Winston-Salem Senior AdvisorWAMU's Family Care Home (1251 Shelter Cove, Winston-Salem) holds North Carolina family care home license FCL-034-092 for 6 residents in Forsyth County. The state's current rating is 3 stars on a 0-4 scale.
What does North Carolina's license record say about WAMU's Family Care Home?
The state licenses WAMU's Family Care Home as a family care home for 6 people under FCL-034-092, with the license expiring December 31, 2026.
| Item | State record |
|---|---|
| License number (DHSR) | FCL-034-092 |
| Category | Family care home: 2 to 6 residents, 10A NCAC 13G |
| Licensed capacity | 6 beds |
| Dementia special care unit | No unit on DHSR's list |
| License valid through | December 31, 2026 |
| Licensee (legal operator) | Esther Muriuki and John Gathara |
| Administrator | EstherMuriuki |
| State star rating | 3 stars, score 94.00 |
| Fines on the 36-month list | 0 |
| Phone (from the state listing) | (336) 413-6477 |
If the building is ever sold, the buyer must obtain its own license, so a different license number on a later visit is a sign that ownership changed and is worth asking about.
How does the Division of Health Service Regulation rate WAMU's Family Care Home?
DHSR's current rating for WAMU's Family Care Home is 3 stars on its 0-4 scale and the score behind it is 94.00; 24 of the 55 rated homes across Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes and Yadkin counties sit at that level.
North Carolina is one of the few states that rates assisted living at all. The stars are calculated from inspection results, so they say more about compliance than about food, activities or how a place feels.
DHSR keeps the rating history and the inspection documents on its own page for this home.
When did North Carolina last inspect WAMU's Family Care Home?
The latest annual survey DHSR has posted for WAMU's Family Care Home is from September 9, 2026, and its result was deficiencies cited.
| Visit date | Kind of visit | Document DHSR posted |
|---|---|---|
| 09/09/2026 | ACLS Annual | Statement of Deficiency with Plan of Correction |
| 09/11/2024 | ACLS Annual | No Deficiencies Cited |
| 12/13/2023 | Constr Biennial Follow-up | Statement of Deficiency with Plan of Correction |
| 06/28/2022 | ACLS Annual and Follow-up | Statement of Deficiency with Plan of Correction |
| 04/06/2021 | ACLS Annual and Follow-up | Statement of Deficiency |
| 10/30/2018 | Constr Biennial | Statement of Deficiency |
| 07/31/2018 | ACLS Annual | Statement of Deficiency with Plan of Correction |
The record goes back to 2015: 8 annual or initial surveys (2 with nothing cited), 0 complaint investigations and 5 visits from DHSR's construction section, which checks the building. When two documents share a date, the one marked “with Plan of Correction” holds the home's own answer to the findings, and it is usually the more revealing read.
Are there DHSR penalties against WAMU's Family Care Home?
DHSR shows no fine against WAMU's Family Care Home in the current 36-month window, and the home's record page agrees.
The penalty list covers Type A1 and A2 fines. Day-to-day problems that never reached that level are in the survey documents, which are the better picture of ordinary care.
Does WAMU's Family Care Home have a locked memory care unit?
WAMU's Family Care Home has no special care unit on the state's list, which means no licensed dementia unit; someone who comes to need a secured setting would generally have to transfer to a home that has one.
Early memory loss is not by itself a reason to turn someone away. The test is whether staff can keep the resident safe under the care plan. Nearest homes with a unit: Brighton Gardens of Winston-Salem (1.6 mi, 26 unit beds), PruittPlace-Winston Salem (1.8 mi, 24 unit beds), Brookdale Winston-Salem (3.9 mi, 38 unit beds).
Where could we look if WAMU's Family Care Home has no opening?
Closest is Winston Neighbor's Assisted Living in Winston-Salem, roughly 1.3 miles as the crow flies: a family care home licensed for 3 with a state rating of 3 stars.
| Facility | License type | Miles away | Licensed beds | Special care unit beds | DHSR stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston Neighbor's Assisted Living 2640 Belwick Drive, 27106 | FCH | 1.3 | 3 | 0 | 3 stars |
| Salemtowne 2000 Salemtowne, 27106 | ACH | 1.5 | 46 | 0 | 4 stars |
| Brighton Gardens of Winston-Salem 2601 Reynolda Road, 27106 | ACH | 1.6 | 115 | 26 | 1 star |
| Brookdale Reynolda Road 2980 Reynolda Road, 27106 | ACH | 1.8 | 72 | 0 | 3 stars |
| PruittPlace-Winston Salem 2500 Polo Ridge Court, 27106 | ACH | 1.8 | 125 | 24 | 2 stars |
Where exactly is WAMU's Family Care Home located?
The home sits in the Reynolda, Buena Vista & Northwest Winston-Salem part of Winston-Salem; the nearest acute-care hospital on the state's list is North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, roughly 3.5 miles as the crow flies.
Second closest is Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, about 3.5 miles. These are straight-line figures between mapped addresses; the drive is longer.
For nursing care later on, the two nearest Medicare-certified nursing homes are Salemtowne (1.5 mi; CMS 4 of 5) and Brookridge Retirement Community (2.2 mi; CMS 5 of 5).
What should a family confirm with WAMU's Family Care Home before move-in?
Begin with the state record itself: ask for a copy of the September 9, 2026 statement of deficiencies and the plan of correction that answered it.
- Ask to see last month's night and weekend schedules instead of an average staffing figure.
- Ask whether WAMU's Family Care Home keeps residents who move onto State/County Special Assistance, and how many it has today.
- Read the residency agreement at home first: fees, the notice required before a rate increase, and discharge terms.
