Above average — CMS composite of the measures below.
The next survey window likely opens around February 2027
Estimate from public CMS data, current as of July 2026. Survey timing is at the state agency's discretion.
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Hickory Creek At Huntington during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
Improper Hair and Beard Covering During Pureed Food Preparation: During observation of pureed food prep, a Dietary Aide was seen preparing chicken patties in a food processor without a beard net over his long facial hair while repeatedly blending and testing the mixture. The Dietary Aide said he should have worn a beard net, and the Dietary Mgr and Administrator acknowledged beard covers were required in the kitchen area.
The facility failed to report a resident-to-resident abuse allegation to the State Agency. Two severely cognitively impaired residents were involved in a bathroom-area altercation, and one resident repeatedly said he had hit the other resident while staff heard yelling and separated them. Staff later documented facial injuries and a possible weapon-related assault, but the Administrator did not submit a state report because he believed the incident was not reportable.
Failure to document written discharge appeal rights and bed hold notice: A resident with encephalopathy, aphasia, major depressive disorder, and a hx of stroke was discharged home, and the record showed discharge paperwork, meds, and follow-up appts were discussed with the resident and representative. However, the chart lacked documentation that the resident and/or representative were notified in writing of transfer/discharge appeal rights and the bed hold policy; the DON, BOM, and ADON each described discharge discussions, but no signed paperwork or progress note confirmed the required written notice.
A QMA administered PRN pain medication to two residents without first obtaining authorization from a licensed nurse. One resident with chronic kidney disease, dysphagia, lumbar disc degeneration, impaired mobility, and sacral osteomyelitis received morphine after reporting severe back pain, and another resident with TBI, left hip pain, and GERD received ibuprofen after reporting pain. The QMA acknowledged the error, and the ADON and DON confirmed QMAs must ask a nurse before giving PRN meds.
Failure to obtain ordered ammonia labs for a resident with epilepsy, hepatic encephalopathy, and alcoholic cirrhosis. The resident had standing orders for ammonia and anticonvulsant levels, but the record lacked an ammonia result after the lab was ordered, and later documentation showed no ammonia level for an extended period. The DON stated the lab missed the draw and that some later lab orders were not entered into MatrixCare.
Clean resident clothing was contaminated during laundry delivery when a laundry aide repeatedly held clean items against the front of her body while knocking on doors, entering resident rooms, and hanging clothing in closets. The aide stated clean clothing should not touch the body, and the DON confirmed laundered clothing or linens should be kept away from the body to prevent cross contamination.
The facility failed to properly dispose of unlabeled and unused medications in two medication carts. Loose pills were found in Medication Carts B and C, and the QMA indicated they should be disposed of. The Corporate Nurse confirmed that loose pills should be discarded using a drug buster solution. The facility's policy requires the destruction and reordering of medications with missing or damaged labels.
Improper Hair and Beard Covering During Pureed Food Preparation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure food was served in a sanitary manner during observation of pureed food preparation. During the kitchen observation, a Dietary Aide cut up chicken patties in a food processor and blended them with hot water, repeatedly scraping the mixture down the sides, blending again, and adding more water while performing thickness and spoon tests. The Dietary Aide was observed without a cover over his long facial hair. During interview, the Dietary Aide stated he should have worn a beard net, and the Dietary Manager acknowledged he had just returned from break, did not notice he was not wearing a beard cover, and agreed he should have worn one. A posted sign on the kitchen door stated that a hair net and beard cover were required beyond that point, and the Administrator stated staff were expected to wear hair net coverings, including beard nets, when entering the kitchen area.
Failure to Report Resident-to-Resident Abuse Allegation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an allegation of abuse to the State Agency for a resident-to-resident altercation involving two severely cognitively impaired residents. One resident had diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, severe dementia with behavioral disturbance, restlessness/agitation, major depressive disorder, mood disorder, and anxiety disorder. His record showed a history of verbal aggression, physical aggression toward staff and peers, threats, and behaviors including swinging his walker, punching, and using utensils as weapons. The other resident had diagnoses including anoxic brain damage, bipolar disorder, unspecified psychosis, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate, and was also severely cognitively impaired. On the day of the incident, staff heard yelling and a commotion near the bathroom area. Multiple staff interviews indicated the two residents were arguing and trying to use the bathroom, and the residents were separated. The aggressive resident repeatedly stated that he had hit the other resident, while the other resident denied it. Staff described the event as a resident-to-resident altercation, and one staff member believed the aggressive resident may have stabbed the other resident with something because the other resident's neck was bleeding. Another staff member later documented that the aggressive resident punched the other resident in the face and attempted to stab him with a fork, while the other resident sustained facial injuries. The Administrator stated he did not submit a state report because he believed the incident was not reportable. He later said he had heard the commotion, made sure both residents were okay, and thought the aggressive resident's statement was an outburst rather than an allegation. The DON indicated that if a resident said they had been hit, she would consider it an allegation of abuse and would report it to the Administrator. The facility policy titled Abuse Prohibition, Reporting and Investigation stated that the Administrator/DON was responsible for reporting abuse or allegations of abuse immediately, within 2 hours, to the Indiana State Department of Health via the ISDH gateway system.
Failure to Document Written Discharge Appeal Rights and Bed Hold Notice
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that Resident 37 and/or the resident's representative were notified in writing of the transfer/discharge appeal rights and bed hold policy at the time of discharge. Resident 37's record showed diagnoses of encephalopathy, aphasia, major depressive disorder, and a history of stroke. A progress note dated 1/29/26 stated that the resident was discharged home and that discharge summary information, medications, follow-up appointments, and other paperwork were discussed with the resident and representative. The clinical record did not contain documentation showing that the resident and the resident's representative were notified in writing of the transfer/discharge appeal rights or the bed hold policy for the discharge. During interviews, the DON stated that appeal rights, ombudsman notification, and transfer/discharge information were discussed during admission and resident council meetings, and that the BOM was responsible for discussing appeal rights and bed hold policy. The BOM stated she completed discharge paperwork and tried to have it done 48 hours before discharge, but she did not have the resident or representative sign the paperwork or document in a progress note that appeal rights or bed hold policy were provided. The ADON stated that discharge discussions included medications, follow-up appointments, ombudsman contact information, facility contact information, the primary care physician, and bed hold policy, but she did not document in a progress note that appeal rights or the bed hold policy were discussed.
PRN Medications Given Without Nurse Authorization
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a qualified medication aide obtained authorization from a licensed nurse before administering PRN medication to 2 of 10 residents observed during medication administration. During observation, one resident with diagnoses including chronic kidney disease, dysphagia, lumbar disc degeneration, impaired mobility, and osteomyelitis of the sacral vertebrae requested pain medication and reported back pain rated 10/10. The QMA retrieved morphine from the narcotics drawer, signed it out, and administered it with other medications without first asking a nurse for permission or notifying the nurses at the station, where the ADON, DON, and an RN were present. In a second observation, another resident with traumatic brain injury, left hip pain, and GERD requested pain medication and rated the pain 5/10. The QMA retrieved ibuprofen from the medication cart and administered it without asking for permission from a nurse. During interview, the QMA stated she was supposed to ask a nurse before giving a PRN medication and said she had made the mistake with both residents. The ADON and DON confirmed that QMAs are supposed to ask for permission prior to PRN administration, and the facility procedure and Indiana QMA scope of practice both required licensed nurse authorization before PRN medication administration.
Failure to Obtain Ordered Ammonia Laboratory Testing
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to obtain ordered laboratory testing for a resident with epilepsy, cystic kidney disease, hepatic encephalopathy, and alcoholic cirrhosis who had standing orders for ammonia, divalproex, and levetiracetam levels every second Monday of February, May, August, and November. The resident’s record showed ongoing monitoring for elevated ammonia levels and medication management involving levetiracetam, divalproex, lactulose, and rifaximin. A care plan identified the resident as at risk for functional decline due to toxic encephalopathy and included interventions to obtain lab draws as ordered and send them to the physician for review. The record showed that after neurology raised concern about continued divalproex use because of chronically elevated ammonia levels, an ammonia level was ordered for a lab draw, but the 7/10/25 lab review lacked an ammonia result. Subsequent notes documented additional ammonia orders and provider review, yet the clinical record lacked documentation of an ammonia level from 7/7/25 through 8/10/25. During interviews, the DON stated the lab did not draw the ammonia level on 7/10/25 and that the requisition had been entered in MatrixCare but the lab missed it. The DON also stated the facility had not entered orders for ammonia labs ordered later, and the ADON was responsible for following up on lab draws and entering lab orders.
Clean Laundry Contacted Staff Body During Resident Delivery
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to prevent contamination of clean resident clothing during laundry distribution. During an observation on 2/24/26 at 12:23 p.m., a laundry staff member delivered clean clothing from a covered laundry cart to multiple residents. As she removed clothing from the cart and entered residents' rooms, the clean laundry was repeatedly pressed against the front of her body while she knocked on doors, entered rooms, and hung the clothing in closets. This occurred with several residents as she moved from room to room, and hand hygiene was performed only after exiting each resident's room. During an interview on 2/24/26 at 12:33 p.m., Laundry Aide 5 stated that clean clothing should not touch one's body when being delivered. During an interview on 3/3/26 at 1:46 p.m., the DON stated staff should keep laundered clothing or linens away from their body to prevent cross contamination. The facility policy titled Laundry Policy, revised 12/2021, stated that personnel shall handle, store, process, and transport personal clothing and linen in a manner that prevents the spread of infection, including carrying clean linen away from the body to prevent cross contamination.
Improper Disposal of Unlabeled Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly dispose of unlabeled and unused medications in two of the four medication carts reviewed. During an observation of Medication Cart B, a loose pill was found at the bottom of the second drawer, and another loose pill was found in the same drawer. The Qualified Medication Aide (QMA) indicated that these pills should be disposed of. It was noted that the medication carts were cleaned weekly, and any loose pills were to be discarded using a drug buster solution. Similarly, during an observation of Medication Cart C, a loose pill was found in the second drawer. The QMA again indicated that the pill should be disposed of. The Corporate Nurse confirmed during the observation that loose pills should be disposed of using the drug buster solution. The facility's current policy on Medication Storage and Expiration, provided by the Administrator, stated that medications with soiled, illegible, worn, makeshift, incomplete, damaged, or missing labels should be destroyed and reordered.
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Resident with a documented fall history left unattended on the patio; found on the ground with a hip fracture.
Walk-in cooler logs missing for 12 days; expired supplements in the medication room fridge.
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Nursing homes near Huntington
How nearby facilities compare on the same public inspection record.
| Facility | Distance | Overall rating | Citations, 12 mo | Serious (J–L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waters Of Huntington Skilled Nursing Facility, The | 0 mi | ★★★★★ | 18 | 1 |
| Envive Of Huntington | 0.3 mi | ★★★★★ | 10 | 0 |
| Heritage Pointe Of Huntington | 2.5 mi | ★★★★★ | 15 | 0 |
| Markle Health & Rehabilitation | 9.7 mi | ★★★★★ | 1 | 0 |
| Heritage Pointe Of Warren | 13.1 mi | ★★★★★ | 5 | 0 |
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Trusted data, never guesswork. Every citation, penalty, rating and Plan of Correction on this page is sourced from public CMS records (latest release July 2026) and official state health department websites.