Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center
4502 GENERAL MEYER AVENUE, New Orleans, LA 70131
New Orleans, Louisiana · CMS verdict
On the federal five-star scale, Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center carries a 4 of 5 CMS overall rating, above-average quality that runs above Louisiana's state average of 2.4.
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.
Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center in New Orleans, Louisiana holds a CMS overall rating of 4 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 55 of 100 (grade F). The 108-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Louisiana runs a median of $7,604 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 4 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 55 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 55.
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), Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center carries an overall CMS quality rating of 4 out of 5 stars. That figure rolls up three sub-ratings tracked separately: health inspection (4/5), staffing (2/5), and quality measures (3/5).
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 New Orleans, Louisiana, this facility operates 108 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 129 residents - an occupancy rate of about 119%. The facility is classified under for profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 119% occupancy, this facility is running near full capacity, worth confirming current bed availability directly before visiting.
Same-ownership peers
Within Louisiana, Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center is one of 72 for profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 4-star overall rating sits above the for profit - corporation-segment average of 2.3 stars, ahead of roughly 79% of same-ownership peers in the state. Comparing a facility against its own ownership segment holds the business model roughly constant, which helps isolate facility-level performance from the staffing and reinvestment patterns that differ across for-profit, non-profit, and government operators.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility (16 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 Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center compares to Louisiana
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Louisiana facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Louisiana state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center ranks in Louisiana
Among the 264 CMS-rated nursing homes in Louisiana, Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center’s 4-star overall rating is higher than 75% of them. The bars show how all Louisiana homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
41 Louisiana homes share this 4-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 108 |
| Residents | 129 |
| Ownership | For profit - Corporation |
| County | Orleans |
| Penalties | 1 |
| Deficiencies | 16 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center? ▾
4 out of 5 stars is Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center's current CMS overall rating, built from a health inspection rating of 4/5, a staffing rating of 2/5, and a quality measures rating of 3/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Louisiana? ▾
In Louisiana, a semi-private nursing home room runs a median $7,604/month ($91,250/year) per the CareScout 2025 survey; private rooms average $8,076/month.
What services does Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center offer? ▾
Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center operates as a skilled nursing facility (108 beds with approximately 129 current residents) under for profit - corporation ownership. CMS inspections have recorded 16 deficiencies and 1 penalties there.
Does Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center has multiple deficiencies (16 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 Louisiana? ▾
In Louisiana, alternatives include assisted living ($5,163/mo), home health aides ($4,957/mo), and adult day care ($1,913/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Louisiana 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: 195204.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.