Sandia Ridge Center Violations & Ratings

Sandia Ridge Center is a large facility located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has faced multiple penalties from the federal government. Nursing home residents have been exposed to abuse and harassment by staff and even by other residents due to administrative failures. 

Residents in nursing homes have the right to feel safe while receiving excellent medical care. If your loved one has been mistreated at Sandia Ridge Center, it’s essential to report your concerns as soon as possible. Contact us for a free consultation with our New Mexico nursing home abuse lawyers, and we will guide you through the process of holding facilities accountable. 

Quick Overview

• Facility Name: Sandia Ridge Center
• Address: 2216 Lester Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112
• CMS Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 stars – Much Below Average
• CMS Health Inspection Rating: 1 out of 5 stars 
• CMS Staffing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 
• CMS Quality Measures Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 
• Federal Fines in Last 3 Years: 4 fines totaling $190,629
• Payment Denials by Medicare in Last 3 Years: 4 denials
• Total Bed Capacity: 140 beds
• Ownership Type: For-Profit Corporation [1]

Facility Overview

Sandia Ridge Center is a large nursing home in Albuquerque, NM, with 140 beds. It provides both short-term and long-term care for patients with various medical conditions, including dementia, diabetes, and post-surgical care. 

However, the nursing home has a history of health violations that put resident safety at risk. It is a recent Special Focus Facility, meaning that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were closely monitoring the nursing home due to a pattern of mistreatment.

Sandia Ridge Center is a for-profit nursing home that is not associated with a hospital or retirement community. 

CMS Ratings and Performance

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rates every facility that takes government insurance on its ability to provide appropriate treatment to all patients. This five-star system has three subsections, which include health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. It also imposes penalties on facilities with serious complaints, such as abuse or neglect.

Sandia Ridge Center has a 1-star overall rating. The nursing home received 1 out of 5 stars on inspections, 3 out of 5 stars for staffing, and 4 out of 5 stars on quality measures. Its short-term treatment services received 5 out of 5 stars, while long-term care received only 3 out of 5 stars, demonstrating that it performs better for rehabilitation than long-term skilled nursing. [1]

In the last three years, Sandia Ridge Center has been penalized with 4 fines totaling $190,629, and it has had 4 Medicare denials. 

According to Good Jobs First, a corporate and government accountability nonprofit, the nursing home’s parent company, Genesis HealthCare, has received over $69 million in penalties from state and federal agencies since 2000.

Services Provided

Sandia Ridge Center offers short-term rehab, long-term care, and respite care to individuals with various needs, whether they need rehabilitation after hospital admission or full-time care. Patients may be in private or semi-private rooms depending on their specific needs; they may also choose between in-room dining or eating in a dining hall.

Services available include:

• Hospice and palliative care
• Pain management
• Diabetes care
• Orthopedic recovery
• Mental illness treatment
• Speech therapy
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Dietary and nutrition management
• Podiatry
• Wound care
• X-rays
• Vision care

Despite the facility’s long list of amenities, both government agencies and consumers have voiced concern about resident well-being. Most nursing home staff do not receive vaccinations to protect residents. Additionally, most individuals who went to Sandia Ridge Center for a short-term visit did not show improvement in their condition upon discharge. 

Common complaints from reviewers include poor food, lack of entertainment in the facilities, dirty rooms, and inadequate pain management. 

Violations and Citations

This nursing home has received numerous citations for serious issues, such as failing to protect a resident from a sexual assault and providing inadequate pain management. Sandia Ridge Center falls far below the national average for quality and may put residents in danger.

Specific Violations

Violations this nursing home has been cited for include the following.

Sexual Abuse: The nursing home failed to supervise a male resident who went on to sexually abuse another patient.

Resident Rights: Staff at the facility did not report grievances from patients or their families, and aides walked into a resident’s room without knocking first.

Failure to Create Care Plans: The nursing home did not submit care plans for multiple individuals when their medical needs changed, which prevented them from receiving the care they needed.

Medication Errors: Nurses at the nursing home did not inform a resident or their family when the resident’s medication list changed; as such, she was not aware of the potential risks and side effects of the psychotropic drug she was prescribed.

Lack of Pressure Ulcer Care: Pressure ulcers, also sometimes known as bed sores, are often the result of inadequate mattress support or failing to turn a patient at the nursing home on a regular basis. A wound care nurse failed to treat a resident’s wound for over a week, a significant demonstration of neglect.

Neglect: A diabetic patient passed away in the nursing home after several individuals had noted her change in condition, but the physician in charge of her case was not immediately notified, and she did not receive any treatment. 

Impact on Residents

This nursing home has been accused of abuse and neglect of patients, including failing to provide them with a dignified existence. This can lead to major problems with their emotional, physical, and social well-being. 

Health and Safety Concerns

Sandia Ridge Center failed to provide appropriate medication management and pain treatment for residents, including those with significant conditions like pneumonia. 

Additionally, the nursing home failed to inform doctors about changes in residents’ conditions, meaning that they failed to receive the treatment they needed. At least one patient died without receiving any medical interventions that could have extended her life. 

Emotional and Psychological Impact

This nursing home has a much higher turnover rate than both the national average and state average. When staff members leave, they take information about patient needs with them, meaning that new nurses at nursing homes may not know about a particular resident’s history or preferences. 

This can significantly reduce the quality of care at a nursing home, especially for residents who are unable to voice their own needs. It can also lead to confusion for patients with dementia or cognitive issues, as they must repeatedly meet staff members for the first time. A higher turnover rate than the national average often impacts the level of care.

Every Albuquerque resident should be able to expect that they are kept safe from abuse while in a nursing home. The severe sexual abuse of one resident put others at risk while also traumatizing the victim. Feeling unsafe can lead to depression, fear, and worsening of one’s overall well-being, including any physical conditions. 

Case Examples

In April 2023, a female resident at the nursing home was assaulted by a male resident. The administration claimed that the two patients had consent to be in a sexual relationship, but the female resident’s power of attorney claimed this was not true. This resulted in the male resident being removed from the facility after a restraining order was put in place. There was also a previous complaint about this resident from the same victim. 

In January 2023, a resident died while unobserved. Multiple nurses and other facility staff had noted that the patient was difficult to rouse and seemed to be having trouble breathing, but no one informed her doctor. 

At the same time in January 2023, one resident failed to receive the pain management they required for a lung abscess, causing unnecessary suffering. 

A report from April 2024 found that several residents were not allowed to participate in a meeting about their care plans, which meant that the facility was making decisions for their care without their express input or consent.

This same report found that the nursing home had expired medical supplies that were not properly disposed of, and the staff kept unlabeled pills in medication cups on top of an unguarded cart. 

Legal Rights and Actions

Nursing home abuse in Albuquerque should be immediately reported to the New Mexico Department of Health as well as to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

In addition to filing complaints, families can pursue a lawsuit against facilities that fail to provide adequate support or services or respect resident rights. The Nursing Home Law Center comprises nursing home abuse lawyers with years of experience in civil litigation. 

We will inform you of your rights, investigate your concerns, and negotiate with the nursing home to receive financial compensation that will cover your needs. Contact us today for a free consultation about your legal rights. 

[1] Medicare