Merkel Nursing Center
1704 N 1ST, Merkel, TX, 79536
Yes. Federal inspectors cited 29 deficiencies against Merkel Nursing Center in Merkel, Texas at its most recent standard inspection on 2025-12-04, 16 of them arising from complaints. 5 findings have been recorded at the immediate-jeopardy level, the most serious CMS uses, meaning a resident was placed in immediate danger. Medicare has fined it 2 times, totalling $391,887. CMS currently flags this home for abuse. Medicare rates it 1 out of 5 overall.
Every deficiency on record, by how serious CMS judged it
CMS grades each finding from A to L on two axes: how badly residents were affected, and how many. These are its bands, not ours. The figures cover every standard and complaint survey on record, which is a longer window than the rating cycle above.
The last 20 findings, newest first
Each is the federal requirement the home was found not to meet, in CMS’s own wording, with the tag number so it can be looked up against the inspection report.
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · F0600 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · F0689 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · F0725 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · F0726 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety
Have a registered nurse on duty 8 hours a day; and select a registered nurse to be the director of nurses on a full time basis.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · F0727 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Ensure that nurse aides who have worked more than 4 months, are trained and competent; and nurse aides who have worked less than 4 months are enrolled in appropriate training.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · F0728 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
Infection Control Deficiencies · F0881 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Designate a qualified infection preventionist to be responsible for the infection prevent and control program in the nursing home.
Infection Control Deficiencies · F0882 · 2026-02-16 · from a complaint · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
Administration Deficiencies · F0867 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · F0695 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services.
Administration Deficiencies · F0849 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Regularly inspect all bed frames, mattresses, and bed rails (if any) for safety; and all bed rails and mattresses must attach safely to the bed frame.
Environmental Deficiencies · F0909 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Develop, implement, and/or maintain an effective training program for all new and existing staff members.
Administration Deficiencies · F0940 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Develop, implement, and/or maintain an effective training program that includes effective communications for direct care staff members.
Administration Deficiencies · F0941 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Ensure that staff members are educated on resident rights and facility responsibilities to properly care for its residents.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · F0942 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Give their staff education on dementia care, and what abuse, neglect, and exploitation are; and how to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · F0943 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Conduct mandatory training, for all staff, on the facility’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program.
Administration Deficiencies · F0944 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Include as part of its infection prevention and control program, mandatory training that includes written standards, policies, and procedures for the program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · F0945 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Provide behavior health training consistent with the requirements and as determined by a facility assessment.
Administration Deficiencies · F0949 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · F0842 · 2025-12-04 · standard survey · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm
How CMS scores this home
These stars are Medicare’s, not ours — we publish no rating of our own. They are reproduced here because they are part of the public record.
What Medicare has fined this home
Who owns Merkel Nursing Center
Nursing homes are frequently owned through layers of companies, and the name over the door is rarely the one that holds the licence. This is the ownership CMS has on file.
| Owner | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALEXANDER, RAINEY | Individual | NOT APPLICABLE | since 01/01/2022 |
| ALEXANDER, RAINEY | Individual | NOT APPLICABLE | since 01/01/2022 |
| STROH PROPERTIES LP | Organization | NOT APPLICABLE | since 01/01/2022 |
| ALEXANDER, JOE | Individual | NOT APPLICABLE | since 01/01/2022 |
| MARTINEZ IRIZARRY, AXEL | Individual | NOT APPLICABLE | since 01/01/2025 |
| STROH, CLARENCE | Individual | NOT APPLICABLE | since 01/01/2022 |
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Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Care Compare. Retrieved 2026-07-29. Facility number 676053.
Figures reproduce the state’s own totals and are not re-aggregated. Methodology · Report a correction