Bartow Center Violations & Ratings

Nursing homes serve residents and families nationwide by providing care services for older adults. When staff members fail to uphold professional standards of care, residents suffer the most. 

Bartow Center is a nursing home in Bartow, FL, serving families in the Polk County area. While this skilled nursing facility should be a welcoming environment for residents with healthcare needs, the nursing staff and administrators have not always lived up to this standard. 

Bartow Center Overview

Bartow Center is at 2055 East Georgia St., Bartow, FL 33830. The facility has 120 certified beds, served by numerous certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and facility staff members. 

These employees provide post-acute services, assist with daily living activities, perform rehabilitative services, and offer general nursing care for all residents. This care includes many specific programs, such as nutritional services, restorative services, speech therapists, occupational therapy, and more. 

Ownership and Affiliations

The legal business name for this assisted living facility is Bartow Rehabilitation Center, LLC. It is affiliated with Hearthstone Senior Communities, and the ownership type is a non-profit corporation. 

Ratings and Performance

Bartow Center has a spotty record regarding ratings and performance. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates nursing homes nationwide on a five-star scale based on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. This nursing community has a three-star overall rating from CMS, which is considered an average rating. The individual categories are rated as follows:

• Health inspections – Two stars (below average)
• Staffing – Two stars (below average)
• Quality measures – Five stars (much above average) [1]

US News also rates nursing home facilities. According to this site, Bartow Center has a three-out-of-five star overall rating and is considered average for long-term care and short-term rehabilitative services [2].

You can pursue legal action for damages if you experience neglect or injuries at this facility. The Nursing Home Law Center can help you file your claim and increase your chances of winning a fair settlement. 

Complaints and Legal Actions Against Bartow Center

Every skilled nursing facility is held to a standard of professional care. When the nurses or administrators fail to meet these standards, they may be guilty of nursing home negligence or malpractice, which places residents at risk of injuries, worsening conditions, or death. 

Bartow Center has repeatedly fallen short of the expected standard of care, and in some of these scenarios, former residents and families have sued it. Here are a few cases that included this facility as a defendant. 

Archer vs. Hearthstone Senior Communities et al.

James W. Archer filed a lawsuit against Bartow Center in 2013, alleging negligent care led to multiple falls and an above-knee leg amputation that began as an infected toe sore during his five-month stay. 

The case named multiple defendants, including Hearthstone Senior Communities and facility administrator Patricia L. Spears. The facility received $4,500 in state fines between 2009 and 2013 and was placed on conditional licenses twice during that period. [3]

Bartow Center Medication Error Citation

A resident was hospitalized shortly after admission due to medication errors involving insulin administration. Post-acute services staff failed to properly verify medication instructions and dosages, instead relying on the family’s verbal instructions rather than confirming with hospice or physicians. 

The resident became unresponsive after receiving an incorrect insulin dose without following the required sliding scale protocol, necessitating emergency hospitalization for low blood glucose levels. This negligent action violated the facility’s policy that a physician must verify medication plans brought in for new patients. [4].

Inspections and Deficiency Reports for Bartow Center

Both state and federal entities inspect nursing homes that provide long-term care, post-acute services, and assistance with daily activities. These inspections often reveal deficiencies that put residents at risk. Several deficiencies have been found at Bartow Center in recent years:

• Fifteen complaints led to citations against the facility in the past three years.
• The registered nurse hours per patient per day were 23 minutes, far less than the national average of 40 minutes.
• Only 27.78% of residents were at or above the expected ability to care for themselves and move around at discharge, compared to 52.16% nationally. 
• The percentage of skilled nursing staff who completed the primary COVID-19 vaccination series was 0%, compared to 7.2% nationally. 
• Only 31.4% of patients successfully returned home or to their communities after skilled nursing facility care, compared to 49.9% nationally. 
• 7.5% of long-term care residents lost too much weight, compared to 5.8% nationally. 
• Bartow Center received a federal fine of $12,871 in the last three years [1].

How a Nursing Home Lawyer Can Help

You deserve high-quality treatment if you are a resident in a skilled nursing community. Healthcare professionals often fall short of this mark, and as a result, patients suffer physical, emotional, mental, or financial harm. 

If you or a loved one have suffered from poor treatment at Bartow Center or another nursing facility, you can seek compensation for legal damages, including medical bills, emotional distress, physical pain, and loss of quality of life. Our Florida nursing home abuse attorneys can hold these professionals accountable and seek maximum compensation for your suffering. 

What to Do if a Loved One Suffers Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

Often, family members are the first to notice the signs of abuse or neglect in a nursing home or hospital. When you visit your loved one’s room, look for warning signs, such as unexplained bruises, pressure ulcers, missing possessions, irritability, loss of appetite, loss of interest in hobbies, behavioral changes, or fearfulness. These signs could indicate that the resident is being abused or neglected. 

Why You Must Act Quickly

If nursing home services fail your family member, prompt legal action is essential. A quick response helps avoid the statute of limitations, makes gathering and preserving evidence easier, and can prevent further instances of poor care. 

Free Consultation and Contingency Fee Agreement

Nursing Home Law Center offers victims and their families a free consultation to discuss their legal options and the merits of the case. Our team works on a contingency fee basis, which means we only receive payment from the settlement if we win. We will support you through the legal process, protect your rights, and offer sound legal advice to increase your chances of success. 

Call our office today at 800-926-7565 or complete the online form to request your free consultation with an experienced nursing home attorney. 

Resources: [1] CMS – Bartow Center, [2] US News – Bartow Center, [3] The Ledger – Suit Claims Nursing Home Negligence, [4] Distasio Firm – Bartow Center Medication Error