Merkel Nursing Center
Nursing Home Facility
1704 N 1st, Merkel, TX 79536
Merkel Nursing Center is a senior care community located in Merkel, TX. It provides nursing home care and senior living for older adults in the Merkel area. To learn more or schedule a tour, call (325) 928-5673.
With 66 beds, Merkel Nursing Center is smaller than most nearby options, senior care communities in Taylor County average about 109 beds. Smaller communities often mean more consistent day-to-day staffing and a calmer environment, while larger ones may have more specialized services on site. Which suits a particular person depends on the level of care needed.
Federal reporting puts occupancy at about 29% of its licensed beds, so availability is more likely here than at busier communities nearby. That is below the Taylor County average of roughly 65%.
Medicare rates this community 1 out of 5 stars overall, a score based on health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. Communities in Taylor County average about 2.8 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 December 2025 and recorded 29 deficiencies.
Residents receive about 3.3 hours of nursing care per day on average, including 0.7 hours from a registered nurse. Communities in Taylor County average about 3.8 hours. Nursing staff turnover over the past year was about 71%, which is high and can affect continuity of care.
The community is located in Taylor County, TX.
Inspection record
In its last three standard inspections and any complaint visits, federal inspectors cited 64 problems at Merkel Nursing Center. 5 findings involved harm to a resident, including 5 that put residents in immediate danger. 43 came from investigating complaints by residents or families.
In the last three years Medicare fined this home twice, a total of $318,060.
Findings from the most recent inspection cycle
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Put residents in immediate danger, a pattern
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, a pattern
Quality of Life and Care
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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Put residents in immediate danger, a pattern
Nursing and Physician Services
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
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Put residents in immediate danger, a pattern
Nursing and Physician Services
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
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Put residents in immediate danger, a pattern
Quality of Life and Care
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Nursing and Physician Services
Have a registered nurse on duty 8 hours a day; and select a registered nurse to be the director of nurses on a full time basis.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Nursing and Physician Services
Ensure that nurse aides who have worked more than 4 months, are trained and competent; and nurse aides who have worked less than 4 months are enrolled in appropriate training.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Infection Control
Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
Show 21 more
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Infection Control
Designate a qualified infection preventionist to be responsible for the infection prevent and control program in the nursing home.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, 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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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Quality of Life and Care
Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Administration
Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Environmental
Regularly inspect all bed frames, mattresses, and bed rails (if any) for safety; and all bed rails and mattresses must attach safely to the bed frame.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Administration
Develop, implement, and/or maintain an effective training program for all new and existing staff members.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Administration
Develop, implement, and/or maintain an effective training program that includes effective communications for direct care staff members.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Resident Rights
Ensure that staff members are educated on resident rights and facility responsibilities to properly care for its residents.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Give their staff education on dementia care, and what abuse, neglect, and exploitation are; and how to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Administration
Conduct mandatory training, for all staff, on the facility’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Infection Control
Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Administration
Provide behavior health training consistent with the requirements and as determined by a facility assessment.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Infection Control
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Nutrition and Dietary
Employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service, including a qualified dietician.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Administration
Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, widespread
Administration
Conduct and document a facility-wide assessment to determine what resources are necessary to care for residents competently during both day-to-day operations (including nights and weekends) and emergencies.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
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Minimal harm or the potential for it, widespread
Administration
Follow rules about disclosure of ownership requirements and tell the state agency about changes in ownership and/or administrative personnel.
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.
Merkel Nursing Center offers nursing home care and senior living.
Facility details
- Organization type for-profit corporation
- Beds / units 66
- Occupancy 29%
- Nursing hours per resident/day 3.3
- Annual staff turnover 71%
- Last health inspection December 2025
Resident & family reviews
No one has shared a review of Merkel Nursing Center yet. If you or someone you love has lived here, what you saw could help another family make this decision with more confidence.