Gardner Heights Health Care Center, INC
Below-average Medicare ratings — review the inspection history and ask the administrator about recent corrections before visiting.
based on 22 Google reviews
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Quality Concerns Identified
Medicare inspection and quality data reveal areas that families should carefully evaluate before choosing this facility.
- Low overall rating (2/5 stars)
- Low staffing rating (2/5 stars)
Below average in CT · Critically understaffed (RN) · $7,446 in fines
What this means for your family
Gardner Heights has a long-standing reputation for compassionate nursing care and a warm environment. However, recent reviews suggest a decline in service quality and communication. When touring, we recommend asking specifically about their current process for handling resident property and how they coordinate therapy schedules to avoid the gaps in care reported by recent families.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews
22 reviews on Google“Gardner Heights Health Care Center generally receives high praise for its compassionate and attentive nursing staff, with many families noting a warm, home-like environment. However, recent reviews indicate a decline in satisfaction, with specific complaints regarding communication, administrative transparency, and the quality of diabetic-friendly meal options.”
Quality Themes
Tap a score for detailsStrengths
- Compassionate and attentive nursing staff
- Warm, home-like atmosphere
- Strong rehabilitation and therapy team
- Clean and well-maintained facility
Concerns
- Difficulty reaching staff on nights and weekends (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
- Inadequate or non-diabetic friendly meal options (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
- Concerns regarding administrative transparency and billing (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
Rating Trends
Tap a year to see what changed
Distribution · 23 analyzed
How They Respond to Reviews
This facility rarely responds to reviews.
Questions for Your Tour
- 1We've heard wonderful things about the warmth of the atmosphere here; what kind of daily activities or social groups do you offer to keep residents engaged?
- 2Since we want to ensure all dietary needs are met, how do you handle specialized meal planning for residents with specific requirements like diabetic-friendly diets?
- 3How does the nursing team communicate important medical updates or changes in condition to family members during the night and over the weekends?
- 4With the recent improvements noted in the facility's cleanliness, what are your current protocols for maintaining the comfort and hygiene of the resident rooms?
- 5Could you walk us through the process for handling medical emergencies and how the on-call staff is notified after regular business hours?
- 6How does the administration approach transparency with families regarding care plans and billing updates?
Personalized based on this facility's data
Key Review Excerpts
“The nurses and aides were very pleasant. Hard to get a hold of people nights and weekends but you’ll find that at any nursing home. Overall I was very pleased with the care my husband received.”
“The kindness and compassion shown to our mother and family will never be forgotten.”
“Everyone from the nurses, aides, kitchen staff, maintenance, physical and occupational therapists and advocates has been wonderful. They are caring and hard working people.”
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
6
measures
7
measures
4
measures
Residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Residents on antipsychotic medication
Residents with depression symptoms
Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.
Residents on anti-anxiety or sleep medication
Residents needing more daily help over time
Residents vaccinated for the flu
Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu
Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics
US average from Medicare published data
Inspection History
Medicare Inspection History
3-year lookback · Medicare 2026
Families have filed multiple complaints resulting in seven deficiencies, indicating ongoing concerns about care quality, accident prevention, and family communication. The facility shows recurring issues with accident prevention and safety hazards, care planning, and building safety maintenance across multiple surveys from 2019 to 2024. While all deficiencies show correction dates, the pattern of repeated problems in core care areas suggests persistent operational challenges that families should carefully evaluate during visits.
May 28, 2025Complaint1
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.
Aug 19, 2024Routine11
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
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.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Egress Deficiencies
Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
Smoke Deficiencies
Properly select, install, inspect, or maintain portable fire extinguishes.
Aug 8, 2024Complaint2
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
Sep 27, 2023Complaint2
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 treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Aug 25, 2023Complaint1
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.
Jun 28, 2023Complaint1
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Federal Penalties
Payment Denial
Aug 8, 2024
5-day denial
Fine
Sep 27, 2023
$7,446
Ownership & Operations
Who Operates This Facility
Gardner Heights Health Care Center, INC
for profit
Chain Affiliation
Apple Rehab
20 facilities nationwide
Chain avg rating: 2.1/5 · Rank 9 of 20
Ownership & Management
Owners
Foley, Brian
Owner
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
22 reviews from families & visitors
Official Website
Visit apple-rehab.com
Medicare data downloads
Original nursing home datasets
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