All 12 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Columbia,
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.
C M Tucker Jr Nursing Care Center, the state-run home in Columbia, runs its nursing hours well above what most homes manage, about 66% more direct nurse time per resident than the national average, and its staff tends to stay, with turnover roughly a quarter lower than typical. That's real. But look at the inspection record and a different picture shows up: six deficiencies on file, three of them serious enough to put residents in harm's way, two tied to abuse, plus nearly $60,000 in fines and a health inspection rating near the bottom. The last full look was April 2025. The quality and staffing scores don't cancel out what inspectors found.
Wildewood Downs runs on nursing hours, 5.27 per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, and that shows up in its staffing rating, which sits at the top of CMS's scale. Weekend coverage dips about 10% below weekday levels, worth knowing if your visits fall on Saturdays or Sundays, and turnover at 41.2% is a bit better than the national 45.8%, though still means a good share of the faces change year to year. Nine deficiencies on record with none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, plus an inspection as recent as January 2026, suggests a home that's been looked at closely and come through cleanly. A for-profit LLC operates it.
Nhc Healthcare - Parklane runs on 4.97 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 29% more than the national average, and its staff turnover sits at 37.7% against a national 45.8%. Those two numbers explain most of what the federal ratings reflect: 4 out of 5 stars for staffing, 5 out of 5 on health inspections, 4 out of 5 on quality measures. The ten deficiencies on record include nothing at the harm or jeopardy level and nothing abuse-related, and the file was last inspected in February 2026, so the picture is current. Weekend coverage does dip about 19% below weekday levels, which is worth asking about directly.
White Oak Manor in Columbia runs 120 beds under corporate for-profit ownership, and its nurse staffing sits about 5% under the national average at 3.65 hours per resident day. Weekends dip roughly 12% below the home's own weekday coverage, which matters if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover is the bright spot: 29% against a national 45.8% means aides and nurses tend to stick around, so your mother likely sees familiar faces. The inspection record shows nine deficiencies, one serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, plus a single $8,788 fine. Quality measures score well; the last inspection was November 2025.
Rice Estate Rehabilitation And Healthcare runs on 4.96 total nurse hours per resident day, roughly 29% above the national figure of 3.86, and that shows up in its staffing rating of 4 out of 5. Weekend coverage dips about 12% below its own weekday level, so ask how that plays out on a Sunday. Staff turnover sits at 40.9%, better than the 45.8% national average, which matters for whether your parent sees the same faces. Five deficiencies are on record, none at the harm level and none abuse-related, with the last inspection in April 2026. As a nonprofit with 80 beds, it's small enough to know residents by name.
Life Care Center of Columbia runs about 3.46 nursing hours per resident per day, roughly 10 percent under the national average, and weekends drop another 16 percent below its own weekday staffing. That thinner weekend coverage matters most when families visit and when problems tend to surface. Annual turnover sits at 54.8 percent, well above the 45.8 percent national figure, so the people caring for your relative are likely to change often. The current inspection record carries 15 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and one abuse-related, on a two-out-of-five health inspection rating. Quality measures score well at four stars, but that reflects care processes, not the inspection findings themselves.
Pruitthealth-Blythewood sits at 120 certified beds under corporate for-profit ownership, and its recent inspection record is genuinely solid, a four-star health inspection rating with no deficiencies at the harm or jeopardy level, plus a fresh survey from September 2025. The catch is staffing. At 3.36 nurse hours per resident day, it runs about 13 percent under the national average, and weekend coverage drops roughly a fifth below its own weekday level, which matters for families who visit or call on Saturdays and Sundays. Annual turnover of 53.5 percent, well above the 45.8 percent national figure, means the aides and nurses caring for your relative are likely to change often. Two abuse-related deficiencies on the current record deserve a direct question when you tour.
Midlands Health & Rehabilitation Center runs 88 beds in Columbia under corporate for-profit ownership, and the staffing numbers are where families should focus. At 3.50 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 9% under the national average of 3.86, with weekends running roughly 14% thinner than weekdays, a pattern that matters most when a resident needs help on a Sunday. Annual turnover of 52.8% tops the national 45.8%, meaning caregivers cycle through faster than average. The inspection record shows 20 deficiencies, one serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level and two fines totaling $51,803; the most recent inspection was September 11, 2025. Quality measures score well, but that sits against the lowest staffing tier.
Pruitthealth-Columbia runs 144 certified beds as a for-profit corporation, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.51 hours per resident day, roughly 9% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends drop about 13% below the home's own weekday coverage, and annual turnover hits 49.5%, a bit above the 45.8% national figure. The current record shows 22 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level, but one tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $48,523. A July 2025 inspection is recent, and the quality measure score of 3 out of 5 lands in the middle. The staffing star rating of 4 is the strongest number here; the 1 out of 5 on health inspections is the one worth asking about directly.
C M Tucker Jr Nursing Care Center in Columbia runs on state government ownership and a big staff, 5.20 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, though weekends drop about 17% below its own weekday level. What that staffing buys is a spotty record: 24 deficiencies on file, seven serious enough to put residents in harm's way, three tied to abuse, and four fines totaling $244,929. The last inspection was in May 2025, so the picture is current. High direct-care hours coexist here with repeated, sometimes dangerous, compliance failures, a split worth weighing carefully if you're choosing a place for someone.
St Andrews Operator runs 108 certified beds in Columbia under individual for-profit ownership, and the numbers behind its F grade are worth walking through. Nurse staffing sits at 3.44 hours per resident day, roughly 11% under the national average, and weekends run about 11% thinner than weekdays, so coverage is lightest exactly when families tend to visit. Annual turnover of 79.3% is nearly double the national rate, meaning most of the people caring for residents are new to the building. The current record carries 40 deficiencies, including 4 at harm or jeopardy level and 8 tied to abuse, plus $52,910 in fines. Its last inspection was July 2025, so the picture is recent.
Forest Acres runs lean on nurses, 2.88 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, roughly a quarter below what CMS considers typical, and weekends drop about 7% further from its own weekday levels. That thin coverage shows up in the numbers: 64.9% of staff left over the past year, versus 45.8% nationally, and the current record carries 10 deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and one tied to abuse. A single $82,018 fine and a May 2025 inspection round out the picture at this for-profit, limited-liability home. The quality measure rating looks good on paper, but staffing is what families actually feel day to day.