Merkel Nursing Center: Nursing Home OverviewSkip to content

Merkel Nursing Center

  • Nursing Home

Updated Nov 1, 2023 by Nick Reese

Historical Rating
Grade: C
Oct 18: CNov 18: CDec 18: CJan 19: CFeb 19: CMay 19: CJun 19: CJul 19: B-Aug 19: B-Sep 19: B-Jan 20: B-Mar 20: B-Apr 20: B-May 20: B-Jun 20: B-Jul 20: B-Aug 20: B-Sep 20: BOct 20: BNov 20: BJan 21: B-Feb 21: CMar 21: CApr 21: DMay 21: DJun 21: DJul 21: CAug 21: CSep 21: COct 21: CNov 21: CJan 22: BFeb 22: BMar 22: BApr 22: B+May 22: B+Jun 22: B+Aug 22: B+Sep 22: B+Oct 22: B-Nov 22: B-Jan 23: BFeb 23: BMar 23: BApr 23: DJun 23: DJul 23: DAug 23: DSep 23: DOct 23: CNov 23: C
See Rating Overview
Merkel Nursing Center's website

1704 N 1st,
Merkel TX 79536

56.46% estimated occupancy 1

Merkel Nursing Center is the lone option we found in Merkel, Texas. We gave this facility an overall grade of C. A grade in this range requires some respectable marks. Based on our analysis, this place likely wouldn't be a bad choice. The best part of this place's profile is is its inspection grade. Inspection reports are discussed in the next section.

Get pricing and details on Merkel senior living options.

Get Placed

- or -

Phone Placement:
(866) 905-1243

Quick Details

  • Accepts Medicare 1
  • Accepts Medicaid 1
  • No CCRC
  • Has Resident Council
  • No Family Council
  • For profit - Individual

Specialized Services

  • Physical Therapy

Registered Staff Hours

Medical Staff Hours Per Patient (2022)
Less:
More:
July
July 1, 2022July 2, 2022July 3, 2022July 4, 2022July 5, 2022July 6, 2022July 7, 2022July 8, 2022July 9, 2022July 10, 2022July 11, 2022July 12, 2022July 13, 2022July 14, 2022July 15, 2022July 16, 2022July 17, 2022July 18, 2022July 19, 2022July 20, 2022July 21, 2022July 22, 2022July 23, 2022July 24, 2022July 25, 2022July 26, 2022July 27, 2022July 28, 2022July 29, 2022July 30, 2022July 31, 2022
August
August 1, 2022August 2, 2022August 3, 2022August 4, 2022August 5, 2022August 6, 2022August 7, 2022August 8, 2022August 9, 2022August 10, 2022August 11, 2022August 12, 2022August 13, 2022August 14, 2022August 15, 2022August 16, 2022August 17, 2022August 18, 2022August 19, 2022August 20, 2022August 21, 2022August 22, 2022August 23, 2022August 24, 2022August 25, 2022August 26, 2022August 27, 2022August 28, 2022August 29, 2022August 30, 2022August 31, 2022
September
September 1, 2022September 2, 2022September 3, 2022September 4, 2022September 5, 2022September 6, 2022September 7, 2022September 8, 2022September 9, 2022September 10, 2022September 11, 2022September 12, 2022September 13, 2022September 14, 2022September 15, 2022September 16, 2022September 17, 2022September 18, 2022September 19, 2022September 20, 2022September 21, 2022September 22, 2022September 23, 2022September 24, 2022September 25, 2022September 26, 2022September 27, 2022September 28, 2022September 29, 2022September 30, 2022
October
October 1, 2022October 2, 2022October 3, 2022October 4, 2022October 5, 2022October 6, 2022October 7, 2022October 8, 2022October 9, 2022October 10, 2022October 11, 2022October 12, 2022October 13, 2022October 14, 2022October 15, 2022October 16, 2022October 17, 2022October 18, 2022October 19, 2022October 20, 2022October 21, 2022October 22, 2022October 23, 2022October 24, 2022October 25, 2022October 26, 2022October 27, 2022October 28, 2022October 29, 2022October 30, 2022October 31, 2022
November
November 1, 2022November 2, 2022November 3, 2022November 4, 2022November 5, 2022November 6, 2022November 7, 2022November 8, 2022November 9, 2022November 10, 2022November 11, 2022November 12, 2022November 13, 2022November 14, 2022November 15, 2022November 16, 2022November 17, 2022November 18, 2022November 19, 2022November 20, 2022November 21, 2022November 22, 2022November 23, 2022November 24, 2022November 25, 2022November 26, 2022November 27, 2022November 28, 2022November 29, 2022November 30, 2022
December
December 1, 2022December 2, 2022December 3, 2022December 4, 2022December 5, 2022December 6, 2022December 7, 2022December 8, 2022December 9, 2022December 10, 2022December 11, 2022December 12, 2022December 13, 2022December 14, 2022December 15, 2022December 16, 2022December 17, 2022December 18, 2022December 19, 2022December 20, 2022December 21, 2022December 22, 2022December 23, 2022December 24, 2022December 25, 2022December 26, 2022December 27, 2022December 28, 2022December 29, 2022December 30, 2022December 31, 2022
January
January 1, 2023January 2, 2023January 3, 2023January 4, 2023January 5, 2023January 6, 2023January 7, 2023January 8, 2023January 9, 2023January 10, 2023January 11, 2023January 12, 2023January 13, 2023January 14, 2023January 15, 2023January 16, 2023January 17, 2023January 18, 2023January 19, 2023January 20, 2023January 21, 2023January 22, 2023January 23, 2023January 24, 2023January 25, 2023January 26, 2023January 27, 2023January 28, 2023January 29, 2023January 30, 2023January 31, 2023
February
February 1, 2023February 2, 2023February 3, 2023February 4, 2023February 5, 2023February 6, 2023February 7, 2023February 8, 2023February 9, 2023February 10, 2023February 11, 2023February 12, 2023February 13, 2023February 14, 2023February 15, 2023February 16, 2023February 17, 2023February 18, 2023February 19, 2023February 20, 2023February 21, 2023February 22, 2023February 23, 2023February 24, 2023February 25, 2023February 26, 2023February 27, 2023February 28, 2023
March
March 1, 2023March 2, 2023March 3, 2023March 4, 2023March 5, 2023March 6, 2023March 7, 2023March 8, 2023March 9, 2023March 10, 2023March 11, 2023March 12, 2023March 13, 2023March 14, 2023March 15, 2023March 16, 2023March 17, 2023March 18, 2023March 19, 2023March 20, 2023March 21, 2023March 22, 2023March 23, 2023March 24, 2023March 25, 2023March 26, 2023March 27, 2023March 28, 2023March 29, 2023March 30, 2023March 31, 2023
April
April 1, 2023April 2, 2023April 3, 2023April 4, 2023April 5, 2023April 6, 2023April 7, 2023April 8, 2023April 9, 2023April 10, 2023April 11, 2023April 12, 2023April 13, 2023April 14, 2023April 15, 2023April 16, 2023April 17, 2023April 18, 2023April 19, 2023April 20, 2023April 21, 2023April 22, 2023April 23, 2023April 24, 2023April 25, 2023April 26, 2023April 27, 2023April 28, 2023April 29, 2023April 30, 2023
May
May 1, 2023May 2, 2023May 3, 2023May 4, 2023May 5, 2023May 6, 2023May 7, 2023May 8, 2023May 9, 2023May 10, 2023May 11, 2023May 12, 2023May 13, 2023May 14, 2023May 15, 2023May 16, 2023May 17, 2023May 18, 2023May 19, 2023May 20, 2023May 21, 2023May 22, 2023May 23, 2023May 24, 2023May 25, 2023May 26, 2023May 27, 2023May 28, 2023May 29, 2023May 30, 2023May 31, 2023
June
June 1, 2023June 2, 2023June 3, 2023June 4, 2023June 5, 2023June 6, 2023June 7, 2023June 8, 2023June 9, 2023June 10, 2023June 11, 2023June 12, 2023June 13, 2023June 14, 2023June 15, 2023June 16, 2023June 17, 2023June 18, 2023June 19, 2023June 20, 2023June 21, 2023June 22, 2023June 23, 2023June 24, 2023June 25, 2023June 26, 2023June 27, 2023June 28, 2023June 29, 2023June 30, 2023

Facility Inspections

Grade: B-plus

One of the reasons this is a decent facility is it earned a favorable inspection score. In that area, we awarded this facility a B+. Perhaps the most significant factor we look at in calculating our inspection grades is deficiencies. Deficiencies can be found on a nursing home's inspection reports. Nursing homes with better scores in this area typically dodged the most severe deficiencies involving things like patient abuse. Although this facility had some deficiencies on its report, none were serious based on CMS' deficiency scale. A couple of minor deficiencies should not lead you to cross a nursing home off your list.

Short-term Care Quality

Grade: B

Additionally, we also wanted to note that this facility received strong short-term care marks this year. We awarded them one of our better scores in this area, with a grade of B. This turned out to be the nursing home's second best grade. With our short-term care rating, we strive to forge a meaningful barometer for rehabilitation services. In this process, we assess a nursing home's level of highly-skilled nursing services, including both registered nurses and physical therapy, as well as speech therapy. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that this nursing home submitted registered nurse or physical therapist staffing data. The final item we considered in this category is the percentage of patients who were able to leave the nursing home and return home. We found that 0 percent of this nursing home's patients returned home.

Nurse Quality

Grade: D

Another strength of this nursing home is its favorable grade in nursing. We awarded them one of our better scores in that area, with an D. Our nursing grade is largely based on the facility's level of nurse staffing. This place provided just 0.4 hours of nursing care per patient per day. This is an alarmingly low total. Lastly, we also looked at some nursing quality measures in determining our nursing scores. This nursing home fared well in the area of minimizing its residents' major falls and pressure ulcers. Many consider these datapoints to be indicators of the quality of nursing care.

Long-term Care Quality

Grade: F

Turning to the next area, this nursing home really didn't fare well. Due to a poor grade of F in long-term care, this was this nursing home's weakest category. For prospective residents seeking a permanent residence as opposed to skilled nursing, long-term care is an important category. After assessing the volume of care provided by nurses and other staff, we turned to the nursing home's vaccination data. We were pleased to discover that this facility vaccinated 100 percent of its patients for pneumonia. To our surprise, this facility was able to keep its patients out of the hospital. It had just 0.01 hospitalizations per 1,000 long-term resident days. Sadly, a few of its other scores in the category were not as favorable as these.

Rating Over Time

Compared to national and state averages across all facilities.

FDCB-BB+A-AA+Oct 18Dec 23

Merkel Nursing Center Quality Metrics

Minimizes Pressure Ulcers

Grade: F

In Merkel Nursing Center, 18.75% of Patients had Pressure Ulcers

This metric gauges the percentage of long-term care residents who suffer from pressure ulcers . We bake this statistic into both nursing and long-term care grades.

Minimizes Serious Falls

Grade: C

In Merkel Nursing Center, 4.69% of Patients had Serious Falls

This figure is an indication of the percentage of long-term residents that have sustained falls which caused serious injury. We use this statistic in calculating our nursing grades.

Minimizes Urinary Tract Infections

Grade: D

In Merkel Nursing Center, 5.17% of Patients had UTIs

This tells you the percentage of patients who have had a urinary tract infection. UTI's are routinely associated with lower quality nursing care. Better hygiene protocols reduces the number of UTI's sustained by residents in a nursing home. We want to point out that this statistic is sometimes skewed by the fact that facilities have different reporting standards for infections.

Appropriately Uses Anti-Psychotic Medication

Grade: C

In Merkel Nursing Center, 18.9% of Patients use Anti-Psychotic Medication

This metric indicates the percent of long-term patients that were prescribed antipsychotic medication. High levels of antipsychotic drug use may indicate a nursing home is using these drugs to subdue residents in scenarios where such medications aren't medically required. However, some facilities need to rely on these drugs due to having more residents suffering from cognitive disorders.

Appropriately Uses Anti-Anxiety Medication

Grade: D

In Merkel Nursing Center, 30.84% of Patients use Anti-Anxiety Medication

This tells you the percentage of patients who were prescribed antianxiety drugs. Antianxiety drugs are given to patients experiencing anxiety or depression.

Managing Depression Among Residents

Grade: B

In Merkel Nursing Center, 4.1% of Patients

This indicates the percent of residents demonstrating symptoms of depression.

Appropriate Vaccine Usage

Grade: A

In Merkel Nursing Center, 100% of Patients

This tells you the percentage of patients that were administered the flu and pneumonia vaccines. Higher vaccination rates should be standard at this point.

Residents Maintain Autonomy

Grade: D

In Merkel Nursing Center, 25.71% of Patients

This is a measure of the percentage of long-term stay residents who required additional assistance with activities of daily living over time. ADL's include activities such as getting dressed and continence. Many in the industry believe that this is a measure of a resident's well-being.

Ability to Keep Residents Mobile

Grade: A-plus

In Merkel Nursing Center, 31.95% of Residents

This is the percentage of patients who maintained mobility over time. Preserving mobility is usually a great sign for residents' health.

Hospitalizations

Grade: C

In Merkel Nursing Center, 0.01 Hospitalizations per 1,000 resident days

This indicates the number of times residents are hospitalized per thousand days of care.

Short-term Care: Rehospitalizations

Grade: F

In Merkel Nursing Center, 31.95% of Residents Rehospitalized

This is the number of rehospitalizations per thousand days of short-term care. There is typically a correlation between staying out of the hospital and a nursing homes short-term rehabilitation performance.

Nearby Hospitals

  • Hendrick Medical CenterAcute Care Hospitals 17.02 miles away1900 Pine Abilene Texas 79601Voluntary non-profit - Private(325) 670-2000
  • Abilene Regional Medical CenterAcute Care Hospitals 17.69 miles away6250 Hwy 83/84 Abilene Texas 79606Proprietary(325) 428-1000

Nearby Dialysis

  • Fresenius Medical Care Abilene Lone Star13.9 miles away349 South Danville Drive Abilene Texas 79605CMS Rating: 4 stars Dialysis Stations: 19 (325) 691-0772
  • Fresenius Medical Care Abilene16.99 miles away1802 Pine St Abilene Texas 79601CMS Rating: 4 stars Dialysis Stations: 31 (325) 672-3243
  • Fmc Dialysis Services of Abilene South17.39 miles away2009 Hospital Place Abilene Texas 79606CMS Rating: 4 stars Dialysis Stations: 26 (325) 793-2594

Helpful Articles

Footnotes:

  1. https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/profile.html#ID=676053