Buena Vida Nursing & Rehab San Antonio
On Medicare Special Focus status, a serious quality warning. Visit in person and ask tough questions before deciding.
based on 101 Google reviews
Watch Buena Vida Nursing & Rehab San Antonio
Get an email when new inspections, ratings, or penalties are published for this facility.
We’ll only email you about this — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Quality Concerns Identified
Medicare inspection and quality data reveal areas that families should carefully evaluate before choosing this facility.
- Special Focus Facility (under heightened CMS scrutiny)
- Abuse citation on record
- Low overall rating (1/5 stars)
- Low staffing rating (1/5 stars)
- Above-median deficiencies (22 vs median 8.0)
- High staff turnover (67%)
- High RN turnover (75%)
Bottom 25% in Texas · Critically understaffed (RN) · Worst in CREATIVE SOLUTIONS IN HEALTHCARE chain · $241,940 in fines · Special Focus Facility (CMS) · Abuse citation
What this means for your family
This facility appears to be in a period of transition, with recent leadership changes bringing much-needed optimism to the nursing and administrative teams. However, because several recent reviews still mention significant issues with odors and theft, you should specifically ask management about their current protocols for securing resident belongings and their weekend housekeeping schedules.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews
101 reviews on Google“Families should note that this facility has undergone significant leadership changes, with many recent reviews praising a new administration and improved care. However, serious recurring concerns regarding cleanliness, unpleasant odors, and instances of theft or missing belongings must be addressed during your visit.”
Quality Themes
Tap a score for detailsStrengths
- Compassionate nursing and rehab staff
- New, proactive administration and leadership
- Engaging resident activities and events
- Professional business office and admissions process
Concerns
- Unpleasant odors (urine/feces) in hallways and rooms (mentioned by 4 reviewers)
- Staffing shortages and slow response times (mentioned by 4 reviewers)
- Theft or loss of personal belongings (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
- Issues with facility cleanliness and hygiene (mentioned by 4 reviewers)
Rating Trends
Tap a year to see what changed
Distribution · 106 analyzed
How They Respond to Reviews
The owner uses highly repetitive, templated responses that follow a nearly identical structure for every review. While they acknowledge the reviewer by name, they fail to address any of the specific allegations, such as theft, staffing, or odors.
Questions for Your Tour
- 1It is wonderful to see the new leadership team in place; how has the recent change in administration impacted the daily care and culture of the facility?
- 2What specific steps is the housekeeping and maintenance team taking to ensure the hallways and resident rooms stay fresh and clean?
- 3With the focus on proactive leadership, what new protocols have been implemented to ensure staff are able to respond quickly to call lights and resident needs?
- 4How does the facility manage the security of residents' personal belongings to prevent any loss or misplaced items?
- 5Could you tell us more about the dining experience, specifically how the menu is planned to ensure high-quality, nutritious meals?
- 6What kind of engaging activities or special events are currently being offered to keep the residents socially active?
Personalized based on this facility's data
Key Review Excerpts
“Wow! What a turn around! Current renovations, new administrator, new director of nursing with an in - house, full time, social worker. Residents had such a great time for the Christmas celebrations.”
“The new DON is amazing, if there is ever a concern, she will address it immediately and make sure everyone is safe and happy.”
“I went to the floor where she stays, i found her in the far corner of the lounge, with no pants or socks on, with soaking wet shirt and diaper on. Nobody paid attention to her.”
Staffing
Staffing Hours
per resident/day · Medicare 2026Both RN and total nursing hours are below national benchmarks. This can mean less clinical attention per resident, so ask about their staffing plan.
Quality Measures
Quality Measures
Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 17 measures
10
measures
6
measures
1
measures
Residents whose walking got worse
Residents needing more daily help over time
Residents with depression symptoms
Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.
Residents on antipsychotic medication
Residents whose bladder or bowel control got worse
Residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu
Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics
US average from Medicare published data
Inspection History
Medicare Inspection History
3-year lookback · Medicare 2026
This facility has concerning patterns, with families filing complaints that triggered nearly half of the 54 deficiencies found. Recurring issues span medication management, care planning, infection control, and resident rights violations, including serious concerns about abuse protection and maintaining confidential records. While the facility has provided correction dates for all deficiencies, the persistent complaint-driven citations across multiple areas suggest ongoing care quality challenges that warrant careful consideration.
Mar 5, 2026Complaint1
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
Feb 13, 2026Complaint1
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Jan 16, 2026Complaint2
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Oct 6, 2025Complaint6
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Post nurse staffing information every day.
Aug 29, 2025Routine14
Egress Deficiencies
Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Environmental Deficiencies
Make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments.
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Jul 11, 2025Complaint1
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Federal Penalties
Fine
Feb 13, 2026
$22,320
Fine
Jan 16, 2026
$14,020
Fine
Aug 29, 2025
$232,720
Ownership & Operations
Who Operates This Facility
West Wharton County Hospital District
for profit
SAN ANTONIO IV ENTERPRISES, LLC
MARY SANTANA
Chain Affiliation
Creative Solutions in Healthcare
149 facilities nationwide
Chain avg rating: 2.7/5 · Rank 137 of 148 (Worst)
Ownership & Management
Owners
West Wharton County Hospital District
Owner · Organization
Key personnel
Contact
Get in Touch
Contact this facility directly and verify the details that matter most to your family.
References & Resources
Medicare Care Compare
Official Medicare quality ratings, inspections & staffing data
Google Maps
Photos, directions & neighborhood info
Google Reviews
101 reviews from families & visitors
Official Website
Visit buenavidasanantonio.com
Medicare data downloads
Original nursing home datasets
EveryPlace is a research directory. Facility information is compiled from public sources — Medicare.gov, state licensing portals, Google Places, and publicly available street-level imagery. Listings do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or advertisement, and we do not accept payment for placement. Families should verify all details directly with the facility and the original sources linked above before making any care decisions. See our Research Policy for our editorial standards, correction process, and image-removal policy.
Safer Alternatives Nearby
Based on current clinical data, we identified 6 nearby facilities within 10 miles that may offer a stronger care environment. We encourage families to compare options carefully.
Mission Road Developmental Center
3.7 miAssisted Living · San Antonio, TX
San Jose Nursing Center
5.6 miNursing Home · San Antonio, TX
Parklane West Healthcare Center
6.3 miNursing Home · San Antonio, TX
San Pedro Manor
6.9 miNursing Home · San Antonio, TX
Incarnate Word Retirement Community INC
7.0 miAssisted Living · San Antonio, TX
The Village at Incarnate Word
7.0 miNursing Home · San Antonio, TX