Life Care Center of Puyallup
A nursing home in Puyallup, Washington 98372
511 10th Avenue Southeast, Puyallup, Washington 98372. (253) 845-7566.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 28, 2026.
- 2of 5 CMS’s overall rating
- 18 health citations at the latest inspection cycle Washington average: 15.7
- 4.39 nurse hours per resident per day Washington average: 4.42
- 1 fine in the last three years (needs attention)
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean7
- 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.
- 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?
18 health citations at the latest inspection cycle
The Washington average is 15.7.
Last standard inspection Apr 10, 2026.
Most serious in three years: actual harm (G), at a standard inspection on Apr 10, 2026
CMS, Provider Information, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
When those citations happened
38 citations in 9 months of the last 36. Last cited Aug 2026. Most serious: actual harm (G). 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 39 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. 10 came from complaint inspections.
CMS, Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
Aug 13, 2026: complaint inspection1 citation
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Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Jul 1, 2026: 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.
Apr 10, 2026: standard inspection13 citations
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Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
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Prevent the use of unnecessary psychotropic medications or use medications that may restrain a resident’s ability to function.
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Provide the required documentation or notification related to the resident’s needs, appeal rights, or bed-hold policies.
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Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
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Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
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Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
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Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
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Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures.
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Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.
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Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
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Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
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Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
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Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
Dec 17, 2025: complaint inspection3 citations
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Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
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Provide timely, quality laboratory services/tests to meet the needs of residents.
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Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Jul 9, 2025: complaint inspection2 citations
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Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident’s needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
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Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Jun 18, 2025: complaint inspection1 citation
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Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Apr 28, 2025: complaint inspection1 citation
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Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Feb 27, 2025: standard inspection9 citations
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Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident’s needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
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Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
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Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
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Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
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Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services.
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Make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
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Allow residents to easily view the nursing home’s survey results and communicate with advocate agencies.
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Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
Jan 9, 2024: standard inspection7 citations
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Honor the resident’s right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
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Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered.
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Honor the resident’s right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
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Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
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Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident’s health.
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Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
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Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.
Nov 29, 2023: complaint inspection1 citation
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Immediately tell the resident, the resident’s doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Is it certified, and in good standing?
- Certified for Medicare and Medicaid since Jan 1, 1989.
- Not on CMS’s special focus list.
- No abuse icon from CMS.
- No change of ownership in the last 12 months.
- CMS lists its ownership as for profit, limited liability company.
- 102 certified beds.
CMS, Provider Information. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
Has it been fined or penalized?
- 1 fine in the last three years, $17,155 in all.
- No Medicare payment denials in the last three years.
- 10 citations in the last three years came from complaint inspections.
CMS, Penalties and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Date | Kind | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2026 | Fine | $17,155 |
Who does the caring?
4.39 nurse hours per resident per day
The Washington average is 4.42.
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 | Washington average |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse hours per resident per day | 4.39 | 4.42 |
| Of which registered nurses | 0.95 | 0.99 |
| At weekends | 3.64 | 3.82 |
| Nursing staff turnover | 37.5% | 43.9% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 43.5% | 43.8% |
| Administrators who left | 0 | Not given |
Who owns it?
- Life Care Centers of America, Inc. runs it.
- 4 owners or officers are people: Forrest L Preston (owns 5% or more directly, 99%); Paul Andrew Nimz (managing employee (on the payroll)); Joan E Thurmond (corporate officer); Cindy S Cross (corporate officer).
- Part of Life Care Centers of America (194 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Care Centers of America, Inc. | Runs it (operational or managerial control) | 100% | Jan 1, 1996 |
How do residents fare?
- CMS rates its quality measures 4 of 5 (Washington average 4.1).
CMS, Provider Information and State and US Averages. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 2 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 2 of 5 |
| Staffing | 4 of 5 |
| Quality measures | 4 of 5 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Among the 12 nearest homes, within 8.1 miles, this one had the 5th most health citations at the latest inspection cycle (18; the middle value was 17).
CMS, Provider Information. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Place | Miles away | Citations, latest cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Life Care Center of Puyallup This nursing home | 18 | |
| Rainier Rehabilitation | 0.5 | 0 |
| Puyallup Post Acute | 0.9 | 17 |
| Life Care Center of South Hill | 1.0 | 7 |
| Linden Grove Health Care Center | 2.0 | 39 |
| Heartwood Extended Healthcare | 5.7 | 31 |
| Avalon Healthcare - Tacoma | 6.6 | 23 |
| Tacoma Nursing and Rehabilitation Center | 7.1 | 6 |
| Avamere at Pacific Ridge | 7.2 | 23 |
| Canterbury House | 7.7 | 14 |
| Washington Soldiers Home | 7.9 | 15 |
| Alaska Gardens Health and Rehabilitation | 8.1 | 17 |
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).
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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.