What is a nursing home in Michigan?
A nursing home provides 24-hour licensed nursing care and rehab therapy. Michigan licenses nursing homes under Part 217 of the Public Health Code, and certified homes are inspected for Medicare and Medicaid; our five counties have 49.
Last verified: October 2026| County | Certified homes | Beds | Avg. overall stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 27 | 2350 | 3.4 |
| Ottawa | 11 | 802 | 3.0 |
| Allegan | 6 | 554 | 2.5 |
| Montcalm | 3 | 221 | 3.7 |
| Ionia | 2 | 235 | 4.5 |
When is a nursing home the right choice?
When someone needs skilled nursing or rehab every day -- after a stroke, a hip fracture or a hospital stay -- or needs more hands-on care around the clock than an AFC home or home for the aged can give.
Many nursing home stays in West Michigan are short-term rehab covered by Medicare after a qualifying hospital stay. Long-term residents most often pay privately until they qualify for Medicaid.
What does a nursing home cost in Michigan?
CareScout's 2025 Michigan medians are $135,050 a year for a semi-private room and $143,628 for a private room -- higher than the national medians.
Where are the nursing homes around Grand Rapids?
Grand Rapids, Wyoming and the Lakeshore cities hold most of the certified beds; hospital-affiliated rehab units cluster near the Medical Mile.
All of them with ratings: nursing home directory.
Which West Michigan nursing homes report the most nursing hours?
Reported nursing hours per resident per day vary more than twofold across the region's certified homes; the highest are mostly hospital-affiliated rehab units and continuing-care campuses.
- Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids) -- 7.74 nursing hours per resident per day, staffing 5 of 5 stars
- The Inn at Freedom Village (Holland) -- 5.59 nursing hours per resident per day, staffing 5 of 5 stars
- Mary Free Bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation (Grand Rapids) -- 5.57 nursing hours per resident per day, staffing 4 of 5 stars
- Edison Christian Health Center (Grand Rapids) -- 5.52 nursing hours per resident per day, staffing 5 of 5 stars
- Allegan County Medical Care Facility (Allegan) -- 5.45 nursing hours per resident per day, staffing 5 of 5 stars
- Valley Health Center (Grand Rapids) -- 5.25 nursing hours per resident per day, staffing 5 of 5 stars
Units that mainly serve short-stay rehab patients staff more heavily by design, so compare long-term homes with each other.
What should you ask a nursing home before admission?
Ask whether the bed is for short-term rehab or long-term care, whether the home accepts Medicaid for long-term residents, how many aides work evenings and weekends, and how the home answered its most recent citations.
Also ask who the attending physician or nurse practitioner is and how often they see residents, and how the home communicates with families after a fall or a change in condition.
