LIFE CARE CENTER OF THE WILLOWS – VALPARAISO, IN

CMS Verified | 2026-03-01

Life Care Center Of The Willows

1000 ELIZABETH DR, Valparaiso, IN 46383
(219) 464-4858
92 beds
All Valparaiso facilities
1.0*
Overall
1.0*
Health Inspection
4.0*
Quality Care
4.0*
Staffing
71.63
Score /100
#7534
National Rank

#7534
of 14703 facilities
National
48.8% position
#329
of 507 in IN
State Rank
#5
of 10 in Porter
County Rank
#3
of 5 in Valparaiso
City Rank
#2
of 4 in ZIP 46383
ZIP Rank






About Life Care Center Of The WillowsLife Care Center Of The Willows is located at 1000 Elizabeth Dr, Valparaiso, IN, reachable at (219) 464-4858. This Government – County facility operates 92.0 certified beds and serves an average of 62 residents per day. It is part of the Life Care Centers Of America network (194 facilities nationwide). Medicare and Medicaid services have been provided since 1974-07-15. The facility currently holds a poor (1-star) overall CMS rating — families are encouraged to review inspection reports carefully before making a decision.
Facility

Life Care Center Of The Willows

Address

1000 Elizabeth Dr, Valparaiso, IN 46383

Care Offered
  • Long-Term Care
  • Rehab / Short-Term Care
Medicare & Medicaid
  • Accepts Medicare
  • Accepts Medicaid
Facility Details
  • 92 Certified Beds
  • Ownership: Government – County
  • Resident Council: Resident
  • Automatic Sprinklers: Yes
  • Network: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA

Quick Verdict

Overall Quality
❌ Poor (1★) overall rating
Health Inspection
❌ Poor (1★) health inspection
Staffing
✅ Above Average (4★) staffing rating
Quality of Care
✅ Above Average (4★) quality of care
Compliance
❌ 8 fine(s) over 5 years
5-Year Trend
Declining over 5 years
71.63
Composite quality score out of 100 – how we calculate this
0 – Poor50 – Average100 – Best

#7534 of 14703 nationally – #329 of 507 in Indiana

Who Is This Facility Best For?

Life Care Center Of The Willows may be considered for families with limited options in Valparaiso, IN, but its lower CMS ratings suggest careful due diligence is warranted. It scores well for both long-term residents and short-stay rehabilitation patients. Above-average staffing levels make it a good option for residents needing intensive nursing care.

Overall Rating 2022-2026

Total Nurse Hours/Day 2022-2026

Current Ratings (2026)

Overall Rating

1 / 5
Health Inspection

1 / 5
Staffing Rating

4 / 5
Quality Measures (QM)

4 / 5
Long-Stay QM Rating

5 / 5
Short-Stay QM Rating

4 / 5

5-Year Rating Trends

Overall Rating

Health Inspection Rating

Quality of Care (QM)

Staffing Rating

Average Residents per Day

Occupancy % (Residents / Beds)

Staffing InsightLife Care Center Of The Willows currently provides 3 hours 40 minutes of total nurse staffing per resident per day, including 48 minutes of Registered Nurse (RN) coverage. The CMS Staffing Rating of 4 out of 5 reflects strong nurse coverage. Total nursing staff turnover stands at 45.6% — above the national average of ~35%.

Current Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day (2026)

Total Nurse Staffing3 hours 40 minutes
Nurse Aide Hours2 hours 7 minutes
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Hours45 minutes
Registered Nurse (RN) Hours48 minutes
Physical Therapist Hours5 minutes

National average total nurse staffing is approximately 3.5 hours per day

Weekend Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day (2026)

Weekend Total Nurse Hours3 hours 11 minutes
Weekend Registered Nurse (RN) Hours38 minutes

Weekend staffing is typically lower than weekday levels. Ask the facility about their weekend nurse-to-resident ratios.

5-Year Staffing Trends

Total Nurse Hours/Day

Registered Nurse (RN) Hours/Day

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Hours/Day

Nurse Aide Hours/Day

Total Staff Turnover %

Registered Nurse (RN) Turnover %

Compliance SummaryIn the current reporting period, the facility received 2 fine(s) totaling $14,886. 12 substantiated complaints were recorded across the 5-year period — families should request details from the facility or review CMS inspection findings.
Number of Fines (current period) 2
Total Fines Amount $14886.0
Payment Denials 0
Total Penalties 2
Abuse Flag on Record N
Total Weighted Health Survey Score 85.0 (lower = better)

Substantiated Complaints / Year

Fines Issued ($) / Year

Composite Quality Rankings

#7,534
of 14,703
National
Bottom 49%
#329
of 507
IN State
Bottom 35% in IN
#5
of 10
️ Porter County
#5 of 10
#3
of 5
️ Valparaiso
#3 of 5
#2
of 4
ZIP 46383
#2 of 4

Nationally, Life Care Center Of The Willows ranks 7534th out of 14,703 facilities (composite score: 71.6/100), placing it in the below average nationwide. Within IN, it ranks 329th out of 507 nursing homes. In Valparaiso, it ranks 3rd out of 5 facilities. Among facilities sharing its ZIP code, it ranks 2nd of 4. For 2026 staffing: total nurse hours rank #7,441 nationally and RN hours rank #3,644 nationally (#112 in IN).

How do we calculate these rankings?

Total Nurse Staffing – Year-by-Year National and State Ranks

Year Hours/Day National Rank IN State Rank Note
2022 3.33 #9,260 / 14,703 #284 / 507 Below average
2023 3.62 #6,788 / 14,703 #179 / 507 Above average
2024 3.40 #9,180 / 14,703 #315 / 507 Below average
2025 3.40 #9,782 / 14,703 #321 / 507 Below average
2026 3.67 #7,441 / 14,703 #211 / 507 Below average

Registered Nurse (RN) Hours – Year-by-Year National and State Ranks

Year Hours/Day National Rank IN State Rank Note
2022 0.75 #4,452 / 14,703 #144 / 507 Above average
2023 0.48 #8,612 / 14,703 #333 / 507 Below average
2024 0.43 #9,711 / 14,703 #375 / 507 Below average
2025 0.91 #2,462 / 14,703 #65 / 507 Top 25%
2026 0.80 #3,644 / 14,703 #112 / 507 Top 25%

Total Nurse Rank – National (lower number = better)

Registered Nurse Rank – National (lower number = better)

Frequently Asked Questions

Life Care Center Of The Willows is certified as a Medicare and Medicaid facility and has been approved to provide these services since 1974-07-15. Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing care (typically up to 100 days after a qualifying hospital stay). Medicaid covers long-term care for residents who meet financial eligibility requirements. Contact the facility at (219) 464-4858 or your local Medicaid office to verify current eligibility.

Life Care Center Of The Willows holds an overall CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) rating of 1 out of 5 stars. This is made up of three components: Health Inspection (1★), Staffing (4★), and Quality of Resident Care (4★). Our independent composite quality score — which uses the raw underlying CMS numbers to break ties between similarly-rated facilities — is 71.6/100, placing it #7534 of 14703 facilities nationally and #329 of 507 in Indiana. Star ratings are a useful starting point, but the composite score and individual sub-ratings give a more complete picture for families comparing facilities.

Each resident at Life Care Center Of The Willows receives a reported average of 3 hours 40 minutes of total nurse staffing per day. This breaks down as: Registered Nurse (RN) coverage — 48 minutes; Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) — 45 minutes; Nurse Aide — 2 hours 7 minutes. On weekends, total nurse staffing is 3 hours 11 minutes per resident per day. The CMS Staffing Rating for this facility is 4 out of 5. The national average for total nursing hours is approximately 3.5 hrs/day. Total nursing staff turnover is 45.6%. Families are encouraged to ask about current staffing schedules during their facility visit.

In the current reporting period, the facility received 2 fine(s) totaling $14,886. 12 substantiated complaints were recorded across the 5-year period — families should request details from the facility or review CMS inspection findings. In the most recent CMS reporting period, the facility received 2 fine(s) totaling $14,886, and 0 Medicare payment denial(s). Total penalties: 2. The Total Weighted Health Survey Score is 85.0 (lower scores are better). Full inspection history and complaint details are available at medicare.gov/care-compare.

Nationally, Life Care Center Of The Willows ranks 7534th out of 14,703 facilities (composite score: 71.6/100), placing it in the below average nationwide. Within IN, it ranks 329th out of 507 nursing homes. In Valparaiso, it ranks 3rd out of 5 facilities. Among facilities sharing its ZIP code, it ranks 2nd of 4. For 2026 staffing: total nurse hours rank #7,441 nationally and RN hours rank #3,644 nationally (#112 in IN). Our composite quality score of 71.6/100 weighs health inspections, quality of resident care, staffing hours, compliance record, and five-year performance trends — giving a more complete picture than CMS star ratings alone, which can place hundreds of facilities in the same 5-star bucket. To browse and compare all nursing homes in Valparaiso, visit: https://nursinghomesnearme.org/indiana/valparaiso/

Contact and Location

ADR
Address

1000 ELIZABETH DR, Valparaiso, IN 46383
Get directions on Google Maps

TEL
LLC
Legal Name

HENDRICKS COUNTY HOSPITAL

MAP
Browse by Location

All Indiana ·
Porter County ·
Valparaiso ·
ZIP 46383

Facility Details

Number of Certified Beds 92
Average Residents / Day 62 (68% occupancy)
Ownership Type Government – County
Provider Type Medicare and Medicaid
County Porter County, IN
City Valparaiso, IN
ZIP Code 46383
Approved Since July 15, 1974
Resident Council ✅ Yes
Automatic Sprinklers ✅ All required areas
Ownership Changed (12 mo.) No
CMS Certification Number 155158
Data Processing Date March 1, 2026
Data Disclaimer: All data on this page is sourced exclusively from the official CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Nursing Home Compare dataset, covering reporting periods from 2022 through 2026. This includes facility ratings, staffing hours, inspection scores, fines, complaints, and geographic coordinates. NursingHomesNearMe.org does not independently verify, collect, or alter this data. Composite scores and rankings are calculated by NursingHomesNearMe.org – learn how rankings are calculated. Information may not reflect current facility conditions. Always contact the facility directly and verify at medicare.gov/care-compare before making care decisions.
Data: CMS Nursing Home Compare – Processing Date: 2026-03-01 –
Rankings across 14703 U.S. facilities –
Ranking Methodology
NursingHomesNearMe.org