Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence

Name: Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence
Address: 1600 S POTOMAC ST, Aurora, CO, 80012, US
Telephone: 3037508418

1600 S Potomac St, Aurora, CO 80012 · Arapahoe County · 120 certified beds · avg 97 residents/day · certified since Oct 12, 1989

Part of chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA (194 facilities, chain avg rating 3.4★)

4/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

4.14

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

Health inspection rating: ★★★★☆4/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5

The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.

All citations in the current public record (12)

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.

Date	Severity	What the facility was cited for
Mar 4, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint
Dec 9, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide the right treatment and services for residents with dementia or signs of dementia. Dementia care requires specific approaches, training, and patience. · from a complaint
May 1, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility gave residents unnecessary mind-altering (psychotropic) medications, or used drugs in a way that restrained residents by dulling their ability to think, move, or function.
May 1, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not label drugs according to professional standards or did not store them in locked compartments, with controlled drugs (medications with a high risk of misuse) kept under a separate lock.
May 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint
May 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not protect residents from being involuntarily separated — kept apart from other residents, kept out of their own room, or confined to their room. Isolating a resident this way is a form of mistreatment.
May 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
May 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility's medication error rate was 5 percent or higher — meaning too many doses were given incorrectly, such as the wrong drug, dose, or time.
May 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not educate residents and staff about COVID-19 vaccination, offer the vaccine to those eligible after that education, or properly document everyone's vaccination status.
Sep 14, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide.
Jun 30, 2022	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide.
Jun 30, 2022	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (1 → 7).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2022	2	E
2023	1	E
2025	8	E
2026	1	D

Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.

Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)

No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

Measure	This facility	Colorado avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	4.14	3.89	3.95	top 31% in Colorado; top 34% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.75	0.86	0.69	bottom 44% in Colorado; top 32% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.71	3.44	3.50	top 29% in Colorado; top 33% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.34	0.61	0.48	bottom 13% in Colorado; bottom 40% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	31.6	47.1	45.8	top 15% in Colorado; top 17% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	7.7	44.6	42.9	top 3% in Colorado; top 3% in the U.S.

Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.92, RN 0.71, weekend 3.52. Staffing rating: 4/5.

Self-reported quality measures

Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.

Quality measures rating: 3/5 · long-stay residents: 4/5 · short-stay residents: 2/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Developers Investment Company INC	Organization	Direct Ownership Interest	NOT APPLICABLE	10/13/1988
Preston, Forrest	Individual	Indirect Ownership Interest	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2005
Cross, Cindy	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	04/21/1994
Denver Healthcare Operations, LLC	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	09/17/1989
Denver Healthcare Operations, LLC	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	08/31/2000
Developers Investment Company INC	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	03/02/2026
Esfahani, Reza	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	10/22/2024
Esfahani, Reza	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	03/07/2025
Fletcher, Todd	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	03/02/2026
Franco, Mark	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	09/12/2025
Henry, Terry	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	08/16/1999
Kadima, Lilly	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	07/12/2020
Kadima, Lilly	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/12/2020
Lay, Lisa	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	02/09/2018
Life Care Centers of America, INC.	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	09/17/1989
Life Care Centers of America, INC.	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	02/21/2025
Mauldin, Monica	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	07/10/2023
Mauldin, Monica	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/10/2023
Mauldin, Monica	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	02/21/2025
Preston, Aubrey	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	03/02/2026

Questions to ask on your visit

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
"What specific dementia training do your staff receive, and how do you handle difficult moments without medication?"
"What percentage of your residents are on antipsychotic or sedating medications, and how do you work to reduce that?"
"Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
"Under what circumstances, if any, would a resident ever be kept in their room or separated from others?"
"How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
"What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
"How do you handle COVID-19 vaccination for residents and staff, and what happens during an outbreak?"
"What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
"Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

Facility	Distance	City	Overall	Inspection	Flags
Advanced Health Care of Aurora	0.3 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★★★	4/5
Life Care Center of Aurora	0.9 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★★★	4/5
The Springs at St. Andrews Village	1.4 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★☆☆	3/5
Hampden Hills Post Acute	2.5 mi	Aurora, CO	★★☆☆☆	2/5
University Heights Care Center	2.7 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★☆☆	2/5	abuse
Lowry Hills Care and Rehabilitation	3.1 mi	Aurora, CO	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Highland Park Rehabilitation & Care Center	3.2 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★★★	4/5
Center at Lowry, LLC	3.9 mi	Denver, CO	★★★☆☆	2/5
Veterans Community Living Center at Fitzsimons	4.0 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★☆☆	3/5
Aviva at Fitzsimons	4.2 mi	Aurora, CO	★★★★☆	3/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Aurora →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 065266.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence

1600 S Potomac St, Aurora, CO 80012 · 3037508418

Health inspection rating 4/5 · CMS overall 4/5· Fines (3y): $0

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
☐ "What specific dementia training do your staff receive, and how do you handle difficult moments without medication?"
☐ "What percentage of your residents are on antipsychotic or sedating medications, and how do you work to reduce that?"
☐ "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
☐ "Under what circumstances, if any, would a resident ever be kept in their room or separated from others?"
☐ "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
☐ "What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
☐ "How do you handle COVID-19 vaccination for residents and staff, and what happens during an outbreak?"
☐ "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
☐ "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 065266 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)