The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation
2501 MAPLE AVE, Waco, TX 76707
Waco, Texas · CMS verdict
CMS rates The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation at 2 of 5 stars overall - below-average on the federal scale, and below the Texas average of 2.8.
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.
The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation in Waco, Texas holds a CMS overall rating of 2 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 45 of 100 (grade F). The 162-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Texas runs a median of $5,627 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Quality & Compliance Index (larger bed book)
At 162 certified beds, this facility sits in the upper U.S. bed tercile (>120). 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 45 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 45.
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.
The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation's larger certified-bed book
Quality ratings
The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation holds a CMS overall quality rating of 2 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 (2/5), staffing (2/5), 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 Waco, Texas, this facility operates 162 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 63 residents - an occupancy rate of about 39%. The facility is classified under for profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 39% occupancy, this facility is running well below its certified bed capacity, worth asking why directly.
Same-ownership peers
Within Texas, The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation is one of 413 for profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 2-star overall rating sits below the for profit - corporation-segment average of 2.8 stars, ahead of roughly 19% 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 (19 total). CMS has levied 3 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
Figures above come from CMS Nursing Home Compare (Care Compare, data as of April 2026) with state cost medians from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey. See our methodology for vintage.
How The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation's lower-tercile stars compare to Texas
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Texas facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Texas state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation ranks in Texas
Among the 1,167 CMS-rated nursing homes in Texas, The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation’s 2-star overall rating is higher than 23% of them. The bars show how all Texas homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
262 Texas homes share this 2-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 162 |
| Residents | 63 |
| Ownership | For profit - Corporation |
| County | Mc Lennan |
| Penalties | 3 |
| Deficiencies | 19 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What families ask about The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation's larger facility
What is the quality rating for The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation? ▾
2 out of 5 stars is The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation's current CMS overall rating, built from a health inspection rating of 2/5, a staffing rating of 2/5, and a quality measures rating of 4/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Texas? ▾
The median cost for a semi-private nursing home room in Texas is $5,627 per month ($67,525 annually). A private room averages $7,604 per month. Costs are from the CareScout 2025 survey.
What services does The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation offer? ▾
With 162 beds with approximately 63 current residents, The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation is a skilled nursing facility. It operates under for profit - corporation ownership, and CMS's inspection record shows 19 deficiencies and 3 penalties.
Does The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
The Highlands Nursing and Rehabilitation has multiple deficiencies (19 total) and 3 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 Texas? ▾
In Texas, alternatives include assisted living ($5,666/mo), home health aides ($5,720/mo), and adult day care ($1,950/mo).
Keep reading
Also see the Texas elder-care overview and highest-rated states. Provider ID: 455478.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.