Avante at Boca Raton Violations & Ratings

Avante at Boca Raton is a skilled nursing facility with 144 beds in Boca Raton, FL. This for-profit nursing home has been cited dozens of times for failing to respond to resident needs and protect them from harm. 

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has 16 pages of complaints, including pages of standard inspections, against the facility. Reviewers consider it one of the worst nursing homes in Palm Beach County. 

If you or a loved one are a victim of negligence or abuse at this facility, get in touch today to speak with a Florida nursing home abuse lawyer.

Quick Overview

• Facility Name: Avante at Boca Raton
• Address: 1130 NW 15th Street, Boca Raton, FL 33486
• CMS Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars 
• CMS Health Inspection Rating: 1 out of 5 stars 
• CMS Staffing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• CMS Quality Measures Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 
• Federal Fines in Last 3 Years: 1 fine totalling $30,495
• Payment Denials by Medicare in the Last 3 Years: 0 
• Total Bed Capacity: 144 beds
• Ownership Type: Private, For Profit

Avante at Boca Raton Overview

Avante at Boca Raton is a short-term and long-term rehabilitation facility and nursing home that provides 24/7 assistance to patients suffering from various issues. These services include dementia and terminal illnesses. It’s a short drive from Lake Worth and offers multiple services to help every resident. 

Despite being situated in upper-class Palm Beach County, this Florida nursing home has received numerous complaints about its failure to maintain a safe environment for residents. The nursing home is a for-profit facility not connected to any other facilities.

CMS Ratings and Performance

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) rating system considers the overall excellence of rehab facilities and nursing homes, including three primary metrics. Five stars are considered much above average, and 1 star is much below average.

Avante at Boca Raton has a 2-star overall rating from CMS, which is considered below average. This nursing home received 1 out of 5 stars for health inspections, 4 out of 5 stars for staffing, and 5 out of 5 stars for quality ratings. Last year, Avante nursing home received a $30,495 fine for deficiencies in care. 

Services Provided

This skilled nursing facility is meant to provide short and long-term services for those who cannot live independently in a home setting. Services provided by this nursing home include:

• Speech therapy
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Memory care
• Nutrition services
• Medication management
• Cardiac care
• Mobility assistance

Violations and Citations

This Boca Raton nursing home has faced severe challenges that impact patient well-being. It has been cited for 34 deficiencies since 2021. Many violations and complaints are related to a failure to maintain proper care and safety standards. These complaints include:

• Dietary Deficiencies: Multiple residents at the nursing home had dramatic weight loss while staying at Avante at Boca Raton, including one patient who lost 20 pounds during their residency in the nursing home. Another resident repeatedly asked for food to take to his dialysis appointments, but no one offered him this.
• Administrative Failures: A May 2024 inspection found that management continually failed to order enough food for the facility, leaving residents hungry.
• Facility Cleanliness: The May 2024 inspection found that many air conditioning filters were filthy, putting patients at risk for respiratory illnesses. Some rooms at the nursing home also had black mold in the bathrooms, a severe issue for immunocompromised residents. Inadequate cleaning chemicals were used in the mop buckets, and the kitchen appliances were rusty.
• Care Deficiency – In a 2023 report, it was found that one resident had developed a pressure ulcer that was not being treated appropriately, putting them at risk of serious infections. The same report found severe weight loss in a resident with dysphagia due to improper tube feeding. This same resident also had large ulcers and blisters that were not being cared for.
• Lack of Pain Management – A resident at the nursing home there for short-term care, as a result of a tibia fracture, was denied pain medication despite having a physician’s order. The resident repeatedly expressed that he was in pain, but nothing was given to him. 

Impact on Residents

Safety Issues and Hygiene

The facility was previously cited for failing to ensure all its staff received the COVID-19 vaccine, which could put anyone who lives in or may visit the community at risk. 

Additionally, a lack of appropriate cleaning protocols at the nursing home led to significant hazards, such as black mold, that could kill an immunocompromised resident. The facility’s air filtration systems were inadequate and filled with dust, allowing diseases to circulate and potentially leading to life-threatening infections. 

Additionally, Avante at Boca Raton has multiple violations for failure to provide adequate nutrition to those under its care. This led to significant weight loss for more than one resident at the nursing home. Individuals who don’t receive enough food are at risk for further complications and death due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Emotional and Psychological Impact

This Florida facility’s inability to maintain a safe environment for its residents can cause significant distress for the individual and their family. 

A lack of pain medication leads to severe discomfort for the resident, especially for those recovering from major surgeries. Individuals in constant pain experience less enjoyment in life. 

The lack of attention provided to residents at the nursing home and the dismissal of their complaints regarding being hungry or in pain make these vulnerable individuals feel powerless. This also contributes to anxiety, depression, and psychological harm. 

Anxiety about where one’s next meal may come from, coupled with the fact that some individuals cannot access their food or may not have loved ones who can help them, leads to decreased well-being. Those in a nursing home can and should expect adequate nutrition, and Avante at Boca Raton repeatedly failed to order enough meals to satisfy all of its residents. 

It’s crucial that loved ones conduct regular visits to nursing homes and ask the residents about their experiences to catch major issues before they become dangerous. 

Legal Rights and Actions

Every nursing home resident has the right to feel safe and respected. Unfortunately, those at Avante at Boca Raton in Palm Beach County have been deprived of these rights due to repeated violations of standards of care. 

A lawsuit is one way to gain redress for these issues, ensuring that resident needs are taken seriously and staff are held accountable for their failures. Our team can assist you in pursuing legal action against this nursing home, providing compensation for its management’s egregious errors.

Contact us today for a free consultation with our nursing home abuse lawyers about your legal options and for further resources that can assist in your journey toward justice.