Boundary Waters Care Center
200 WEST CONAN STREET, Ely, MN 55731
Ely, Minnesota · CMS verdict
On the federal five-star scale, Boundary Waters Care Center carries a 5 of 5 CMS overall rating, above-average quality that runs above Minnesota's state average of 3.2.
The rating and the PlainElderCare Index below summarize federal inspection, staffing, and outcome data, they measure specific, documented dimensions of this facility, not a holistic verdict on the care your family member would receive. Visit in person, talk with staff and current residents' families, and weigh your family member's specific needs before choosing.
Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely, Minnesota holds a CMS overall rating of 5 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 97 of 100 (grade A). The 42-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Minnesota runs a median of $10,646 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index
A transparent composite of this facility's CMS Care Compare sub-ratings and its federal inspection record. It complements, and does not replace, the official CMS overall rating of 5 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 97 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 97.
Weights: health inspections 30%, staffing 25%, quality measures 25%, inspection record 20%; any dimension CMS has not published drops out and its weight redistributes (no silent deflation). Inspection record is benchmarked against all rated US nursing homes. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Data insights
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), Boundary Waters Care Center carries an overall CMS quality rating of 5 out of 5 stars. That figure rolls up three sub-ratings tracked separately: health inspection (5/5), staffing (5/5), and quality measures (5/5).
What each sub-rating measures
The health inspection rating reflects on-site surveyor findings from the last three cycles. The staffing rating compares case-mix-adjusted nurse hours per resident day to national benchmarks, and quality measures aggregate 15 clinical indicators including pressure ulcers, falls with injury, and long-stay antipsychotic use.
Size and setting
Located in Ely, Minnesota, this facility operates 42 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 30 residents - an occupancy rate of about 71%. The facility is classified under non profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 71% occupancy, this facility has meaningful open capacity relative to its certified bed count.
Same-ownership peers
Within Minnesota, Boundary Waters Care Center is one of 161 non profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 5-star overall rating sits above the non profit - corporation-segment average of 3.6 stars, ahead of roughly 68% of same-ownership peers in the state. Same-segment comparisons like this one strip out the business-model factor, leaving a cleaner read on facility-level performance than a raw state average would give.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility (11 total). CMS has levied 1 enforcement penalty - civil money penalties or denials of payment, during the same window. This is a high deficiency count relative to most facilities; requesting the full survey report directly is the only way to see whether these are concentrated in one area or spread across the facility's operations.
Where these figures come from
The figures above come directly from the U.S. Centers for Medicare \& Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare dataset for federal quality ratings, combined with the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey of more than 15,000 elder-care providers nationwide and U.S. Census American Community Survey income data. Cost figures are monthly medians, refreshed annually with each new CareScout release; quality ratings are refreshed quarterly from the CMS Provider Information File. Read these state and county medians as benchmarks, then verify current rates with individual providers and consult care managers before making placement decisions. See our methodology for source vintage.
How Boundary Waters Care Center compares to Minnesota
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Minnesota facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Minnesota state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Boundary Waters Care Center ranks in Minnesota
Among the 337 CMS-rated nursing homes in Minnesota, Boundary Waters Care Center’s 5-star overall rating is higher than 74% of them. The bars show how all Minnesota homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
88 Minnesota homes share this 5-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 42 |
| Residents | 30 |
| Ownership | Non profit - Corporation |
| County | St. Louis |
| Penalties | 1 |
| Deficiencies | 11 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Boundary Waters Care Center? ▾
Boundary Waters Care Center has an overall CMS quality rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a health inspection rating of 5/5, staffing rating of 5/5, and quality measures rating of 5/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Minnesota? ▾
In Minnesota, a semi-private nursing home room runs a median $10,646/month ($127,750/year) per the CareScout 2025 survey; private rooms average $13,870/month.
What services does Boundary Waters Care Center offer? ▾
Boundary Waters Care Center operates as a skilled nursing facility (42 beds with approximately 30 current residents) under non profit - corporation ownership. CMS inspections have recorded 11 deficiencies and 1 penalties there.
Does Boundary Waters Care Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Boundary Waters Care Center has multiple deficiencies (11 total) and 1 penalties recorded by CMS. A count this high is above what most facilities post; ask the facility directly for its plan of correction on the largest findings.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in Minnesota? ▾
In Minnesota, alternatives include assisted living ($6,573/mo), home health aides ($8,389/mo), and adult day care ($2,600/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Minnesota elder-care overview, or see how facilities rank nationwide in our highest-rated states ranking.
Weigh nursing care against assisted living, home health, and adult day care, with national median costs, on our care types comparison, and learn how to fund it in our paying for elder care guide.
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Provider ID: 245138.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.