Aztec Healthcare Ratings and Violations
Nursing homes in the United States offer 24/7 medical services and daily living support to aging adults and individuals with certain medical conditions. Many of these facilities fall short of professional expectations, placing residents at risk of abuse, neglect, or misconduct. Aztec Healthcare in historic Aztec, New Mexico, is one of many institutions in the state with a history of violations and poor ratings.
At the Nursing Home Law Center, our dedicated nursing home abuse attorneys can help you pursue a civil lawsuit if you suffer legal damages due to misconduct at Aztec Healthcare. We will stand by your side and fight for fair compensation for your losses. In this guide, we will examine this New Mexico nursing home to understand the issues that have placed residents in harm’s way.
Aztec Healthcare: Skilled Nursing Facility Profile
On the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website, you can find location data, past inspection reports, deficiencies, and quality ratings for individual nursing homes.
Here is the latest data available on Aztec Healthcare:
Facility Name: Aztec Healthcare LLC
Address: 500 Care Lane, Aztec, NM 87410
CMS Overall Rating: 1 star (much below average)
CMS Health Inspection Rating: 2 stars (below average)
CMS Staffing Rating: 1 star (much below average)
CMS Quality Measures Rating: 4 stars (above average)
Federal Fines in the Last 3 Years: 3 fines totaling $136,098
Denied Payments by Medicare in the Last 3 Years: 0 payment denials
Cited for Abuse: Yes
SFF: No
About Aztec Healthcare in Aztec, New Mexico
Aztec Healthcare is a skilled nursing facility in Aztec, NM. This facility is focused on post-surgery care, short-term rehabilitation, and long-term care programs. It is a 112-bed institution owned by a for-profit corporation, OPCO Skilled Management, which is a mid-size nursing home chain. The variety of care services offered at this nursing home includes:
- Wound care
- Safe discharge planning
- Medication management
- Private and semi-private rooms
- Social services
- In-house therapy team (occupational, physical, speech, etc.)
- Daily living assistance
- Dietary management
- Recreational activities
- Serves Farmington, Durango, and other nearby communities
Aztec Healthcare CMS Ratings, Violations, Medication Management, Wound Care, and Health Care Safety Inspections
The CMS created a five-star rating system for nursing homes that grades each facility across three main categories: health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. These three scores determine the center’s overall rating. In the sections below, we will look at the three main categories for Aztec Healthcare.
Health Inspections (Two Stars)
The most recent inspection of this nursing home, conducted in June 2024, listed eight health citations. Since October 2024, one inspection has been initiated in response to a complaint, so this facility can be considered one of the worst nursing homes in New Mexico. In the last three years, 53 complaints and ten facility-reported issues have resulted in health citations.
Here are some specific deficiencies found in these reports about Aztec Healthcare, including the failure to:
- Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards
- Ensure menus meet the nutritional needs of residents, are prepared in advance, are followed, are updated, are reviewed by a dietician, and meet the needs of the resident
- Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs
- Immediately tell the resident, the resident’s doctor, and a family member of situations (injury, decline, rooms, etc.) that affect the resident
- Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason
Staffing (One Star)
Insufficient staffing can make it difficult to meet the needs of all residents at the institution. Here are specific deficiencies related to staffing at Aztec Healthcare in New Mexico:
- 3 hours and 1 minute of nurse staff hours per resident per day, compared to the New Mexico average of 3 hours and 40 minutes and the national average of 3 hours and 54 minutes
- 28 minutes of registered nurse hours per resident per day, compared to the New Mexico and national average of 41 minutes
- 1 hour and 9 minutes of nurse aide hours per resident per day, compared to the New Mexico average of 2 hours and 16 minutes and the national average of 2 hours and 21 minutes
- 1 minute of physical therapist staff hours per resident per day, compared to the New Mexico average of 5 minutes and the national average of 4 minutes
- A nursing staff turnover rate of 58.9%, compared to 53.2% in New Mexico and 46.4% nationally
- A registered nurse turnover rate of 56.3%, compared to 55.1% in New Mexico and 43.6% nationally
Quality Measures (Four Stars)
Although care services have a higher rating than the other categories at Aztec Healthcare, there are still numerous areas of concern:
- 23% of short-stay residents had an outpatient emergency department visit, compared to the New Mexico average of 15.8% and the national average of 12%, raising questions about preventable nursing home injuries
- 4.04% of short-stay residents experienced new or worsened pressure ulcers, compared to the national average of 2.32%, indicating a pattern of nursing home bedsore neglect
- 1.45% of short-stay residents experienced one or more falls with major injuries, compared to the national average of .78%, demonstrating issues with nursing home fall prevention
- 14.1% of long-stay residents received antipsychotic medication, compared to the New Mexico average of 12.7%, raising concerns about nursing home overmedication issues
- 26.8% of long-stay residents experienced new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence, compared to the New Mexico average of 21% and the national average of 20.2%, alluding to potential nursing home bladder infections
- 12.5% of long-stay residents lost too much weight, compared to the New Mexico average of 5.8% and the national average of 5.4%
Residents’ Legal Rights Following Abuse or Neglect at Aztec Healthcare at 500 Care Lane, Aztec, NM (87410)
As a resident of this nursing home in Aztec, New Mexico, you are granted certain rights by state and federal laws, including:
- The right to receive quality care
- The right to be treated with respect
- The right to file complaints
If you are mistreated or have your rights violated at Aztec Healthcare, you may have grounds for a civil lawsuit against the nursing home if you suffered legal damages. A New Mexico nursing home abuse attorney can help you recover the following economic and non-economic losses from your claim:
- Medical expenses
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Disability and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages
How Nursing Home Law Center Can Help Protect Nursing Home Residents
Aztec Healthcare is responsible for providing quality care to all residents. When the staff fails to meet professional standards and residents are harmed as a result, the Nursing Home Law Center can support victims through the claims process.
An Aztec nursing home abuse lawyer will provide the following legal services:
- Investigating Aztec Healthcare
- Gathering evidence
- Assessing legal damages
- Protecting your rights
- Negotiating with insurers
- Litigating in civil court
Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win. We also offer a free consultation so you can ask questions about skilled nursing abuse or neglect.
If you or a family member has suffered at Aztec Healthcare, contact us at 800-926-7565 or complete the online form to schedule a free consultation.
All content undergoes a thorough legal review by our experienced attorneys.
Jonathan Rosenfeld is a leading Chicago nursing home injury lawyer with 25 years of experience focused on elder abuse litigation. Recognized for his dedication, he has received recognition from Illinois Trial Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates, and Super Lawyers.