Life Care Center of the Willows
1000 ELIZABETH DR, Valparaiso, IN 46383
Valparaiso, Indiana · CMS verdict
Life Care Center of the Willows's CMS overall star rating stands at 2 of 5, below the Indiana state average (3.1) and reflecting below-average quality by the federal five-star measure.
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 the Willows in Valparaiso, Indiana holds a CMS overall rating of 2 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 49 of 100 (grade F). The 92-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Indiana runs a median of $8,943 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 2 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 49 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 49.
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
CMS's most recent Care Compare release (data as of April 2026) puts Life Care Center of the Willows's overall quality rating at 2 out of 5 stars, a composite of three sub-ratings: health inspection (2/5), staffing (4/5), 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 Valparaiso, Indiana, this facility operates 92 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 62 residents - an occupancy rate of about 67%. The facility is classified under for profit - individual ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 67% occupancy, this facility has meaningful open capacity relative to its certified bed count.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility (42 total). CMS has levied 2 enforcement penalties - 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 Life Care Center of the Willows compares to Indiana
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Indiana facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Indiana state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Life Care Center of the Willows ranks in Indiana
Among the 504 CMS-rated nursing homes in Indiana, Life Care Center of the Willows’s 2-star overall rating is higher than 17% of them. The bars show how all Indiana homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
87 Indiana homes share this 2-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 92 |
| Residents | 62 |
| Ownership | For profit - Individual |
| County | Porter |
| Penalties | 2 |
| Deficiencies | 42 |
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 the Willows? ▾
CMS rates Life Care Center of the Willows at 2 out of 5 stars overall. The three sub-ratings behind that number: health inspection 2/5, staffing 4/5, quality measures 4/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Indiana? ▾
In Indiana, a semi-private nursing home room runs a median $8,943/month ($107,310/year) per the CareScout 2025 survey; private rooms average $10,326/month.
What services does Life Care Center of the Willows offer? ▾
Life Care Center of the Willows is a skilled nursing facility with 92 beds with approximately 62 current residents. It operates under for profit - individual ownership. The facility has recorded 42 deficiencies and 2 penalties in CMS inspections.
Does Life Care Center of the Willows have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Life Care Center of the Willows has multiple deficiencies (42 total) and 2 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 Indiana? ▾
In Indiana, alternatives include assisted living ($5,639/mo), home health aides ($6,673/mo), and adult day care ($2,752/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Indiana 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: 155158.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.