Merry Wood Lodge
Nursing Home Facility
280 Mount Hebron Road, Elmore, AL 36025-1526
Merry Wood Lodge is a 124-bed skilled nursing center providing rehabilitative care, dementia care, and long-term care to the River Region of central Alabama since 1964. A significant program feature is the Alzheimer's Care Center, which provides resident-centered care for persons with Alzheimer's Disease and other cognitive impairments. Located off Alabama Highway 143-East in Elmore County, Merry Wood Lodge is a short interstate drive from Montgomery, the State Capital.
Operated by Genesis HealthCare, which runs 507 communities in our directory.
With 124 beds, Merry Wood Lodge is one of the larger communities in the area, senior care communities in Elmore County average about 71 beds. Larger communities more often keep clinical staff on site around the clock and can offer a wider range of on-site therapy and activities, though some families prefer the quieter feel of a smaller setting.
Federal reporting puts occupancy at about 80% of its licensed beds. That is below the Elmore County average of roughly 90%.
Medicare rates this community 1 out of 5 stars overall, a score based on health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. Communities in Elmore County average about 2.2 stars. The individual scores differ noticeably: 3 stars for staffing against 1 star for health inspections, so it is worth reading both before deciding. Its most recent standard health inspection was in September 2024 and recorded 8 deficiencies.
Residents receive about 3.2 hours of nursing care per day on average, including 0.8 hours from a registered nurse. Nursing staff turnover over the past year was about 52%.
The community is located in Elmore County, AL.
Inspection record
In its last three standard inspections and any complaint visits, federal inspectors cited 17 problems at Merry Wood Lodge. 6 findings involved harm to a resident, including 5 that put residents in immediate danger. 9 came from investigating complaints by residents or families.
In the last three years Medicare fined this home once, a total of $182,968. Medicare also stopped paying for new admissions once in that period.
Findings from the most recent inspection cycle
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Put residents in immediate danger, widespread
Administration
Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.
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Put residents in immediate danger, widespread
Administration
Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
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Put residents in immediate danger, one or a few residents
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
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Put residents in immediate danger, one or a few residents
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
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Put residents in immediate danger, one or a few residents
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Nutrition and Dietary
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Nutrition and Dietary
Dispose of garbage and refuse properly.
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Minimal harm or the potential for it, widespread
Administration
Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
A citation on its own does not mean poor care, and most are corrected within weeks. What matters most is how serious the findings were and whether the same problems keep coming back. When you visit, it is fair to ask the administrator what inspectors found and what has changed since.
Merry Wood Lodge offers assisted living, memory care, nursing home care, hospice care, and senior living.
Facility details
- Organization type for-profit corporation
- Beds / units 124
- Occupancy 80%
- Nursing hours per resident/day 3.2
- Annual staff turnover 52%
- Last health inspection September 2024
Resident & family reviews
No one has shared a review of Merry Wood Lodge yet. If you or someone you love has lived here, what you saw could help another family make this decision with more confidence.