Worst Nursing Homes in Florida
Florida has over 690 licensed nursing homes with approximately 84,000 resident beds [1]. While a nursing home or rehabilitation center residency can be an excellent alternative for elderly care, offering around-the-clock supervision, abuse, or neglect is a reality that many of today’s families worry about.
This guide helps Florida families choose the right nursing or rehabilitation center for their loved ones. It reviews how Florida’s rehabilitation centers are rated and what the ratings mean. Florida’s worst nursing homes or rehabilitation centers are listed based on government ratings.
Using this information, you can confidently choose the right rehab center for your family member.
How Nursing Center Homes Are Rated
The federal and Florida governments have regulations in place to promote resident safety. At the federal level, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services monitor nursing homes through inspections and resident surveys. In most cases, nursing and rehab facilities are inspected annually.
However, a facility may be required to undergo more frequent inspections if it has received numerous violations or resident complaints.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) regulates and monitors nursing homes in Florida. The ACHA primarily aims to ensure that Florida nursing homes follow federal government regulations.
Government Inspections
Government inspections are essential in monitoring nursing homes and rehabilitation centers in the United States. Nursing home inspections review staffing standards, resident surveys, food procurement, and COVID-19 policies.
The site inspection report factors into whether or not the nursing home can continue receiving Medicare program funding. Nursing homes that don’t meet specific quality standards may lose out on rebates, bonuses, and new contract eligibility. A site that fails its government or state inspection may also be subject to expensive fines.
Resident Surveys
Resident surveys are also part of the CMS site inspection report. CMS selects particular nursing home residents to learn more about their experiences. The surveys typically only include residents who stayed at least 100 days in a nursing center. Survey questions may vary, but they focus on whether or not a nursing home or rehabilitation center meets program requirements.
Other Factors
Other factors can go into nursing home ratings, including health inspection reports and citations. Health citations are specific criteria that a nursing center fails to meet according to CMS standards. A health inspection citation can lead to fines and a lower score. Nursing homes are also expected to resolve health inspection citations.
List of the Worst Florida Nursing Homes
The CMS uses a five-star rating system for nursing homes, with five stars being the best and one being the worst. A one-star rating indicates that the standard of care is much lower than expected. A low rating may be due to numerous violations or reports of nursing home abuse or neglect.
Government Ratings
Here are some of the worst Florida nursing homes, according to CMS: [2]
- Abbey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Saint Petersburg, FL
- Ascension Living St. Catherine Laboure’ Place, Jacksonville, FL
- Aspire at Arbor Springs, Ocala, FL/
- Aspire at Colonial Lakes, Winter Garden, FL
- Daytona Beach Health and Rehabilitation Center, Daytona Beach, FL
- Peninsula Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Tarpon Springs, FL
- Charming Lakes Rehab, Lakeland, FL
- Tarpon Bayou Center, Tarpon Springs, FL
- Lake Marian Health and Rehabilitation Center, Winter Haven, FL
- Bedrock Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Maitland, FL
Each of these Florida nursing homes has received a one-star rating from CMS. Some of them have also been cited for nursing home abuse.
Health Inspection Citations
Health inspection citations mean a nursing home or rehabilitation center has deficiencies related to resident care. Some of the worst nursing homes based on serious health violations include the following:
- Beach Street Health and Rehabilitation Center, Daytona, FL: Numerous health inspection citations, including failing to meet minimum staff and nursing ratios and high medication error rates.
- Biscayne Health and Rehabilitation Center, North Miami, FL: Various violations, including failing to implement an infection prevention and control program.
- Community Convalescent Center, Plant City, FL: Numerous violations, including ones involving abuse and failing to report the abuse promptly.
- Miami Jewish Health Systems, INC, Miami, FL: Failing to promptly notify authorities of suspected abuse, neglect, or theft.
Florida’s nursing homes, including West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Winter Haven, have received various health inspection citations. Paying attention to nursing homes with more citations than the national average can also be helpful when choosing the right center.
The tool even allows interested parties to search alphabetically for a more comprehensive center comparison.
Nursing homes can receive violations for various reasons, including quality of life and care deficiencies, pharmacy service deficiencies, resident rights deficiencies, and administration violations. Too many unresolved violations can lead to a facility receiving a low rating, and failing to resolve these problems can eventually lead to the nursing home being shut down.
Factors Contributing to Nursing Home Abuse
Abuse or neglect in a nursing home or rehabilitation center is never acceptable, and yet, it is a real problem. Some of the most common reasons it does occur include the following.
Understaffing
Some of the worst nursing homes fail to meet minimum safety and care regulations due to understaffing. Nursing homes that don’t hire or schedule enough employees based on the number of residents are more likely to report resident injury.
Understaffing typically means a lack of care, supervision, and specialized care. A lack of staffing puts a facility’s residents at risk of slips and falls, serious hip injuries, pressure ulcers, and medication errors.
Florida’s nursing homes are at an average of 85% occupancy [1], which makes hiring and training essential factors. Failing to have the required staff-to-resident ratios could lead to expensive fines.
Inadequate Training
Nursing homes are also responsible for providing employees with sufficient training to care for residents properly. Staff member training should be based on the facility’s type and level of care. For example, a rehabilitation center may require specialized care involving rehab services. Specialized training may include memory care, mobility assistance, and emergency response.
Financial Pressures
Financial pressures to increase profits or decrease costs can also lead to nursing home abuse or neglect. Nursing home administration may fail to repair equipment to reduce operating costs. Facilities aiming to reduce costs may also sacrifice food options, putting residents at risk of deficiencies.
Failure to maintain a safe, risk-free environment may lead to fines, resident injuries, or a loss of funding.
Corporate Ownership
Corporate ownership of a nursing home also has its risks. The Center for Medicare Advocacy claims that not-for-profit nursing homes report less resident injury [3]. Larger corporations may cut costs to maximize profits. Maintaining specific standards across multiple facilities can be more difficult for a corporate-owned rehabilitation center.
Protecting Nursing Home Residents
The Nursing Home Law Center is committed to helping Florida residents choose the best and safest nursing home or rehabilitation center. Our team is also here to help those impacted by the worst rehabilitation homes in Florida, assisting them in seeking justice and recovering compensation for damages.
Our team has compiled the following tips to help you and your family locate the best Florida nursing homes for your loved one.
Research and Inspection
Choosing a nursing home or rehabilitation center is a big decision, so ample research and a thorough evaluation should be a part of your process. Using the CMS compare tool, you can find ratings and reviews on Florida nursing homes. Read each rehabilitation center report. Pay close attention to reports or fines related to abuse or neglect.
After narrowing down your list to a few nursing homes or rehabilitation centers, schedule in-person inspections. Visiting the rehabilitation center allows you to learn more about the environment, including the number of workers, the layout and safety of the rehab center or facility, and the general morale of the residents.
Visit on different days of the week and hours of the day to get a complete picture of the rehabilitation center. Do a walk-through of the room where your loved one will reside, paying close attention to the layout and any safety risks that may be present.
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You will entrust the nursing or rehabilitation center to care for your loved one and ensure their safety. Here are a few essential questions to consider asking the potential facility:
- Are you accredited, and if so, by who?
- What is your current CMS rating?
- Has your facility had any violations? If so, have they been resolved?
- What are your hiring requirements?
- How many staff do you schedule per resident?
- What special care or training do your facility staff have?
- How does your facility ensure the safety of your residents?
- Has your facility paid any fines recently related to violations?
- How do you keep residents safe? Do you have non-slip floor options or grab bars in bathrooms? How are staff transported between facility rooms?
Trust Your Instincts
Finally, trust your instincts. Families know their loved one’s care and rehab needs better than anyone. Continue to review ratings and fines and stay in contact with your family member’s care team to ensure proper care.
Contact a Florida Nursing Home Lawyer
A Florida lawyer can give families unique insight into the state’s nursing homes. Additionally, lawyers who specialize in nursing home abuse can offer you and your family more information regarding violations or lawsuits involving abuse or neglect.
We hope to help Florida families learn more about the state’s nursing homes and rehab centers and choose the one that will offer the best care. Whether you’re considering rehabilitation facilities in Winter Haven, Orlando, West Palm Beach, or Tampa, the Nursing Home Law Center is here to help guide your decision.
Call a Florida Nursing Home Attorney Now!
Thousands of nursing home and rehabilitation center residents are injured each year, either through intentional abuse or unintentional neglect. If your loved one suffered a life-changing injury due to abuse or neglect in a nursing home, it may be worth reaching out to a lawyer.
The Nursing Home Law Center holds Florida rehabilitation facilities accountable for their negligent actions.
Contact the Nursing Home Law Center today at (800) 926-7565. You can also use our online form to contact our team.
Resources: [1] Florida Health Care Association, [2] Medicare, [3] Center for Medicare Advocacy