During the first quarter of 2026, The Palms at Sebring Nursing and Rehabilitation ranked as the county’s second largest nursing home, based on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The facility provided 120 available beds, matching Highlands County’s average bed count for that quarter. An average of 107.4 residents were cared for at the center during this period.
The Palms at Sebring Nursing and Rehabilitation received an overall CMS rating of 2 out of 5, which falls below Florida’s statewide average of 3.3 for nursing homes.
Lake Placid Health and Rehabilitation Center had the highest capacity in Highlands County with 180 beds, while Vivo Healthcare Sebring|Oaks at Avon held third place at 104 beds for the quarter.
Reports show that in the first quarter of 2026, no fines or penalties were recorded at The Palms at Sebring Nursing and Rehabilitation.
Five for-profit nursing homes operated in Highlands County, Florida, during this period.
U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate that the nation’s older population continues climbing while numbers for younger Americans decline. From 2020 to 2024, Americans 65 and older increased by 13%, whereas those under age 18 dropped 1.7%. Over the past 100 years, the elderly population in the U.S. expanded sharply, from 4.9 million in 1920 to over 61 million in 2024.
A study from 2021 found about half of adults 65 and older—or roughly 28 million people—will need long-term services and support, with more than a third projected to require nursing home care at some point.
“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. “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 | Lake Placid Health and Rehabilitation Center | 2 |
| 2 | The Palms at Sebring Nursing and Rehabilitation | 2 |
| 3 | Vivo Healthcare Sebring | 3 |
| 3 | Oaks at Avon | 3 |
| 5 | Royal Care of Avon Park | 2 |
Information in this article was sourced from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For detailed data, see here.
