Life Care Center of East Ridge
1502 MCDONALD ROAD, Chattanooga, TN 37412
Chattanooga, Tennessee · CMS verdict
CMS rates Life Care Center of East Ridge at 3 of 5 stars overall - average on the federal scale, and in line with the Tennessee average of 3.0.
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.
Life Care Center of East Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee holds a CMS overall rating of 3 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 61 of 100 (grade D). The 108-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Tennessee runs a median of $9,429 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 3 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 61 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 61.
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
Life Care Center of East Ridge holds a CMS overall quality rating of 3 out of 5 stars, based on the most recent Care Compare release (data as of April 2026). CMS breaks this into three sub-ratings: health inspection (3/5), staffing (3/5), and quality measures (4/5).
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 Chattanooga, Tennessee, this facility operates 108 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 86 residents - an occupancy rate of about 80%. The facility is classified under for profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 80% occupancy, this facility runs close to its typical range for a stabilized operation.
Same-ownership peers
Within Tennessee, Life Care Center of East Ridge is one of 113 for profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 3-star overall rating sits below the for profit - corporation-segment average of 3.2 stars, ahead of roughly 34% 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 (14 total). CMS has levied no enforcement penalties over the equivalent 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 Life Care Center of East Ridge compares to Tennessee
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Tennessee facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Tennessee state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Life Care Center of East Ridge ranks in Tennessee
Among the 298 CMS-rated nursing homes in Tennessee, Life Care Center of East Ridge’s 3-star overall rating is higher than 40% of them. The bars show how all Tennessee homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
64 Tennessee homes share this 3-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 108 |
| Residents | 86 |
| Ownership | For profit - Corporation |
| County | Hamilton |
| Penalties | 0 |
| Deficiencies | 14 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Life Care Center of East Ridge? ▾
Life Care Center of East Ridge has an overall CMS quality rating of 3 out of 5 stars, with a health inspection rating of 3/5, staffing rating of 3/5, and quality measures rating of 4/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Tennessee? ▾
CareScout's 2025 survey puts Tennessee's median semi-private nursing home rate at $9,429 per month ($113,150 per year), with private rooms averaging $10,038 per month.
What services does Life Care Center of East Ridge offer? ▾
Life Care Center of East Ridge operates as a skilled nursing facility (108 beds with approximately 86 current residents) under for profit - corporation ownership. CMS inspections have recorded 14 deficiencies and 0 penalties there.
Does Life Care Center of East Ridge have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Life Care Center of East Ridge has multiple deficiencies (14 total) and 0 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 Tennessee? ▾
In Tennessee, alternatives include assisted living ($5,845/mo), home health aides ($5,911/mo), and adult day care ($1,733/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Tennessee 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: 445528.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.