Arkansas Nursing Homes: Violations, Fines and Worst Records

In Arkansas nursing homes, registered nurse time averages 0.41 hours daily for every resident, lower than the national level of 0.69 hours. Over one year, 49.5% of nursing staff statewide left their jobs, a share that ranks 11th nationally and tops the 45.8% national rate. In Arkansas, 200 for-profit businesses are among the state's 221 certified nursing homes. The largest chain in the state is Central Arkansas Nursing Centers, which operates 35 of them.

Medicare, the federal agency, supplies all of these figures and posts nursing home data covering each certified facility statewide. Over the past three inspection cycles, facilities in Arkansas received 3,983 citations from state inspectors for federal safety rule violations. Of those citations, 257 fall under the supervision and accident-hazard rule, with 52 of them involving a hazard that hurt residents or created immediate danger. The federal agency's fines since September 2023 reach $2,035,267 over 73 state homes. The biggest single fine, $196,720, was an October 2023 action against Hot Springs' Belvedere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Individual facility inspection reports are not posted on the website of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, so use the federal reports to read them. All 221 homes statewide have Medicare Care Compare profiles, from the federal search tool formerly named Nursing Home Compare, and each profile opens official inspection reports called the Form CMS-2567 deficiency statement. Families may also request copies of survey reports and the complaint history for a facility from the state agency (Office of Long Term Care).

Anyone who sees unsafe care may report it to the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Office of Long Term Care: call 1-800-582-4887 or use the state consumer page for long-term care. Residents and families can get an advocate from the Arkansas Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, housed in the state Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services, to settle care disputes. If you suspect a vulnerable adult in the state is being abused, neglected, or exploited, report it to Adult Protective Services at 1-800-482-8049.