Charleston Senior AdvisorLife Care Center of Charleston holds a CMS overall rating of 3 of 5 stars in Care Compare data dated October 1, 2026. The home, at 2600 Elms Plantation Blvd in North Charleston (Charleston County), is certified for Medicare and Medicaid with 148 beds and licensed by the S.C. Department of Public Health under license NCF-0878.
How many stars does Life Care Center of Charleston have from Medicare?
Life Care Center of Charleston holds a CMS overall rating of 3 of 5 stars. Its component ratings are 2 for health inspections, 3 for staffing and 5 for quality measures, each on a five-star scale.
| CMS or DPH measure | Value |
|---|---|
| CMS overall | 3 of 5 |
| CMS health inspections | 2 of 5 |
| CMS staffing | 3 of 5 |
| CMS quality measures | 5 of 5 |
| Certified beds and average daily census | 148 beds, 116.8 residents |
| Provider name used by CMS | Life Care Center Of Charleston |
| Ownership (CMS) | For profit - Corporation |
| Chain affiliation (CMS) | Life Care Centers of America, 194 homes nationwide |
| Medicare/Medicaid participation since | February 2, 1994 |
| DPH nursing home license | NCF-0878, 148 licensed beds, Licensed through 11/30/2026 |
| DPH Alzheimer's flags | No |
About 117 residents live here on a typical day, filling roughly 79% of certified beds, lower than the 90% typical of certified homes in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties.
How many deficiencies does CMS record for Life Care Center of Charleston?
The latest standard health survey of Life Care Center of Charleston in CMS's data took place on January 8, 2026 and produced 4 health deficiencies: 4 from the survey and 0 from complaint visits.
Its earlier standard survey, dated December 20, 2024, produced 6 deficiencies; separate infection-control reviews produced 0. Lowcountry certified homes sit at a middle value of 2 deficiencies, and this home's latest figure is higher.
Over CMS's three-year penalty window it lists 1 fine totaling $16,801 and 0 payment denials.
How much nursing time do residents get at Life Care Center of Charleston?
CMS payroll data shows 3.67 nursing hours per resident each day at Life Care Center of Charleston, close to the tri-county middle value of 3.61; registered nurses account for 0.36 of those hours, below the tri-county middle value of 0.48.
On weekends the figure is 3.29 nursing hours per resident per day. Nursing staff turnover runs 39.6%, below the tri-county middle value of 45.6%; registered-nurse turnover is 47.1%. CMS counts 0 administrator departures in its measurement period.
What other nursing homes should we compare with Life Care Center of Charleston?
Its 148 certified beds make it bigger than the typical Charleston County nursing home (132 licensed beds). White Oak Manor Charleston in North Charleston is the nearest other certified home, roughly 0.8 miles off as the crow flies, with a CMS rating of 4 of 5.
| Facility | Miles away | Licensed beds | CMS overall rating | Last CMS health inspection | Deficiencies cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak Manor Charleston 9285 Medical Plaza Dr, 29406 | 0.8 | 176 | 4 of 5 | August 20, 2025 | 1 |
| The Reserve Healthcare and Rehabilitation 1800 Eagle Landing Blvd, 29410 | 2.9 | 135 | 5 of 5 | May 28, 2026 | 0 |
| Hallmark Healthcare Center 255 Midland Pkwy, 29485 | 5.7 | 88 | 4 of 5 | May 1, 2026 | 2 |
| Oakbrook Health and Rehabilitation Center 920 Travelers Blvd, 29485 | 6.3 | 88 | 1 of 5 | May 5, 2026 | 4 |
| Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina-Summerville 201 W 9th North St, 29483 | 7.1 | 88 | 5 of 5 | August 26, 2025 | 2 |
Where is Life Care Center of Charleston, and what is on the same campus?
Life Care Center of Charleston is in North Charleston in Charleston County; the closest general hospital on DPH's roster is HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital, roughly 0.6 miles off as the crow flies.
HCA Healthcare Summerville Hospital (Trident Health) is next, around 5.5 miles away. Map distances understate Lowcountry drives that cross the Ashley, Cooper or Stono rivers.
CMS identifies the home as part of a continuing care retirement community.
As a certified nursing home it must also meet the federal emergency preparedness rule (42 CFR 483.73), which requires a risk-based emergency plan, a communication plan, staff training and drills, and emergency power; ask how its plan treats hurricanes.
What belongs on a tour checklist for Life Care Center of Charleston?
The published figures point to specific questions: ask for the plan of correction covering the 4 deficiencies from January 8, 2026 and what has changed since.
- Turnover of 39.6% is no higher than the local middle; ask which nurses have been on nights the longest.
- Ask what led to the $16,801 in CMS fines and how it was resolved.
- With occupancy near 79%, ask which halls have openings and why.
- CMS notes a resident council; ask when it meets and whether family members may attend.
- If Medicaid will eventually pay, confirm that Life Care Center of Charleston takes South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid for long stays and how it assigns Medicaid beds.
- Ask where residents went during the most recent hurricane evacuation order and how families were kept informed.
