Detailed Review: South Kingstown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

• Executive summary

• Facility overview
  • Key facility characteristics
• Services offered
  • Specialized care options
• Amenities and living experience
  • Accommodation options
  • Dining services
• Daily activities and programs
• Professional team
• Quality metrics and performance
  • Key performance indicators
  • Recent inspection results
• Resident experiences and testimonials
  • Resident feedback
  • Areas of excellence
  • Areas for improvement
• Pricing information
  • Daily rates (Effective October 2023)
  • Payment options
• Awards and recognition
  • Certifications
• Community reputation
• Recommendations for prospective residents and families
  • Schedule a comprehensive site visit
  • Before choosing a senior care facility, assess what your loved one actually needs. Look at their physical health, memory and thinking skills, emotional state, and what kind of social contact matters to them. Notice their daily patterns: how they move, what they can and cannot eat, what medications they take, and any ongoing health problems. Think about what they enjoy doing, their hobbies, and how they prefer to spend time with others. A clear picture of these needs helps you find a place that fits their situation and keeps them engaged.
  • Before picking a care facility, list out what you'll actually pay. Add up the room, meals, nursing care, therapy sessions, and any extras. Then check what your insurance covers. Medicare typically pays for up to 100 days after a hospital stay if you qualify. Medicaid covers long-term care if you meet their income limits. Some people have private insurance that covers nursing homes. Others pay from savings, investments, or home equity. Knowing your actual costs and available funds helps you plan without surprises.
  • Develop a communication plan
• Conclusion

Executive summary

South Kingstown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a 96-bed skilled nursing facility on a lakeside campus in West Kingston, Rhode Island. This report covers the facility's services, amenities, quality, resident experiences, and how it compares to others—information to help you decide if it's right for your situation.

Facility overview

South Kingstown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a for-profit facility at 2115 S County Trail, West Kingston, RI 02892. It has 96 certified beds and recently integrated Home Health and Hospice Care of Nursing Placement into its operations.

Key facility characteristics

Feature

Details

Location

2115 S County Trail, West Kingston, RI 02892

Setting

Lakeside campus

Facility type

For-profit skilled nursing facility

Total beds

96 certified beds

Operating since

Medicare/Medicaid certified since May 1, 1976

Ownership

Corporate for-profit entity

Services offered

South Kingstown provides several types of care depending on what residents need.

Service category

Description

Rehabilitation services

Short-term rehabilitation programs with physical therapy and individualized treatment plans

Skilled nursing

Medical care and management of chronic conditions

Memory care

36-bed secure unit for residents with Alzheimer's and other memory conditions, including specialized programming

Long-term care

Ongoing care for disability and chronic illness, with continuous medical supervision and focus on quality of life

Specialized care options

The facility runs a dedicated 36-bed dementia unit that provides secure, specialized care for residents with Alzheimer's disease and other memory-related conditions. The unit includes memory enhancement programs and a protected environment.

Amenities and living experience

Accommodation options

Amenity type

Features

Room options

Private or semi-private rooms

In-room features

Air conditioning, internet access, phone service

Personal services

Grooming services, activity areas, social programs

Dining services

The facility offers several meal options and can accommodate special diets. Nutritionists work with residents to match nutrition to their medical needs and preferences. Residents generally report that the food is good.

Daily activities and programs

Residents and families praise the activity director for organizing engaging events. The facility runs:

• Organized outdoor activities
• Nature tours
• Shopping trips
• Community clubs
• Social interaction programs

Professional team

The facility employs nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians, and social workers.

Quality metrics and performance

Key performance indicators

Metric

Facility performance

Benchmark

Return to home rate

56.9%

State: 54.3%, National: 50.4%

Falls with major injury

0.0%

State/National: 1.0%

Serious infection rate

5.6%

Above state and national average

Daily nurse staffing

3h 11m per resident

State/National: 3h 46m

Staff turnover

54.4%

Significantly above state and national averages

Recent inspection results

• A health inspection on February 28, 2024 found issues with food and fluid maintenance and the infection control program. The facility resolved these by March 15, 2024. The violations posed low potential for harm.

Resident experiences and testimonials

Resident feedback

"I highly recommend South Kingstown. The activity director is wonderful. The CNAs provide good personal care."

Areas of excellence

• Clean, well-maintained facility
• Excellent food quality
• Engaged activity director
• Good understanding of memory issues

Areas for improvement

1. Communication gaps
   • Some families report not being updated during critical situations
   • Delayed notification of problems
2. Environmental concerns
   • Some residents and families notice odors in the facility
   • Cleanliness is inconsistent across different areas

Pricing information

Daily rates (Effective October 2023)

Service level

Daily rate

Monthly equivalent

Additional services

Skilled nursing care

~$320

~$9,600

Therapy sessions: $60–$160 per session

Basic care package

~$300

~$9,000

Includes room, board, nursing care

Specialized services

Variable

Variable

Based on individual needs

Payment options

The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and private pay.

Awards and recognition

Award

Year

Description

Silver Quality Award

2015

Recognition for quality improvement

RIHCA Quality Improvement Award

2024

11th annual recognition for quality improvement

Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence

2024

Ranked in the top 5% of healthcare providers for patient experience

CMS 5-Star Rating

2024

Top-tier rating for quality care

America's Greatest Workplaces

2023

Named by Newsweek

Certifications

• Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval, Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification

Community reputation

South Kingstown has a mixed reputation in the community, with a satisfaction score of 5.5/10. The facility has earned multiple awards, including a CMS 5-Star Rating. However, resident experiences are divided. Strengths include above-average rehabilitation outcomes and active programming. Concerns include lower nurse staffing, higher infection rates, and communication lapses between staff and families.

Recommendations for prospective residents and families

Schedule a comprehensive site visit

When you visit, use this checklist to evaluate key aspects of the facility:

Staffing levels

• How many staff members are present during your visit? Do residents seem to wait long for help, or do staff respond quickly?
  • Ask about the 3h 11m of nurse staffing per resident per day—that's below the state average of 3h 46m. How does the facility ensure adequate care with fewer nursing hours?
• Facility environment
  • Check the common areas and resident rooms for cleanliness. Note any odors. Are repairs and maintenance kept up with?
  • Look at the security measures in the memory care unit.
• Resident engagement
  • Are residents participating in activities, or do they seem isolated? Do you see residents talking with each other?
  • Ask about the activity calendar. How often are events scheduled?
• Staff interactions
  • Watch how staff talk to and handle residents. Do they seem rushed or present?
  • Do staff members seem to know the residents and their preferences?
  • Ask about the 54.4% staff turnover rate. What is the facility doing to keep staff and ensure continuity of care?

Assess your loved one's needs

Before selecting a care level, answer these questions about your loved one:

Medical requirements

1. Does your loved one need skilled nursing care (IV therapy, wound care)?
   • Is rehabilitation the primary goal (physical therapy, occupational therapy)?
   • Are there memory care needs (Alzheimer's, dementia)?
   • Is long-term care for chronic conditions needed?
   • Are palliative care services required?
   • Personal care needs
2. What level of assistance is needed with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting)?
   • Are there mobility limitations requiring special equipment or assistance?
   • Is medication management assistance needed?
   • Are there specific dietary requirements?
   • Social and emotional considerations
3. What level of social interaction does your loved one want?
   • Are there specific activity preferences that matter for quality of life?
   • How important is outdoor access?
   • What religious or spiritual services are important?
   • Prepare a financial planning worksheet

Use this worksheet to calculate what you'll actually spend:

Monthly cost estimation

Expense category

Estimated cost

Notes

Basic room and board

$_______

~$300/day for basic care

Care level premium

$_______

Additional for specialized care

Therapy services

$_______

Estimate sessions needed × $60–$160

Personal services

$_______

Beauty salon, extra amenities

Total estimated monthly cost

$_______

Financial resources you have

• Medicare coverage: _______ (typically covers up to 100 days after a qualifying hospital stay)
• Medicaid eligibility: _______ (covers long-term care if income requirements are met)
• Private insurance: _______ (check your policy for nursing home coverage)
• Private pay resources: _______ (savings, investments, home equity)

Develop a communication plan

Given the communication issues some families have experienced, establish clear expectations upfront:

Key contacts

1. Ask the facility to identify specific people for different types of updates:
   • Medical updates: ____________
   • Financial questions: ____________
   • Daily care concerns: ____________
2. Preferred communication methods
   • How do you want to stay informed? Choose what works for your family:
   • [ ] Regular scheduled phone calls
   • [ ] Email updates
   • [ ] In-person meetings
3. [ ] Care conferences (how often: ______)
   • Notification expectations
   • What changes in condition warrant immediate notification? Ask the facility for their policy.
   • Who will the facility contact first in an emergency?

How and when are care plan changes communicated?

Conclusion

South Kingstown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center offers rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and memory care on a lakeside campus. It has a strong safety record—zero major falls—and above-average rehabilitation success, with 56.9% of residents returning home.

Areas that need attention include nurse staffing that runs below state average (3h 11m versus 3h 46m per resident), infection rates above the national average, and communication gaps that some families have experienced.