Who inspects nursing homes in Memphis?
The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission does both jobs: it licenses nursing homes under rule chapter 0720-18 and, as the CMS-designated State Survey Agency, conducts the federal surveys for homes certified by Medicare or TennCare.
The federal surveys feed CMS's Care Compare website, which publishes inspection results, staffing data and star ratings for each certified home. The state side shows up in HFC's facility listings (license status, last survey date, disciplinary actions) and in its monthly Facility Action and Abuse Reports, which list penalties the commission imposed. HFC's website also links to CMS statements of deficiencies for facilities that receive Medicare or TennCare.
What do CMS star ratings mean for Memphis nursing homes?
CMS rates each certified nursing home from one to five stars overall, built from three parts: health inspections, staffing and quality measures; the ratings compare homes within a state, so a Tennessee rating reflects how a home stacks up against other Tennessee homes.
HFC's October 2026 report lists 29 licensed nursing homes in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties with 3,772 licensed beds; CMS rates 29 of them, 8 with four or five stars overall (Care Compare data as of October 1, 2026). Ratings move: a single difficult survey can drop a home's inspection stars, and changes of ownership can make past performance less predictive. Use the stars to build a short list, then read the actual inspection report, look at staffing hours and turnover, and visit at a shift change. Each nursing home page on this site reproduces the CMS fields and compares them with the Memphis-area median.
How does Tennessee penalize nursing homes?
Tennessee can assess state civil monetary penalties, suspend admissions, place a license on probation or take other licensure action, and those actions appear in HFC's monthly Facility Action and Abuse Reports alongside any federal fines CMS imposes.
Recent reports name Memphis-area nursing homes with Type A, B and C civil money penalties and, in at least one 2025 case, an order suspending admissions. Federal penalties are separate and show up on Care Compare as fines and payment denials in a three-year window. Tennessee also runs a Civil Monetary Penalty reinvestment program that funds projects to improve nursing home residents' lives.
Can a Memphis nursing home discharge a resident whose Medicare runs out?
Not simply because Medicare coverage ends: federal rules for certified nursing homes limit involuntary discharge to specific reasons and require written notice, and a resident who has applied for TennCare can generally remain while the application is pending if the home participates in TennCare.
The practical issue is payment. The day Medicare skilled coverage ends, the resident becomes private pay unless TennCare CHOICES Group 1 eligibility is in place, so start the TennCare application during the rehab stay. If a discharge notice arrives, contact the Memphis Delta District long-term care ombudsman at MIFA (901-529-4565) right away; ombudsmen help residents contest improper discharges.
At a glance
| Tennessee's nursing home oversight includes | It does not include | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | HFC licenses under rule 0720-18 | Licensing by Shelby County or Memphis |
| Inspections | State licensure surveys and federal certification surveys | Advance-scheduled inspections |
| Public results | CMS Care Compare and HFC listings and FAAR reports | A single state star rating |
| Penalties | State and federal civil money penalties, admission bans | Penalties hidden from the public |
Sources include Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18, Health Facilities Commission and TennCare pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
