Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation

Name: Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
Address: 615 Avenue C, Brooklyn, NY, 11218, US
Telephone: 7186333300

615 Avenue C, Brooklyn, NY 11218 · Kings County · 240 certified beds · avg 232 residents/day · certified since Jun 1, 1971

Part of chain: SHIMON LEFKOWITZ (5 facilities, chain avg rating 2.8★)

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

2.82

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 2/5

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 (16)

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
Dec 3, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not have enough nursing staff each day to meet every resident's needs, or did not have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. Adequate staffing is one of the strongest predictors of good care.
Dec 3, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Dec 3, 2025	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.
Dec 3, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Dec 3, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Dec 3, 2025	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	The facility did not make its inspection results easy for residents to see, or made it hard for residents to contact advocacy agencies like the ombudsman.
Dec 3, 2025	C · Minimal risk, facility-wide	The facility did not post its nurse staffing information every day. Nursing homes must publicly display how many nurses and aides are on duty each day.
Aug 31, 2023	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not properly protect the personal money residents deposited with it for safekeeping.
Aug 31, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives.
Aug 31, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Aug 31, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist.
Aug 31, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Aug 31, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Aug 30, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The 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
Aug 30, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility was not properly licensed, or did not operate in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and accepted professional standards. · from a complaint
Jun 18, 2021	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (6 → 7).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2021	1	D
2023	8	F
2025	7	E

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	New York avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	2.82	3.58	3.95	bottom 15% in New York; bottom 9% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.52	0.68	0.69	bottom 39% in New York; bottom 40% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	2.61	3.13	3.50	bottom 23% in New York; bottom 13% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.70	0.48	0.48	top 16% in New York; top 16% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	31.5	40.3	45.8	top 32% in New York; top 17% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	38.2	39.8	42.9	bottom 49% in New York; top 44% 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 4.34, RN 0.79, weekend 4.02. Staffing rating: 2/5.

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: 1/5 · long-stay residents: 1/5 · short-stay residents: 1/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Limited Liability company

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Lefkowitz, Shimon	Individual	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	12/06/2007
Lefkowitz, Shimon	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	12/06/2007

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"What is your nurse and aide staffing ratio on each shift, including nights and weekends?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
"How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
"Does a pharmacist review every resident's medications and chart monthly, and how are their concerns acted on?"
"Where do you post your latest state inspection results and the ombudsman's contact information?"
"Where do you post your daily staffing numbers, and can I see today's?"
"How is residents' personal money protected and tracked, and how can families review the account statements?"
"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
Caton Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, LLC	0.7 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★☆	4/5
Ditmas Park Care Center	0.8 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	4/5
The Monarch at Brooklyn Rehabilitation and Nursing	1.3 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	4/5
The Heritage Rehabilitation and Health Care Center	1.3 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	5/5
Boro Park Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare	1.4 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Norwegian Christian Home and Health Center	1.9 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★☆	4/5
Dr Susan Smith McKinney Nursing and Rehabilitation	2.2 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	5/5
Rutland Nursing Home, INC	2.4 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★☆☆	2/5
Downtown Brooklyn Nursing & Rehabilitation Center	2.5 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	4/5
Bensonhurst Center for Rehabilitation & Healthcare	2.7 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	4/5
Crown Heights Center for Nursing and Rehabilitatio	2.9 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★☆☆	2/5
Oxford Nursing Home	3.0 mi	Brooklyn, NY	★★★★★	4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Brooklyn →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 335328.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation

615 Avenue C, Brooklyn, NY 11218 · 7186333300

Health inspection rating 3/5 · CMS overall 2/5· Fines (3y): $0

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "What is your nurse and aide staffing ratio on each shift, including nights and weekends?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
☐ "How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
☐ "Does a pharmacist review every resident's medications and chart monthly, and how are their concerns acted on?"
☐ "Where do you post your latest state inspection results and the ombudsman's contact information?"
☐ "Where do you post your daily staffing numbers, and can I see today's?"
☐ "How is residents' personal money protected and tracked, and how can families review the account statements?"
☐ "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 335328 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)