Effingham County, Illinois · Nursing home
Lutheran Care Center
5 of 5 overall from CMS
702 West Cumberland, Altamont, IL 62411
At a glance
- Overall rating 5 of 5 Above the state average of 2.5
- Nurse time per resident, per day 3.51 hours Above the state average of 3.45
- Nursing staff who left in a year 20.5% Below the state average of 44.5%
- Health citations, last 3 inspection cycles 11 3 at the harm level or above
- Fines in 3 years $36,553 3 fines
- Certified beds in use 47.5% of 96 beds, on an average day
Arrows only show whether a figure is above or below the state average. They are not a judgment of the home.
Lutheran Care Center is a 96-bed nursing home in Altamont, Illinois (Effingham County). CMS rates it 5 of 5 stars overall as of Sep 2026. It reports 3.51 nurse staffing hours per resident per day, above the Illinois average of 3.45. CMS lists 3 fines totaling $36,553 in the past three years.
- Certified beds
- 96
- Residents per day (average)
- 45.6
- Certified since
- 1979 (47 yrs)
Non profit - Corporation Participates in Medicare and Medicaid
Bed use is this site's calculation: average residents per day divided by certified beds. It is an average, so it does not show today's openings.
Terms used on this page
- CMS
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that publishes the ratings, staffing figures, inspection results and penalties shown here.
- Certified beds
- The number of federally certified beds CMS lists for the home.
- Deficiency or citation
- A federal requirement that inspectors found the home did not meet. Each one gets a letter from A to L for how serious it was and how many residents were affected. What the letters mean
- Actual harm
- Letters G, H and I: actual harm to a resident that is not immediate jeopardy.
- Immediate jeopardy
- Letters J, K and L: the problem caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment or death to a resident.
- Inspection cycle
- A standard inspection plus the complaint and infection-control citations CMS assigns to it. This page shows the three most recent cycles.
- Special Focus Facility (SFF)
- A home CMS has placed under closer oversight because of its inspection record. More about the program
Questions to ask Lutheran Care Center
Chosen from this home's public data.
- CMS lists 3 fines totaling $36,553 in the past three years. What changed after the most recent one?Penalties in CMS data
- About 47.5% of certified beds are in use on an average day. Are any units closed, or are admissions limited?Certified beds and average residents in CMS data
- What is the daily private-pay rate, and are Medicaid beds available now?CMS does not publish prices
More in what to ask on a nursing home tour.
CMS star ratings
- Overall 5 of 5 Illinois average 2.5
- Health inspections 4 of 5 Illinois average 2.7
- Staffing 5 of 5 Illinois average 2.1
- Quality measures 3 of 5 Illinois average 3.0
The vertical line marks the Illinois average. Ratings run from 1 to 5. How to read CMS star ratings
Nurse staffing
Hours of care per resident per day, as the home reported to CMS.
What these roles do
Nurse aides give most hands-on daily care, such as help with bathing, dressing and meals. Licensed practical nurses give medications and routine nursing care. Registered nurses assess residents and direct their care.
- All nursing staff 3.51 h Illinois average 3.45
- Nurse aides 2.27 h Illinois average 2.09
- Licensed practical nurses 0.51 h Illinois average 0.64
- Registered nurses 0.72 h Illinois average 0.72
- All staff, weekends 3.16 h Illinois average 3.07
How much nurse staffing is enough? All bars share one scale, 0 to 8 hours. The vertical line marks the Illinois average; the national average for all nursing staff is 3.86 hours.
- Nursing staff turnover20.5%
- Illinois average44.5%
- Registered nurse turnover11.1%
- Illinois average41.8%
- Administrators who left0
Quality measures
CMS calculates these from residents' assessments and Medicare claims. They are shown as published, next to the Illinois and national averages. marks the measures CMS uses in its quality star rating; for those, the rating gives more points for a lower rate.
Long-stay residents
| Measure | This home | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | 30.6% | 13.4% | 13.9% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | 2.9% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | 8.1% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | 0.7% | 1.5% | 1.6% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | 1.5% | 54.2% | 12.8% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | 2.1% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | 100.0% | 90.3% | 93.6% |
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | 28.3% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | 41.6% | 18.3% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | 100.0% | 91.8% | 95.5% |
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | 2.6% | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | 18.1% | 20.6% | 19.0% |
| ★ Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | 12.1% | 21.7% | 15.4% |
| ★ Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days | 3.23 | 2.02 | 1.90 |
| ★ Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days | 1.35 | 2.22 | 1.78 |
Short-stay residents
| Measure | This home | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | 100.0% | 69.7% | 82.0% |
| ★ Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | 0.0% | 2.2% | 1.6% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | 97.1% | 63.1% | 79.8% |
| ★ Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission | 29.2% | 26.1% | 23.8% |
| ★ Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit | 10.9% | 13.9% | 12.0% |
Measure periods: April 2025 to March 2026 for most measures; July 2024 to June 2025 for the flu vaccine measures; January to December 2025 for the hospital and emergency department measures, which CMS risk-adjusts. See the measures on Medicare.gov
Inspection history
Inspectors cited 11 health deficiencies in the three most recent inspection cycles. Of these, 1 was at the immediate jeopardy level and 2 involved actual harm; the rest were graded as no actual harm. 4 were cited in connection with a complaint investigation. The most recent citation at the harm level or above was on Sep 30, 2025: Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
| Standard inspection | Health | Fire safety |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2025 | 3 | 4 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 5 | 4 |
| Jun 9, 2023 | 3 | 7 |
Illinois homes averaged 12.6 health deficiencies in the latest cycle; the national average is 9.2. Each cycle's health count covers the standard inspection on that date plus the complaint and infection-control citations CMS assigns to that cycle.
Health citations, three most recent inspection cycles (11)
-
JImmediate jeopardy, isolated
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Complaint investigation · Quality of Life and Care · Past Non-Compliance (Sep 15, 2025)
-
DPotential for more than minimal harm, isolated
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Oct 31, 2025)
-
BPotential for minimal harm, pattern
Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Environmental · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Oct 10, 2025)
-
GActual harm, isolated
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Complaint investigation · Quality of Life and Care · Past Non-Compliance (Mar 17, 2025)
-
DPotential for more than minimal harm, isolated
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Complaint investigation · Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Dec 13, 2024)
Show 6 more
-
DPotential for more than minimal harm, isolated
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Complaint investigation · Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Dec 13, 2024)
-
GActual harm, isolated
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Aug 29, 2024)
-
EPotential for more than minimal harm, pattern
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Aug 29, 2024)
-
DPotential for more than minimal harm, isolated
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Jul 14, 2023)
-
DPotential for more than minimal harm, isolated
Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.
Pharmacy Service · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Jul 14, 2023)
-
BPotential for minimal harm, pattern
Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Environmental · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Jul 14, 2023)
What severity letters A to L mean
Each sentence above is the requirement that was not met, in CMS's wording. For the inspection results as Medicare publishes them, open this home's page on Medicare.gov and look under "Health inspections".
Penalties, past three years
| Date | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2025 | Fine | $17,345 |
| Mar 28, 2025 | Fine | $11,190 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Fine | $8,018 |
Illinois homes averaged 2.2 fines and $111,013 in fine amounts; the national averages are 0.9 and $30,972.
Cost
Not in the public data. CMS does not publish what a nursing home charges.
Ask the home for its daily private-pay rate and whether a bed is open for your coverage. See what Medicare covers and how Medicaid pays for a nursing home.
Compared within Illinois
- Size426 of 666 by certified beds
- Illinois average residents per day95.4
- ChainNone listed
- Resident or family councilResident
- Homes in Effingham County4
Common questions
What is the CMS star rating for Lutheran Care Center?
Lutheran Care Center has an overall rating of 5 of 5 stars from CMS as of Sep 2026. Its health inspection rating is 4, staffing is 5 and quality measures is 3.
How many beds does Lutheran Care Center have?
Lutheran Care Center has 96 certified beds. It averages 45.6 residents per day, about 47.5% of its certified beds.
How much nursing care do residents get at Lutheran Care Center?
The home reports 3.51 hours of nurse staffing per resident per day, including 0.72 hours from registered nurses. The Illinois average is 3.45 hours and 0.72 hours from registered nurses.
Has Lutheran Care Center been fined?
Yes. CMS lists 3 fines totaling $36,553 in the past three years.
Does Lutheran Care Center accept Medicare or Medicaid?
CMS lists its participation as "Medicare and Medicaid". Ask the home whether a bed is open for your coverage.
Guides for families looking at this home
- Understanding the recordWhat to ask on a nursing home tourQuestions that turn a home's public record into a useful conversation when you tour, plus what to look for yourself.
- Understanding the recordInspection severity letters A to LHow inspectors grade each deficiency by harm and by how many residents were affected.
- Understanding the recordHow to read CMS star ratingsWhat the overall, health inspection, staffing and quality measure ratings cover, and what they leave out.
Nearest nursing homes
- 1 of 5 The Haven of St. Elmo 60beds 66.5%in use 3.03nurse hours a day
- 1 of 5 Effingham Healthcare & Senior Living 62beds 61.5%in use 2.92nurse hours a day
- 4 of 5 Lakeland Rehab & Healthcare Center 154beds 76.9%in use 3.39nurse hours a day
Sorted by straight-line distance. This is not a ranking or a recommendation. Compare all homes in Effingham County
Who to call in Illinois
These offices serve residents of every nursing home in Illinois.
- Long-term care ombudsman Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program 1-800-252-8966 (Senior HelpLine) An advocate for residents and their families.
- File a complaint about a nursing home Central Complaint Registry 1-800-252-4343 The state agency that inspects nursing homes.
Illinois staffing, bed-hold and Medicaid rules · Residents' rights in every state
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog, nursing home datasets processed Sep 1, 2026. CMS Certification Number 145380. See this home's official record on Medicare.gov
See something shown incorrectly? Tell us. This site shows each record as CMS publishes it and cannot change the underlying record.