Waters of Fort Wayne Skilled Nursing Facility, the

Name: Waters of Fort Wayne Skilled Nursing Facility, the
Address: 5544 E STATE BLVD, Fort Wayne, IN, 46815, US
Telephone: 2607499506

5544 E State Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46815 · Allen County · 77 certified beds · avg 49 residents/day · certified since Jul 18, 1988

Part of chain: INFINITY HEALTHCARE CONSULTING (69 facilities, chain avg rating 2.0★)

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

3.35

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: 3/5

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 (18)

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
Feb 10, 2026	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. · from a complaint
Feb 10, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide required paperwork or notices about a resident's needs, their right to appeal a transfer or discharge, or the facility's bed-hold policy (how long a bed is saved during a hospital stay). · from a complaint
Nov 12, 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. · from a complaint
Nov 12, 2025	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. · from a complaint
Nov 12, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards. · from a complaint
Jul 2, 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.
Jul 2, 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.
Jul 2, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own.
Jul 2, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Sep 4, 2024	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.
Sep 4, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep residents' medications free from unnecessary drugs. Residents should only take medicines they truly need, at the right dose, for a clear reason.
Apr 19, 2024	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. · from a complaint
Apr 19, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide care that took into account residents' past trauma or their cultural backgrounds. Care is supposed to be sensitive to what residents have lived through and where they come from. · from a complaint
Feb 6, 2024	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
Sep 27, 2023	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
Aug 16, 2023	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.
Aug 16, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not have a written plan describing how it runs its quality improvement program — the ongoing process of finding problems in care and fixing them.
Aug 16, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not honor residents' rights to request, refuse, or stop treatment, to decline participation in medical research, or to make an advance directive — a written statement of their wishes for future medical care.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (2 → 4).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2023	4	E
2024	5	D
2025	7	E
2026	2	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	Indiana avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	3.35	3.42	3.95	top 45% in Indiana; bottom 29% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.44	0.62	0.69	bottom 26% in Indiana; bottom 28% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.10	3.01	3.50	top 34% in Indiana; bottom 37% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.32	0.47	0.48	bottom 27% in Indiana; bottom 36% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	59.5	45.9	45.8	bottom 14% in Indiana; bottom 17% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	33.3	40.4	42.9	top 35% in Indiana; top 33% 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 3.59, RN 0.47, weekend 3.32. 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: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 2/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Johnson Memorial Hospital	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	03/01/2013
Berkhouse, Steven	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/18/2021
Berkhouse, Steven	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	10/18/2021
Decola, Robert	Individual	W-2 Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	02/16/2019
Duggan, Amanda	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	06/16/2016
Dunkle, David	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	03/01/2019
Dunkle, David	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	06/01/2019
Dunkle, David	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	03/01/2019
The Waters of Fort Wayne Skilled Nursing Facility LLC	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2022

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
"What written notices do we get before any transfer or discharge, and what is your bed-hold policy?"
"How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
"What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
"How do you keep residents' medical records accurate, complete, and secure?"
"Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"How many aides are on each shift, and how do you make sure every resident gets timely help with bathing, dressing, and meals?"
"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
Chateau Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center	0.5 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Celebrate Senior Living of Fort Wayne	1.4 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★☆☆	3/5
Heritage Park	1.5 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★★★	4/5
Byron Health Center	1.8 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★☆☆☆☆	2/5
Golden Years Homestead	1.8 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★☆☆	3/5
Saint Anne Home	2.1 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★★☆	4/5
Canterbury Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	2.8 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★★★	4/5
Bethlehem Woods Nursing and Rehabilitation	2.9 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★★★	4/5
Glenbrook Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center	3.0 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★★★	4/5
Towne House Retirement Community	3.3 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★★★★	5/5
University Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare	3.3 mi	Fort Wayne, IN	★★☆☆☆	1/5
Majestic Care of New Haven	3.3 mi	New Haven, IN	★★★☆☆	3/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Fort Wayne →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 155321.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Waters of Fort Wayne Skilled Nursing Facility, the

5544 E State Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46815 · 2607499506

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

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
☐ "What written notices do we get before any transfer or discharge, and what is your bed-hold policy?"
☐ "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
☐ "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
☐ "How do you keep residents' medical records accurate, complete, and secure?"
☐ "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "How many aides are on each shift, and how do you make sure every resident gets timely help with bathing, dressing, and meals?"
☐ "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 155321 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)