SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER
Within standard 12-15 month inspection cycle. Federal law requires annual inspections.
Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has a Trust Grade of C, which means it is average compared to other facilities, sitting in the middle of the pack. In Florida, it ranks #561 out of 690 facilities, placing it in the bottom half, and at #46 out of 54 in Miami-Dade County, indicating that only a handful of local options are better. The facility is improving, with issues decreasing from 12 in 2023 to 7 in 2024. Staffing is a strength here, rated 4 out of 5 stars with a low turnover rate of 20%, indicating that staff are likely to stay long-term and know the residents well. However, there are concerns, including an ineffective pest control program that allowed flies in various areas and sanitation issues in the kitchen that could compromise food safety. Additionally, the overall environment has been noted as unkempt, with concerns about cleanliness and maintenance hazards throughout the facility.
- Trust Score
- C
- In Florida
- #561/690
- Safety Record
- Low Risk
- Inspections
- Getting Better
- Staff Stability ✓ Good
- 20% annual turnover. Excellent stability, 28 points below Florida's 48% average. Staff who stay learn residents' needs.
- Penalties ✓ Good
- No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most Florida facilities.
- Skilled Nurses ✓ Good
- Each resident gets 45 minutes of Registered Nurse (RN) attention daily — more than average for Florida. RNs are trained to catch health problems early.
- Violations ⚠ Watch
- 24 deficiencies on record. Higher than average. Multiple issues found across inspections.
The Good
-
4-Star Staffing Rating · Above-average nurse staffing levels
-
Low Staff Turnover (20%) · Staff stability means consistent care
-
Full Sprinkler Coverage · Fire safety systems throughout facility
-
No fines on record
-
Staff turnover is low (20%)
28 points below Florida average of 48%
Facility shows strength in staffing levels, staff retention, fire safety.
The Bad
Below Florida average (3.2)
Below average - review inspection findings carefully
Part of a multi-facility chain
Ask about local staffing decisions and management
The Ugly 24 deficiencies on record
Jul 2024
7 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0583
(Tag F0583)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview, the facility failed to protect residents' healthcare information on 3 out of 7 medication carts reviewed as evidenced by electronic health record scr...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
PASARR Coordination
(Tag F0644)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record review and interview facility failed to coordinate with the appropriate State authority to ensure an accurate Le...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Pharmacy Services
(Tag F0755)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observations and interviews, the facility failed to accurately reconcile two controlled medications on one medication cart out of seven medications carts reviewed. There were 172 residents re...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0761
(Tag F0761)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observations and interview the facility failed to properly store and label medications in one medication room and one medication cart out of three medication rooms and seven medication carts ...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Infection Control
(Tag F0880)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, record review and Interview the facility failed to follow infection prevention protocol for one resident (...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Safe Environment
(Tag F0921)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to ensure lint screens were cleaned for two out of three dryers as evidenced by two out of three dryers lint screens observed full...
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CONCERN
(F)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0925
(Tag F0925)
Could have caused harm · This affected most or all residents
Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to maintain an effective pest control program so that the environment is free of flies. This was evident throughout the facility i...
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Oct 2023
2 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Abuse Prevention Policies
(Tag F0607)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record reviews and interviews, the facility failed to implement their abuse and neglect policy as evidenced by staff fa...
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CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Report Alleged Abuse
(Tag F0609)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record review and interviews, the facility failed to report an alleged abuse incident to the abuse registry for allegat...
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Feb 2023
10 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0697
(Tag F0697)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interviews, record review and policy review, the facility failed to provide adequate pain control manageme...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0810
(Tag F0810)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations, interviews and record review, the facility failed to provide physician ordered adaptive equipment for 1 o...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
QAPI Program
(Tag F0867)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
During the QAPI review and interview on 02/23/23 at 10:11 AM it was revealed that the QAPI meeting is conducted on the third Friday of the month. The risk manager is the Administrator. The QAPI member...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Safe Environment
(Tag F0584)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observations and interviews conducted the facility failed to provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environme...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Menu Adequacy
(Tag F0803)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observation, interview, and record review, it was determined that the facility failed to follow the approved menu for Regular Diets (94 residents), Mechanical Soft Diet (47 residents), No Add...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0804
(Tag F0804)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on record review, observation, and interview it was determined that food was not prepared by following standardized recipes to ensure nutritive value, flavor, and appearance for Regular Diet, Me...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0806
(Tag F0806)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record review, observations and interviews, the facility failed to follow food preferences for 4 (Resident #12, Residen...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0808
(Tag F0808)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observation, interview, and record review, it was determined that the facility failed to follow physician ordered Double Portion Diet that were a nutrition intervention for weight loss for 17...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Room Equipment
(Tag F0908)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
.
Based on observations and interviews the facility failed to maintain refrigeration/freezer units in proper working order
The findings include:
During the initial kitchen/food service observation tou...
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CONCERN
(F)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected most or all residents
Based on observation and interview, it was determined that the facility failed to store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety as eviden...
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Oct 2021
5 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Comprehensive Care Plan
(Tag F0656)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to implement comprehensive care plans related to falls f...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Garbage Disposal
(Tag F0814)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observations, interviews and policy review the facility failed to assure the garbage and refuse area was clean and expired water jugs were properly disposed and contained on the facility grou...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observations, interviews and record review the facility failed to ensure the proper washing of the dishes and utensils by not having an operable wash tank temperature gauge on the high temper...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Medical Records
(Tag F0842)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure complete and accurate medical records for one (Resident #17)...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Room Equipment
(Tag F0908)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observations, interviews and record review the facility failed to ensure the high temperature dish machine wash cycle was working properly. This has the potential to affect 141 out of 169 res...
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Understanding Severity Codes (click to expand)
Questions to Ask on Your Visit
- "Can I speak with families of current residents?"
- "What's your RN coverage like on weekends and overnight?"
Our Honest Assessment
- • No major safety red flags. No abuse findings, life-threatening violations, or SFF status.
- • No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most Florida facilities.
- • 20% annual turnover. Excellent stability, 28 points below Florida's 48% average. Staff who stay learn residents' needs.
- • 24 deficiencies on record. Higher than average. Multiple issues found across inspections.
- • Grade C (55/100). Below average facility with significant concerns.
About This Facility
What is Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center's CMS Rating?
CMS assigns SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, which is considered below average nationally. Within Florida, this rating places the facility higher than 0% of the state's 100 nursing homes. A rating at this level reflects concerns identified through health inspections, staffing assessments, or quality measures that families should carefully consider.
How is Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Staffed?
CMS rates SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER's staffing level at 4 out of 5 stars, which is above average compared to other nursing homes. Staff turnover is 20%, compared to the Florida average of 46%. This relatively stable workforce can support continuity of care.
What Have Inspectors Found at Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center?
State health inspectors documented 24 deficiencies at SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER during 2021 to 2024. These included: 24 with potential for harm.
Who Owns and Operates Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center?
SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER is owned by a for-profit company. For-profit facilities operate as businesses with obligations to shareholders or private owners. The facility is operated by VENTURA SERVICES FLORIDA, a chain that manages multiple nursing homes. With 180 certified beds and approximately 170 residents (about 94% occupancy), it is a mid-sized facility located in MIAMI, Florida.
How Does Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Compare to Other Florida Nursing Homes?
Compared to the 100 nursing homes in Florida, SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER's overall rating (2 stars) is below the state average of 3.2, staff turnover (20%) is significantly lower than the state average of 46%, and health inspection rating (2 stars) is below the national benchmark.
What Should Families Ask When Visiting Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center?
Based on this facility's data, families visiting should ask: "Can I visit during a mealtime to observe dining assistance and food quality?" "How do you handle medical emergencies, and what is your hospital transfer rate?" "Can I speak with family members of current residents about their experience?"
Is Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Safe?
Based on CMS inspection data, SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER has a clean safety record: no substantiated abuse findings (meaning no confirmed cases of resident harm), no Immediate Jeopardy citations (the most serious violation level indicating risk of serious injury or death), and is not on the Special Focus Facility watch list (a federal program monitoring the lowest-performing 1% of nursing homes). The facility has a 2-star overall rating and ranks #100 of 100 nursing homes in Florida. While no facility is perfect, families should still ask about staff-to-resident ratios and recent inspection results during their visit.
Do Nurses at Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Stick Around?
Staff at SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER tend to stick around. With a turnover rate of 20%, the facility is 26 percentage points below the Florida average of 46%. Low turnover is a positive sign. It means caregivers have time to learn each resident's needs, medications, and personal preferences. Consistent staff also notice subtle changes in a resident's condition more quickly.
Was Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Ever Fined?
SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER has no federal fines on record. CMS issues fines when nursing homes fail to meet care standards or don't correct problems found during inspections. The absence of fines suggests the facility has either maintained compliance or corrected any issues before penalties were assessed. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review recent inspection reports for the full picture.
Is Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Any Federal Watch List?
SIERRA LAKES NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER is not on any federal watch list. The most significant is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program, which identifies the bottom 1% of nursing homes nationally based on persistent, serious quality problems. Not being on this list means the facility has avoided the pattern of deficiencies that triggers enhanced federal oversight. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review the facility's inspection history directly.