During the first quarter of 2026, Sapphire Ridge Health and Rehabilitation held the position of the largest nursing home in Transylvania County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The facility provided 147 beds, 58 above the county average for the same period, and served a mean of 103.2 residents.
Sapphire Ridge Health and Rehabilitation received an overall CMS rating of 1 out of 5, notably below the North Carolina average of 2.9 for nursing homes.
That quarter, The Oaks-Brevard was the second largest nursing home locally with 110 beds available, while Transylvania Regional Hospital was third with 10 beds.
By the end of the first quarter of 2026, Sapphire Ridge Health and Rehabilitation had incurred $22,568 in fines and faced one penalty.
There were three for-profit nursing homes in Transylvania County, North Carolina, overall.
U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate that the nation’s older population continues to expand while younger age groups diminish. From 2020 to 2024, the population age 65 and older grew by 13%, while those under 18 declined by 1.7%. Over the past century, the older adult population has seen sharp rises, jumping from 4.9 million in 1920 to more than 61 million by 2024.
According to a 2021 study, about half of adults in this group, or 28 million people, are likely to need long-term services and support, with projections showing that more than a third may ultimately require care provided in a nursing home.
“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”
| Rank | Nursing Home | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sapphire Ridge Health and Rehabilitation | 1 |
| 2 | The Oaks-Brevard | 3 |
| 3 | Transylvania Regional Hospital | 5 |
Details in this article were collected from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Access the original data here.
