calculated

Every point is shown. Nothing is weighted behind the scenes — the full formula is on How we grade.

Inspection safety

14.4/30

Citations from state health inspections over the last three surveys, weighted by how much harm CMS says they caused.

  • -10 for 1 immediate-jeopardy citation(s) in the last 3 years
  • -5.6 for 33 total citations against a national median of 17

Staffing

20.5/30

Nursing hours per resident per day, adjusted for how sick the residents are, plus RN cover and weekend consistency.

  • 4.27 total nurse hours per resident per day (national median 3.77)
  • 0.84 RN hours per resident per day
  • Weekend staffing drops 17% against weekdays

Staff stability

9/15

How much of the nursing team leaves in a year. High turnover means a resident rarely sees the same face twice.

  • 53% of nursing staff left in the last year

Resident outcomes

5/15

The CMS quality-measure rating, built from resident outcomes like falls, pressure ulcers, infections and antipsychotic use.

  • 2 of 5 stars on the CMS quality-measure rating

Enforcement history

0/10

Fines and payment denials CMS has imposed. A denial of payment means CMS stopped paying for new admissions.

  • $218,595 in federal fines across 1 action(s)
  • -0 for 1 denial(s) of Medicare payment for new admissions

Grade ceiling applied

  • Capped at 64 (grade C) — immediate-jeopardy citation in the last 3 years

Staffing, against the national average

Full detail

Hours of nursing care each resident receives per day. The marker on each bar is the national average.

Total nurse hours per resident per day 3.41 hrs
National average 3.86 hrs Below average
Registered nurse (RN) hours 0.84 hrs
National average 0.69 hrs Better than average

RNs are the licence level most likely to catch a resident deteriorating.

Weekend nurse hours 2.83 hrs
National average 3.42 hrs Below average

The shift most families visit, and the one thinned first.

Nursing staff turnover 52.80%
National average 45.80% Below average

The share of nursing staff who left over the last year.

Recent inspection findings

All 33 citations

Last standard health inspection: December 10, 2025 (8 months ago).

E Dec 10, 2025 F0585

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

E Dec 10, 2025 F0881

Infection Control Deficiencies

Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 10, 2025 F0600

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 10, 2025 F0609

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 10, 2025 F0610

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 10, 2025 F0677

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 10, 2025 F0686

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 10, 2025 F0692

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

Who owns this home

Full record

Part of ST. FRANCIS HEALTH SERVICES, which operates 14 homes. Staffing budgets are usually set at chain level, not in the building.

Owner Type Role Since
DRIPPS, DANIEL Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
EHLERS, DOUGLAS Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
GOODNOUGH, JENNIFER Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
GRAMM, TIMOTHY Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
LAIR, MICHAEL Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
LIENEMANN, STEVEN Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
LUETMER, JOHN Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
NELSON, PATRICK Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
RENTZ, LAURA Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
SCHNEIDER, TODD Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
WIESE, LORRAINE Individual MANAGING CONTROL - GOVERNING BODY
BACH, CURTIS Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR

What families say

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Common questions about Littlefork Care Center

What is the ElderGrade for Littlefork Care Center? +

Littlefork Care Center holds an ElderGrade of D (48.9 out of 100), which we describe as "below average". The grade combines its inspection citations, nurse staffing levels, staff turnover, resident outcomes and enforcement history from the federal CMS record.

How many nursing hours does each resident get at Littlefork Care Center? +

Residents receive an average of 3.41 nursing hours per day across all nursing staff, against a national average of 3.86 hours.

Has Littlefork Care Center been cited for harming residents? +

Yes. 1 of the 33 citations on record were scored at scope and severity G or above, meaning inspectors found actual harm to a resident or immediate jeopardy to resident safety.

Does Littlefork Care Center accept Medicaid? +

Yes, Littlefork Care Center is certified to accept Medicaid, which is the programme that pays for long-term custodial care once a resident meets their state's income and asset limits.