Brevard Sun

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Solaris Healthcare Merritt Island stood out as the largest nursing home in Brevard County, tied with one other nursing home, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It shared its ranking with West Melbourne Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 180 beds available, 47 more than the average in Brevard County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 172.5 residents during that period.

Solaris Healthcare Merritt Island boasted an overall rating of 4 from the CMS, which is higher than the average of 3.1 recorded for nursing homes in Florida.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Solaris Healthcare Merritt Island has spent a total of $14,508 in one fine and suffered one penalty.

In total, there were three non-profit nursing homes in Brevard County, Florida.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“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	Solaris Healthcare Merritt Island	4
1	West Melbourne Health and Rehabilitation Center	1
3	Melbourne Terrace Rehabilitation Center	5
3	Indian River Center	2
5	Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Melbourne	2
6	Titusville Rehabilitation and Nursing Center	4
7	Life Care Center of Palm Bay	4
8	Bedrock Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at Melbo	2
9	Viera Del Mar Health and Rehabilitation Center	2
10	Atlantic Shores Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	3
10	Vista Manor	2
10	The Palms Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center	2
10	Life Care Center of Melbourne	5
10	Island Health and Rehabilitation Center	1
10	Royal Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	3
10	Anchor Care and Rehabilitation Center	2
17	Viera Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center	5
18	Avante at Melbourne, Inc.	3
19	Rockledge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center	2
20	Sunrise Point Health and Rehabilitation Center	1
21	The Terrace at Courtenay Springs	1