Preferred Care at Mercer

Name: Preferred Care at Mercer
Address: 1201 PARKWAY AVENUE, Ewing, NJ, 08628, US
Telephone: 6098826900

1201 Parkway Avenue, Ewing, NJ 08628 · Mercer County · 100 certified beds · avg 92 residents/day · certified since Nov 22, 2004

Part of chain: PREFERRED CARE (13 facilities, chain avg rating 3.7★)

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

3.47

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: 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 (19)

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
Jan 15, 2026	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist.
Jan 15, 2026	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	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.
Jan 15, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not give residents proper notice about what Medicare or Medicaid covers, or about charges the resident might owe for services that aren't covered.
Jan 15, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Jan 15, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Jan 15, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility used bed rails without first trying safer alternatives, or without assessing the resident's safety risk, discussing the risks and benefits with the resident or family, getting consent, and installing the rails correctly.
Nov 3, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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. · from a complaint
Aug 1, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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. · from a complaint
Aug 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep residents free from significant medication errors — such as giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or missing a critical medication. · from a complaint
Aug 1, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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. · from a complaint
Aug 6, 2024	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 6, 2024	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.
Nov 17, 2022	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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.
Nov 17, 2022	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.
Nov 17, 2022	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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.
Nov 17, 2022	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow.
Nov 17, 2022	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.
Nov 17, 2022	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
Nov 17, 2022	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep its building and grounds safe, functional, clean, and comfortable for residents, staff, and visitors.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (2 → 6).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2022	7	E
2024	2	D
2025	4	E
2026	6	F

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 Jersey avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	3.47	3.88	3.95	bottom 37% in New Jersey; bottom 35% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.39	0.67	0.69	bottom 19% in New Jersey; bottom 20% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.10	3.53	3.50	bottom 32% in New Jersey; bottom 36% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.36	0.50	0.48	bottom 44% in New Jersey; bottom 45% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	46.4	39.7	45.8	bottom 30% in New Jersey; bottom 46% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	64.7	37.7	42.9	bottom 8% in New Jersey; bottom 16% 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 3.79, RN 0.42, weekend 3.39. 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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Limited Liability company

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Green, Dov	Individual	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	—	09/06/2016
Mermelstein, Boruch	Individual	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	—	09/06/2016
Preferred Care at Mercer LLC	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	—	07/01/2015
Schnell, David	Individual	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	—	09/06/2016
Mermelstein, Boruch	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	09/06/2016
Stern, Samuel	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	12/01/2016

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"How does your pharmacist review residents' medications, and how quickly can you fill new or urgent prescriptions?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"Before any service that isn't covered by Medicare or Medicaid, how will you notify us and get our agreement?"
"Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
"What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
"What alternatives do you try before using bed rails, and how do you involve families in that decision?"
"How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
"What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
"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
Greenwood House Home for the Jewish Aged	0.1 mi	Trenton, NJ	★★☆☆☆	1/5
Belle Care Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	2.6 mi	Trenton, NJ	★☆☆☆☆	1/5	SFF
Avant Rehabilitation and Care Center	3.2 mi	Trenton, NJ	★★★★☆	3/5
Lawrence Rehab & Hcc/The Meadows at Lawrence	3.8 mi	Lawrenceville, NJ	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Lawrence Rehabilitation Hospital	4.0 mi	Lawrenceville, NJ	★★☆☆☆	1/5
Trenton Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center	4.3 mi	Trenton, NJ		—/5	SFF
Clover Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Cente	4.5 mi	Lawrenceville, NJ	★★★★★	4/5
Yardley Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center	4.8 mi	Yardley, PA	★★★★★	4/5
Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC	5.1 mi	Trenton, NJ	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Hamilton Grove Healthcare and Rehabilitation, LLC	5.4 mi	Hamilton, NJ	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Complete Care at Mercerville LLC	6.4 mi	Hamilton Township, NJ	★★★★★	4/5
Pickering Manor Home	7.2 mi	Newtown, PA	★★★☆☆	4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Ewing →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 315487.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Preferred Care at Mercer

1201 Parkway Avenue, Ewing, NJ 08628 · 6098826900

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

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "How does your pharmacist review residents' medications, and how quickly can you fill new or urgent prescriptions?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "Before any service that isn't covered by Medicare or Medicaid, how will you notify us and get our agreement?"
☐ "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
☐ "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
☐ "What alternatives do you try before using bed rails, and how do you involve families in that decision?"
☐ "How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
☐ "What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
☐ "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 315487 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)