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Last updated: May 2026
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods is a licensed nursing home located at 4200 Murfreesboro Pike, Antioch, Tennessee 37013. The facility can be reached at (615) 501-3500. It is operated by Life Care Centers of America — one of the largest nursing home chains in the country — through the legal entity Highland Park Medical Investors, LLC, a for-profit limited liability company. The facility participates in both Medicare and Medicaid and is licensed for 124 certified beds.
This page summarizes publicly available CMS star ratings, staffing data, quality measures, and inspection history for Life Care Center of Hickory Woods based on records from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Care Compare database.
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods carries a 5-star Much Above Average overall rating — one of the strongest CMS profiles in the Antioch and South Nashville area. Several of its quality metrics are genuinely exceptional. However, a 5-star rating is a composite score, and beneath it lie specific data points that families — particularly those with long-stay residents — should understand carefully before drawing conclusions. The facility’s fall rate, mobility decline rate, weight loss rate, and staff turnover are all significantly above national averages. Tennessee nursing home abuse lawyer
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars — Much Above Average
Health Inspections: 4 out of 5 stars — Above Average
Staffing: 3 out of 5 stars — Average
Quality Measures: 5 out of 5 stars — Much Above Average
CMS Provider ID: 445507
Most Recent Standard Inspection: November 19, 2025
Inspection data last verified: April 2026
Source: Medicare.gov Care Compare
A 5-star overall rating is the highest designation available from CMS and reflects genuinely strong performance across multiple measured categories. Life Care Center of Hickory Woods earns this rating primarily through exceptional quality measures scores — particularly for short-stay rehabilitation outcomes. Families should understand both what the 5-star rating reflects and what it does not capture about day-to-day care for long-stay residents.
Residents at or Above Expected Functional Ability at Discharge
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods: 91.79%
National Average: 57.48%
Nearly 92% of short-stay residents at this facility achieved at or above their expected ability to care for themselves and move independently at discharge — compared to a national average of just 57.48%. This is one of the strongest rehabilitation outcome metrics available through CMS and suggests the facility delivers genuinely effective short-term rehabilitation care.
Additional short-stay metrics where the facility performs well:
Outpatient emergency department visits — Only 5.1% of short-stay residents required outpatient emergency department visits, compared to a national average of 12% and Tennessee average of 11.1%. Less than half the national rate.
Successful return to home or community — 64.08% of short-stay residents were successfully discharged to home or community, compared to a national average of 50.57%. A higher return-to-home rate suggests the facility is achieving its rehabilitation goals.
Ability to care for self at discharge — 70.90% of residents achieved at or above expected self-care ability at discharge, versus a national average of 54.47%.
Ability to move around at discharge — 83.58% achieved at or above expected mobility at discharge, versus a national average of 51.57%.
Antipsychotic medication — first use — Only 0.2% of short-stay residents received antipsychotic medication for the first time, compared to a national average of 1.6%.
Outpatient ED visits — Zero outpatient emergency department visits per 1,000 long-stay resident days, compared to a national average of 1.80 and Tennessee average of 1.54. This is an exceptional result.
Antipsychotic medication use — Only 3.1% of long-stay residents received antipsychotic medications, compared to a national average of 15.4% and Tennessee average of 16.9%. This is one of the lowest rates we have seen and suggests the facility is not relying on chemical restraint to manage resident behavior.
Pressure ulcers — 2.1% of long-stay residents developed pressure ulcers, versus a national average of 4.9% and Tennessee average of 5.2%. bedsores
Hospitalizations — 1.21 hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days versus a national average of 1.90 and Tennessee average of 1.64.
No physical restraints — 0% of residents were physically restrained, consistent with national average.
No federal fines, no complaint investigations, no Medicare payment denials — Life Care Center of Hickory Woods has a clean regulatory record in all three categories for the past three years.
A 5-star overall rating is an average of multiple components. Within that average are individual metrics that fall significantly below national standards — and for families of long-stay residents in particular, these numbers warrant serious attention.
Long-Stay Fall Rate with Major Injury
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods: 5.2%
National Average: 3.2%
Tennessee Average: 3.5%
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods’s long-stay fall rate with major injury is 63% above the national average and 49% above the Tennessee state average. Falls with major injury — hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, serious lacerations — are among the most serious and consequential events in nursing home care. For an elderly resident, a hip fracture can trigger a cascade of complications that proves fatal. This metric is the most significant concern in the facility’s quality profile and should be a direct conversation point with facility management for any family with a long-stay resident. falls and fractures
Long-Stay Residents Whose Ability to Walk Independently Worsened
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods: 29.5%
National Average: 15.3%
Tennessee Average: 18.5%
Nearly 30% of long-stay residents at this facility experienced worsening in their ability to walk independently — nearly double the national average of 15.3% and well above the Tennessee average of 18.5%. This metric is particularly striking given the facility’s exceptional short-stay rehabilitation scores. Strong outcomes for short-stay rehab patients and high rates of mobility decline in long-stay residents can coexist in a facility that prioritizes rehabilitation resources for short-term patients while providing less intensive support for long-term residents.
Long-Stay Residents Who Lost Too Much Weight
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods: 13.1%
National Average: 5.3%
Tennessee Average: 6.3%
13.1% of long-stay residents experienced significant weight loss — nearly 2.5 times the national average and more than twice the Tennessee state average. Unexplained significant weight loss is one of the most reliable indicators of inadequate nutritional care. It is directly linked to immune function, wound healing, fall risk, and overall physical decline. At nearly 2.5 times the national rate, this metric represents a pattern of concern that goes well beyond statistical variation. malnutrition
Long-Stay Residents with New or Worsened Bowel or Bladder Incontinence
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods: 33.8%
National Average: 19.4%
Tennessee Average: 20.1%
33.8% of long-stay residents developed new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence — 74% above the national average. This is a significant finding. Incontinence care is one of the most direct measures of hands-on daily care staffing adequacy. Facilities that do not have enough staff to assist residents with toileting on a regular schedule see higher rates of incontinence development. High incontinence rates are also a risk factor for urinary tract infections, which can progress to sepsis in elderly residents.
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods presents a staffing picture that is better than average in terms of hours per resident but raises concerns in terms of staff stability.
Total nurse hours per resident per day — 4 hours 16 minutes, above the national average of 3 hours 52 minutes and Tennessee average of 3 hours 48 minutes.
RN hours per resident per day — 45 minutes, above the national average of 41 minutes and well above the Tennessee average of 35 minutes.
Physical therapist hours — 10 minutes per resident per day versus a national average of 4 minutes. Significantly above average and consistent with the facility’s strong short-stay rehabilitation outcomes.
Weekend staffing — 3 hours 40 minutes total nurse hours per resident per day on weekends, above the national average of 3 hours 26 minutes and Tennessee average of 3 hours 19 minutes.
These are genuinely positive staffing metrics. However they must be read alongside the facility’s staff turnover data.
Staff Turnover — Life Care Center of Hickory Woods
Total Nursing Staff Turnover: 57.1%
National Average: 46.2% | Tennessee Average: 48.7%
Registered Nurse Turnover: 60%
National Average: 43.4% | Tennessee Average: 43%
Total nursing staff turnover of 57.1% is 24% above the national average. RN turnover of 60% is nearly 40% above the national average. High turnover means residents are regularly receiving care from staff who do not know them — their preferences, their routines, their clinical history, their early warning signs. Even when total staffing hours are adequate, high turnover undermines care continuity in ways that aggregate hour data does not capture. The contrast between above-average staffing hours and well-above-average turnover rates is an important tension that families should understand.
Staff flu vaccination — Only 22.77% of healthcare personnel received flu vaccinations, compared to a national average of 42.00%. Less than half the national rate. Low staff vaccination rates increase the risk of flu transmission to vulnerable residents. understaffing
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods’s most recent standard health survey was conducted November 19, 2025 and cited only 3 health deficiencies — well below the Tennessee average of 5.7 and significantly below the national average of 9.4. No complaint investigations or infection control inspections were conducted in the 12 months ending March 31, 2026. No federal fines or Medicare payment denials appear in the facility’s record.
The specific health deficiency details for the November 2025 survey are available at Medicare.gov Care Compare using CMS Provider ID 445507. The clean inspection record is a genuine positive indicator.
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods’s 5-star rating is primarily driven by its exceptional short-stay rehabilitation outcomes. The facility appears to deliver strong rehabilitation care for patients recovering from surgery, acute illness, or injury — with functional improvement rates far above national averages and a strong return-to-home rate.
For families considering this facility for a long-term placement — not short-term rehabilitation — the picture requires closer examination. The metrics that matter most for long-stay residents tell a more complicated story:
The fall rate for long-stay residents is 63% above the national average. The weight loss rate is nearly 2.5 times the national average. The rate of mobility decline is nearly double the national average. The incontinence rate is 74% above the national average. These are not minor statistical variations. They represent patterns affecting a significant proportion of long-stay residents.
Families considering a long-term placement at Life Care Center of Hickory Woods should ask the facility directly about its fall prevention protocols for long-stay residents, its nutritional monitoring and intervention program, its continence care program, and how it supports mobility maintenance for residents who are not in active short-term rehabilitation.
For a complete guide to reading and interpreting CMS ratings and quality data, see our page on Understanding Nursing Home Inspections and Ratings.
Complete inspection reports are available at Medicare.gov Care Compare using CMS Provider ID 445507.
Even facilities with 5-star ratings can — and do — fail individual residents. A high overall rating does not prevent falls, inadequate nutritional care, or other failures from occurring to specific residents.
If a family member suffered a serious injury or died while residing at Life Care Center of Hickory Woods — including a fall resulting in fracture or head injury, significant unexplained weight loss, or another serious care failure — you may have legal options under Tennessee law.
Tennessee’s statute of limitations for nursing home negligence cases is one year from the date of injury or discovery. For wrongful death cases, it is one year from the date of death. This deadline does not pause while families are seeking answers from the facility.
The initial consultation is free. We handle nursing home cases on a contingency fee basis — no fee unless we recover compensation for your family.
The Higgins Firm serves families throughout the Antioch, Nashville, and Middle Tennessee region. Nashville nursing home abuse lawyer
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Life Care Center of Hickory Woods has a 5-star Much Above Average overall CMS rating and genuinely exceptional short-stay rehabilitation outcomes. However several metrics for long-stay residents — including fall rates, weight loss, mobility decline, and incontinence rates — are significantly above national averages. Whether the facility is a good fit depends on whether a loved one is seeking short-term rehabilitation or long-term care.
The long-stay fall rate with major injury at Life Care Center of Hickory Woods is 5.2% — 63% above the national average of 3.2% and 49% above the Tennessee average of 3.5%. This is the most significant quality concern in the facility’s data profile and warrants direct conversation with facility management about fall prevention protocols for long-stay residents.
CMS star ratings are composite scores that average performance across many metrics. Life Care Center of Hickory Woods scores exceptionally well on short-stay rehabilitation outcomes — which carries significant weight in the composite — while performing below average on several long-stay metrics including weight loss (13.1% vs 5.3% national average). A high composite score does not guarantee strong performance on every individual measure.
29.5% of long-stay residents at Life Care Center of Hickory Woods experienced worsening in their ability to walk independently — nearly double the national average of 15.3%. This suggests that long-stay residents at this facility are at elevated risk of functional decline in mobility over time.
Document what you observed — photographs of any injuries, written notes with dates and staff names. Seek medical attention immediately if your loved one shows signs of harm. Contact The Higgins Firm for a free consultation. Tennessee’s one-year statute of limitations means acting quickly is essential.
No. The initial consultation is free. The Higgins Firm handles nursing home cases on a contingency fee basis — our fee is a percentage of any recovery we obtain. Nothing is owed upfront and nothing if we do not recover.
The CMS Provider ID for Life Care Center of Hickory Woods is 445507. Full inspection reports and quality data are available at Medicare.gov Care Compare.
The Higgins Firm represents families in nursing home neglect and abuse cases throughout Tennessee. Inspection data on this page is sourced from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Care Compare database. CMS Provider ID 445507. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. | Last updated: May 2026
Dedicated legal advocates protecting your loved ones nationwide. When nursing homes break their promise of care, our experienced attorneys fight for the justice your family deserves.