Merry Wood Lodge
A nursing home in Elmore, Alabama 36025
280 Mt Hebron Road, Elmore, Alabama 36025. (334) 567-8484.
- A candidate for CMS’s special focus list
- Cited for abuse (CMS flag)
- Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 28, 2026.
- 1of 5 CMS’s overall rating
- 8 health citations at the latest inspection cycle Alabama average: 4.0
- 3.40 nurse hours per resident per day Alabama average: 3.90
- 1 fine in the last three years (needs attention)
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean8
- Star ratings
- CMS rates some kinds of place from 1 to 5 stars, more stars meaning better on CMS’s own measures for that kind: for a nursing home, its health inspections, staffing and quality measures. A rating is CMS’s summary of those measures; it doesn’t promise good care. Source: CMS, Care Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
- Scope and severity (A to L)
- CMS grades each nursing home deficiency with a letter. A to C: no actual harm, with potential for minimal harm. D to F: no actual harm, but potential for more. G to I: actual harm. J to L: immediate jeopardy. Within each band, the letter rises as more residents were affected or could be: one or a few, a pattern, or widespread. Source: CMS, nursing home scope and severity grid (State Operations Manual, chapter 7).
- Nurse staffing hours
- The hours registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse aides worked, per resident per day, from the payroll records each home sends CMS. Source: CMS, Payroll-Based Journal.
- Fines and payment denials
- A fine (civil money penalty) is money CMS makes a nursing home pay when it falls short of federal rules. A payment denial means Medicare and Medicaid stop paying for new admissions until the home meets the rules again. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.430 and 488.417.
- Immediate jeopardy
- CMS’s most serious finding: the place’s failure to meet a rule caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment or death to someone in its care. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 489.3.
- Capacity
- The most people the licence or certification lets the place care for at once: residents, children, beds or apartments, as the state counts them. It isn’t how many are there now. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
8 health citations at the latest inspection cycle
The Alabama average is 4.0.
Last standard inspection Sep 1, 2024.
Most serious in three years: immediate jeopardy to health or safety (J), at a standard and complaint inspection on Sep 1, 2024
CMS, Provider Information, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
When those citations happened
9 citations in 2 months of the last 36. Last cited Oct 2024. Most serious: immediate jeopardy to health or safety (J). The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dec | |||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
All 9 citations in the last three years
Grouped by inspection, newest first. Each carries CMS grades each nursing home deficiency with a letter. A to C: no actual harm, with potential for minimal harm. D to F: no actual harm, but potential for more. G to I: actual harm. J to L: immediate jeopardy. Within each band, the letter rises as more residents were affected or could be: one or a few, a pattern, or widespread. Source: CMS, nursing home scope and severity grid (State Operations Manual, chapter 7)., from A, the least serious, to L, the most. 9 came from complaint inspections.
CMS, Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
Oct 17, 2024: complaint inspection1 citation
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Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Sep 1, 2024: standard and complaint inspection8 citations
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Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
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Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
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Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
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Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.
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Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
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Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
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Dispose of garbage and refuse properly.
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Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
Is it certified, and in good standing?
- Certified for Medicare and Medicaid since Jan 1, 1974.
- A candidate for CMS’s special focus list, which CMS keeps for homes with a history of serious problems.
- CMS marks it with its abuse icon: cited for abuse or neglect that harmed a resident.
- No change of ownership in the last 12 months.
- CMS lists its ownership as for profit, limited liability company.
- 124 certified beds.
CMS, Provider Information. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
Has it been fined or penalized?
- 1 fine in the last three years, $182,968 in all.
- 1 Medicare payment denial in the last three years.
- 9 citations in the last three years came from complaint inspections.
CMS, Penalties and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Date | Kind | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2024 | Medicare payment denial | Not given |
| Sep 1, 2024 | Fine | $182,968 |
Who does the caring?
3.40 nurse hours per resident per day
The Alabama average is 3.90.
CMS publishes staffing about four months after the fact.
CMS, Provider Information and State and US Averages. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Measure | This home | Alabama average |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse hours per resident per day | 3.40 | 3.90 |
| Of which registered nurses | 0.80 | 0.66 |
| At weekends | 3.03 | 3.27 |
| Nursing staff turnover | 54.5% | 46.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 57.7% | 40% |
| Administrators who left | 1 | Not given |
Who owns it?
- Genesis Holdings LLC owns 100% directly since Feb 2, 2015.
- 10 owners or officers are people: Arnold M Whitman (owns 5% or more through other companies, 17.42%); Steven E Fishman (owns 5% or more through other companies, 11.15%); Laura Bridgeford (corporate officer, 0%); Joel C Bolen (managing employee (under contract), 0%); Joel C Bolen (additional disclosable party (controls, leases property to, or provides services to the home)); Larry Huffman (managing employee (on the payroll)); Larry Huffman (additional disclosable party (controls, leases property to, or provides services to the home)); Avi Pinchas Mendelson (corporate officer, 0%); Michael T Berg (corporate officer, 0%); Michael T Berg (runs it (operational or managerial control)).
- Part of Genesis Healthcare (183 homes in CMS’s data).
- No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
- No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
CMS, All Owners. Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly.
CMS, Provider Information. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Organisation | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Operations I LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Gen Operations II LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Fc-Gen Operations Investment LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Genesis Healthcare LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Genesis Holdings LLC | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Sun Healthcare Group Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 52.24% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Genesis Healthcare Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 52.24% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Hccf Management Group Xi LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 14.73% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Zac Properties Xi LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 8.48% | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Sundance Rehabilitation Holdco Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 5.81% | Jan 1, 2016 |
| Welltower Op LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 5.7% | Mar 1, 2024 |
| An organisation CMS lists without a name | Additional disclosable party (controls, leases property to, or provides services to the home) | Dec 16, 2024 | |
| An organisation CMS lists without a name | Additional disclosable party (controls, leases property to, or provides services to the home) | Dec 16, 2024 |
How do residents fare?
- CMS rates its quality measures 4 of 5 (Alabama average 3.3).
CMS, Provider Information and State and US Averages. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 1 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 1 of 5 |
| Staffing | 3 of 5 |
| Quality measures | 4 of 5 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Among the 12 nearest homes, within 17.3 miles, this one had the 3rd most health citations at the latest inspection cycle (8; the middle value was 4).
CMS, Provider Information. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Place | Miles away | Citations, latest cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Merry Wood Lodge This nursing home | 8 | |
| Wetumpka Health and Rehabilitation, LLC | 5.9 | 15 |
| Charlton Place Rehab and Healthcare Center | 6.6 | 0 |
| Prattville Health and Rehabilitation, LLC | 8.2 | 6 |
| Montgomery Children’s Specialty Center | 9.5 | 4 |
| Crowne Health Care of Montgomery | 12.1 | 0 |
| Capitol Hill Healthcare Center | 12.9 | 1 |
| Hillview Terrace | 13.1 | 3 |
| Diversicare of Montgomery | 14.0 | 4 |
| Father Purcell Memorial Exceptional Children’s Ctr | 14.3 | 6 |
| John Knox Manor Inc. I I | 16.4 | 3 |
| Rivertown Health and Rehabilitation Center | 17.3 | 10 |
What the record doesn’t say
- Complaints that didn’t lead to a citation aren’t published.
- Inspections reach CMS’s data about six weeks after they happen, and staffing about four months after.
- CMS publishes the inspectors’ full written findings in a separate monthly file, which isn’t loaded yet.
- Fines and Medicare payment denials are the only enforcement CMS publishes; state licence actions aren’t included.
Sources
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider Information (4pq5-n9py).
Released Oct 28, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Deficiencies (r5ix-sfxw).
Released Oct 28, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Penalties (g6vv-u9sr).
Released Oct 28, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, All Owners (afe44b85-cc6d-40d7-b5df-00ae8910d1d2).
Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, State and US Averages (xcdc-v8bm).
Released Oct 28, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: CMS. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
This copy of the record was made on Nov 5, 2026.
From the home
The public record above comes first. Anything the home adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the home will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the home”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.