FloridaLake Wales

Groves Center

512 S 11th St, Lake Wales, FL 33853 · Polk County · 120 certified beds · avg 109 residents/day · certified since Sep 11, 1973

Abuse citation flag (CMS)SFF

Part of chain: HEARTHSTONE SENIOR COMMUNITIES (8 facilities, chain avg rating 1.9★)

The abuse flag means inspectors cited this facility for abuse that caused harm to a resident within the past year, or potential for harm in each of the last two years. Source: CMS.

/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
8
Serious findings on record
$291,478
Fines, last 3 years
3.90
Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

Health inspection rating: —/5 · CMS overall rating: —/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.

Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide · Jan 12, 2024 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint

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.

Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.

Severity (L): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation existed throughout the facility. The single most serious citation CMS can issue.

Corrected: Feb 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide · Jan 12, 2024 · F-0610 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do.

Why it matters: When allegations aren't investigated, harm to residents can continue unchecked.

Severity (L): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation existed throughout the facility. The single most serious citation CMS can issue.

Corrected: Feb 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide · Jan 12, 2024 · F-0726 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not make sure its nurses and nurse aides had the skills and training needed to properly care for every resident.

Why it matters: Undertrained caregivers are more likely to miss warning signs and make care mistakes.

Severity (L): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation existed throughout the facility. The single most serious citation CMS can issue.

Corrected: Feb 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide · Jan 12, 2024 · F-0835 · triggered by a complaint

The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents.

Why it matters: Poor administration often shows up as understaffing, supply shortages, and care problems across the whole facility.

Severity (L): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation existed throughout the facility. The single most serious citation CMS can issue.

Corrected: Feb 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, facility-wide · Jan 12, 2024 · F-0867 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them.

Why it matters: Without a working quality program, the same care problems tend to repeat instead of getting fixed.

Severity (L): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation existed throughout the facility. The single most serious citation CMS can issue.

Corrected: Feb 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Actual harm, one-off · Oct 29, 2025 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint

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.

Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.

Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.

Corrected: Dec 11, 2025 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Actual harm, one-off · Oct 29, 2025 · F-0684 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.

Why it matters: Care that strays from doctor's orders or ignores the resident's wishes can lead to declining health and avoidable harm.

Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.

Corrected: Dec 11, 2025 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Actual harm, one-off · Jan 12, 2024 · F-0686 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving.

Why it matters: Bedsores are painful, can become deeply infected, and in serious cases can be life-threatening.

Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.

Corrected: Feb 12, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

All citations in the current public record (49)

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

DateSeverityWhat the facility was cited for
Feb 4, 2026F · Potential for harm, facility-wideThe 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.
Feb 4, 2026F · Potential for harm, facility-wideThe facility did not have a working program to monitor how antibiotics are used. Tracking antibiotic use helps make sure these drugs are given only when needed and remain effective.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not coordinate resident assessments with the state's pre-admission screening program for mental illness and intellectual disabilities, or failed to refer residents for the special services they need.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not properly complete the required screening (called PASARR) that identifies whether a person entering a nursing home has a mental illness or intellectual disability and needs specialized services.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not have a licensed pharmacist review each resident's complete medication regimen and medical chart every month, or did not follow its own rules for reporting medication problems.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Feb 4, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not keep residents free from significant medication errors — such as giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or missing a critical medication.
Oct 29, 2025▲ G · Actual harm, one-offThe 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
Oct 29, 2025▲ G · Actual harm, one-offThe facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · from a complaint
Oct 29, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not honor residents' right to voice complaints without discrimination or retaliation, or did not have a working complaint process that resolves issues promptly. · from a complaint
Oct 29, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint
Oct 29, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. · from a complaint
Oct 29, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. · from a complaint
Oct 29, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide safe and appropriate pain management for a resident who needed it. · from a complaint
Oct 29, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide or obtain x-rays and other imaging tests when ordered, or did not promptly tell the ordering doctor the results. · from a complaint
May 28, 2025E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe 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. · from a complaint
May 28, 2025E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not maintain an effective pest control program to prevent or deal with mice, insects, or other pests. · from a complaint
May 28, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not honor residents' right to voice complaints without discrimination or retaliation, or did not have a working complaint process that resolves issues promptly. · from a complaint
May 28, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · from a complaint
May 28, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections. · from a complaint
Oct 1, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not keep residents' personal and medical information private and confidential. · from a complaint
Oct 1, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. · from a complaint
Oct 1, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide safe and appropriate respiratory care — such as oxygen, breathing treatments, or care for residents on breathing equipment — for residents who needed it. · from a complaint
Oct 1, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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. · from a complaint
Jan 12, 2024▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, facility-wideThe 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
Jan 12, 2024▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, facility-wideThe facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. · from a complaint
Jan 12, 2024▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, facility-wideThe facility did not make sure its nurses and nurse aides had the skills and training needed to properly care for every resident. · from a complaint
Jan 12, 2024▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, facility-wideThe facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents. · from a complaint
Jan 12, 2024▲ L · Immediate jeopardy, facility-wideThe facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them. · from a complaint
Jan 12, 2024▲ G · Actual harm, one-offThe facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving. · from a complaint
Jan 12, 2024E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including safe support for residents' daily living needs.
Jan 12, 2024E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline.
Jan 12, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
Jan 12, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide safe, appropriate care for residents who need dialysis — the treatment that filters the blood when kidneys fail.
Jan 27, 2022E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not provide safe, appropriate care for residents who need dialysis — the treatment that filters the blood when kidneys fail.
Jan 27, 2022E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe 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.
Jan 27, 2022E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not perform required COVID-19 testing on residents and staff.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility used physical restraints — devices that limit a resident's movement — when they weren't needed for medical treatment.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not give residents (and their representatives and the ombudsman, a state advocate for residents) proper advance notice before a transfer or discharge, including information about their right to appeal.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not give the resident or their representative written notice of how long it would hold the resident's bed during a hospital stay or approved leave.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide safe and appropriate respiratory care — such as oxygen, breathing treatments, or care for residents on breathing equipment — for residents who needed it.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not have a licensed pharmacist review each resident's complete medication regimen and medical chart every month, or did not follow its own rules for reporting medication problems.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not try to gradually reduce doses of mood- and mind-altering medications or use non-drug approaches first, as required, or used 'as needed' psychiatric drugs without proper limits.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Jan 27, 2022D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not have a working call system — the button or cord residents use to summon help — in each resident's bathroom and bathing area.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (10 → 11).

YearCitationsSerious (G–L)Worst severity that year
2022110E
2024146L ▲
2025132G ▲
2026110F

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)

2 fines totaling $291,478.

DateTypeAmount / length
Oct 29, 2025Fine$128,925
Jan 12, 2024Fine$162,553

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

MeasureThis facilityFlorida avgU.S. avgWhere it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)3.904.033.95top 48% in Florida; top 44% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours0.590.760.69bottom 39% in Florida; top 49% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing3.543.683.50top 50% in Florida; top 40% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)0.310.530.48bottom 23% in Florida; bottom 34% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)58.241.445.8bottom 11% in Florida; bottom 19% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)88.946.042.9bottom 1% in Florida; bottom 2% 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 3.52, RN 0.54, weekend 3.19. Staffing rating: —/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: —/5 · long-stay residents: —/5 · short-stay residents: —/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Corporation

Owner / managerTypeRoleStakeSince
Hearthstone Senior Communities, INC.Organization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest100%04/01/2009
Consulting Support Services, LLCOrganizationOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE06/28/2011
Consulting Support Services, LLCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE03/24/2025
Facility Support Company, LLCOrganizationOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE12/13/2010
Facility Support Company, LLCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE03/24/2025
Garner, AlvinIndividualCorporate OfficerNOT APPLICABLE04/01/2009
Jaffe, HowardIndividualCorporate OfficerNOT APPLICABLE04/01/2009
Kane Financial Services, LLCOrganizationOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE06/06/2012
Kane Financial Services, LLCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE03/24/2025
Lebron, ArleenIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE11/16/2021
Lebron, ArleenIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE11/16/2021
Rombold, LoriIndividualCorporate OfficerNOT APPLICABLE04/01/2009
Select Rehabilitation, LLCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE08/19/2016
Spadola, CaraIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE06/01/2021
Spadola, CaraIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE06/01/2021
Themis Health Management, LLCOrganizationOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE09/01/2009
Themis Health Management, LLCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE03/24/2025
Wyatt, BrianIndividualCorporate OfficerNOT APPLICABLE04/01/2009

Questions to ask on your visit

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

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

FacilityDistanceCityOverallInspectionFlags
Lake Wales Health and Rehabilitation Center1.9 miLake Wales, FL★☆☆☆☆1/5
Astoria Health and Rehabilitation Center10.7 miWinter Haven, FL★★★☆☆2/5
Palm Garden of Winter Haven11.4 miWinter Haven, FL★★★★☆3/5
Lake Mariam Health and Rehabilitation Center11.4 miWinter Haven, FL★★☆☆☆1/5SFF
Life Care Center of Winter Haven11.6 miWinter Haven, FL★★★★☆3/5
Winter Haven Health and Rehabilitation Center12.6 miWinter Haven, FL★★☆☆☆2/5
Spring Lake Rehabilitation Center14.3 miWinter Haven, FL★★★★★3/5
Haines City Rehabilitation and Nursing Center14.7 miHaines City, FL★★☆☆☆2/5
Vivo Healthcare Winter Haven15.0 miWinter Haven, FL★☆☆☆☆1/5
Bartow Center15.8 miBartow, FL★★☆☆☆2/5
Oak Haven Rehab and Nursing Center17.0 miAuburndale, FL★☆☆☆☆1/5
Royal Care of Avon Park18.6 miAvon Park, FL★★☆☆☆1/5

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Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 105269.