C. M. Tucker Jr. Nurse Care Center Ratings and Violations

Nursing care facilities play a crucial role in the United States healthcare system. These communities are designed to provide constant care to aging adults and those recovering from certain health conditions, such as major injuries or surgeries. Unfortunately, many nursing homes display weaknesses that allow residents to suffer from abuse, neglect, or misconduct. These forms of mistreatment can cause physical, mental, and financial challenges for the victims. C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center in Columbia, SC, is one nursing home with a history of deficiencies and poor ratings.

When you suffer as a patient in a nursing facility, you have the right to sue the at-fault parties for legal damages caused by the misconduct. At the Nursing Home Law Center, our legal team knows how to build a strong case in your favor and hold the nursing home accountable for poor practices. As a team of experienced lawyers handling nursing home abuse claims, we will stand by your side throughout the claims process and fight for every dollar you deserve.

We will start this guide by examining the history of this nursing home, including past inspection reports, quality ratings, and specific deficiencies. Then, we will walk through the legal process for considering a civil claim against C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center.

C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center: Skilled Nursing Facility Profile

With so many nursing homes across the United States, a regulatory body is necessary. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fulfills that role in several ways, including publishing public information about each facility. On the CMS website, you can find information on location data, past inspection reports, violations, health citations, and quality ratings.

Here is the most updated data available about C. M. Tucker Jr. Nurse Care Center:

Facility Name: C. M. Tucker Jr. Nurse Care Center (South Carolina Dept of Mental Health Accounting Office)

Address: 2200 Harden St, Columbia, SC 29203

CMS Overall Rating: 2 stars (below average)

CMS Health Inspection Rating: 1 star (much below average)

CMS Staffing Rating: 5 stars (much above average)

CMS Quality Measures Rating: 3 stars (average)

Federal Fines in the Last 3 Years: 3 fines totaling $189,422

Denied Payments by Medicare in the Last 3 Years: 0 payment denials

Cited for Abuse: Yes

SFF: No

About C. M. Tucker Jr. Nurse Care Center in Columbia, SC

C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center is a skilled nursing facility located in Columbia, SC. This nursing home contains 252 certified beds, making it one of the largest institutions in the state. The nursing home is not part of a continuing care retirement community or hospital. The South Carolina government oversees the nursing home, so the state owns it. C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center accepts both Medicare and Medicaid.

If you are a resident of this nursing home in South Carolina, you have access to the following services and amenities:

• 24/7 skilled nursing care
• Short-term and long-term care
• Pharmaceutical services
• Rehabilitation therapy
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Religious, cultural, and recreational activities
• Daily living assistance (eating, bathing, dressing, etc.)
• Nutrition/food planning
• Mental health services
• Chaplaincy
• Social services
• Pain management
• Wound care
• Transportation support
• Laundry services
• Housekeeping

C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center CMS Ratings, Violations, and Safety Inspections

C. M. Tucker Jy. Nursing Care Center is one of many nursing homes with low CMS ratings in South Carolina. The CMS created a five-star rating system to evaluate individual nursing homes throughout the United States. Each institution receives scores in three main categories: health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. The scores for these categories determine the facility’s overall rating. Here is the scale for the CMS rating system:

• One star – Much below average
• Two stars – Below average
• Three stars – Average
• Four stars – Above average
• Five stars – Much above average

This Columbia, SC, nursing home received a wide range of scores from the CMS. The overall rating was two stars (below average). In the three main categories, it received one star (much below average) for health inspections, five stars (much above average) for staffing, and three stars (average) for quality measures. In the sections below, we will examine each of the three categories at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center to understand the rationale behind these ratings.

General and Mental Health Inspections

Health inspections are routine at nursing homes in the United States. Many facilities are inspected once a year or every other year. However, inspections may also be conducted in response to complaints about an institution.

The most recent inspection at this continuing care retirement community, conducted in January 2024, listed 15 health citations against the facility. This exceeds the state average of 4.1 citations and the national average of 9.5 citations per report. Since July 2024, one inspection has been conducted in response to a complaint. In the last three years, no complaints have resulted in health citations, but five facility-reported issues have.

To further understand the one-star rating from the CMS, let’s look at specific deficiencies mentioned in these inspections that sometimes led to actual harm against residents:

• A failure to protect each resident from all types of abuse, such as physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect
• A failure to provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable
• A failure to provide enough food and fluids to maintain a resident’s health
• A failure to ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and that there is sufficient supervision to prevent accidents, which can contribute to an increased risk of nursing home hip fracture injuries
• A failure to provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing
• A failure to provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders and the resident’s preferences and goals
• A failure to provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed
• A failure to provide and implement an infection prevention and control program
• A failure to develop the complete care plan within seven days of the comprehensive assessment, and ensure it is prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals
• A failure to honor the resident’s right to organize and participate in resident or family groups in the facility
• A failure to ensure that food and drink are palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature
• A failure to ensure that each resident receives and the facility provides food that accommodates resident allergies, intolerances, and preferences
• A failure to ensure that medication error rates are not five percent or greater, indicating a pattern of nursing home medication safety issues
• A failure to ensure that drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles
• A failure to provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist
• A failure to procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards
• A failure to dispose of garbage and refuse properly
• A failure to have a policy regarding the use and storage of food brought to residents by family and other visitors
• A failure to provide each resident with a nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diet that meets his or her daily nutritional and special dietary needs

Licensed Practical Nurse Staffing

Staffing received the highest possible CMS rating (five stars). That means the nursing home is considered much above average in this category. Staffing is crucial because it is difficult to meet the needs of every resident if a facility is understaffed or the nurses are poorly trained.

The only slight area of concern at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center is the availability of LPNs and LVNs. According to the CMS website, this nursing home provides 48 minutes of LPN/LVN staff hours per resident per day, compared to the South Carolina average of 59 minutes and the national average of 52 minutes. All other staff availability rates are better than the state and national averages, including nursing staff hours per resident per day, staff turnover rates, and physical therapist staff hours per resident per day.

Quality Measures

This category describes the quality of services offered at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center. A three-star rating is considered average, but this includes both short-term and long-term care programs.

There is very little data available on the quality of services for short-stay patients at this nursing home. However, one deficiency worth mentioning concerns vaccination programs for facility staff. According to CMS data, only 7.1% of healthcare personnel at the nursing home are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. This is compared to the national average of 10%.

The long-stay programs at this Columbia, SC, nursing home are a little more concerning, given its three-star rating and multiple deficiencies. Here are some of the shortcomings mentioned on the CMS website for long-stay resident care:

• A rate of 3.17 hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days, compared to the South Carolina average of 1.98 and the national average of 1.83
• 10.1% of long-stay residents had pressure ulcers, compared to the South Carolina average of 6.4% and the national average of 5.4%, alluding to a pattern of nursing home bedsore neglect
• 1.9% of long-stay residents had a urinary tract infection, compared to the state average of 1.7% and the national average of 1.8%, which could indicate a failure to prevent nursing home urinary tract infection cases
• 1.6% of long-stay residents had a catheter inserted and left in their bladder, compared to the South Carolina average of .8% and the national average of 1.2%
• 87.9% of long-stay residents needed and received a flu shot for the current flu season, compared to the state average of 92.2% and the national average of 95.3%, raising concerns about infection prevention in long-term care
• 8.4% of long-stay residents lost too much weight, compared to the South Carolina average of 6.4% and the national average of 5.5%, demonstrating a failure to protect residents from nursing home nutrition problems

Even nursing homes with high-quality services can fail to meet professional standards at all times. If you or a loved one is staying at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center, it is important to be vigilant for the signs of abuse, neglect, and misconduct.

Residents’ Legal Rights Following Abuse or Neglect at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center – Roddey Pavilion

Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable populations in the United States, especially when you consider the positions of authority that nursing staff, physicians, and administrators have. As such, there are many state and federal laws designed to protect the rights of these individuals. First, you have the right to receive high-quality care from the nursing staff, physicians, administrators, and support staff at the nursing home. Second, you have the right to maintain a dignified existence and be treated with respect. You also have the right to file administrative complaints against the nursing home if you have been subjected to abuse, neglect, or other forms of misconduct.

If any of these rights are violated by anyone affiliated with the nursing home, including staff and other residents, you could be eligible for a lawsuit. With a civil claim, you can hold the at-fault parties accountable for the suffering you have dealt with. Your chances of winning a fair settlement are far greater with a South Carolina nursing home abuse lawyer from our firm on your side. Your legal representative will believe in your case and guide you through the claims process.

Legal Damages in Short-Term and Long-Term Care Abuse Claims

The primary purpose of a civil lawsuit is to force the defendant to cover your losses. Many of the consequences of nursing home abuse and neglect affect your physical, emotional, and financial well-being. A settlement can address some of these legal damages, which may include:

• Lost income – If you are a worker recovering in a nursing home from an injury or surgery and you face abuse that causes further injury, you can seek compensation for lost income during your recovery
• Medical expenses – Mistreatment in a nursing home may cause significant health consequences, but the financial costs of your treatment can be included in your claim, such as emergency room visits, surgical procedures, medications, assistive devices, rehabilitation, and therapy
• Future medical costs – A medical professional can testify on the nature of your injuries and your need for ongoing treatment, which ensures the settlement will also address your future medical bills
• Emotional distress – As a victim of misconduct, you can also pursue compensation for psychological challenges caused by the incident, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide ideation, or fearfulness
• Pain and suffering – Injuries suffered at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center may result in physical pain, which can increase the total value of your claim
• Disability and disfigurement – In some cases, abuse or neglect may cause permanent alterations in your appearance or abilities, which may impact the size of the financial compensation package if you win
• Loss of enjoyment of life – If you struggle to feel joy at the same level after the incident, this can be considered a non-economic loss that will drive up your case value
• Punitive damages – A judge or jury may award you additional compensation if the case involves gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or institutional cover-ups

How Nursing Home Law Center Can Help

No one deserves to experience pain or loss while staying at a nursing home. These facilities are supposed to be safe havens that provide professional care for all residents, but they can become a source of severe trauma when deficiencies are not addressed.

If you are a resident who has been mistreated at C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center, our law firm wants to help you seek justice. At the Nursing Home Law Center, our team has decades of experience supporting survivors of nursing home abuse and neglect. When you work with a Columbia nursing home neglect attorney, you have access to the following legal services during your claim:

• Investigating C. M. Tucker Jr. Nursing Care Center for wrongdoing
• Gathering evidence of negligence, such as witness statements, surveillance footage, injury photos, and medical records
• Assessing all legal damages you suffered to maximize the settlement
• Filing the lawsuit in civil court
• Protecting your rights as a nursing home resident under South Carolina and federal laws
• Submitting subpoenas to obtain facility documentation for the claim
• Negotiating with defendants and insurance companies to obtain full compensation for your losses
• Litigating in civil court if a fair settlement cannot be reached

When you partner with our experienced law firm, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means you will not pay any legal fees unless we secure a favorable outcome for your claim. Our payment is then deducted from the final settlement, so that your out-of-pocket costs will be limited. Additionally, we offer a free consultation, during which you can ask questions about the claims process, your specific case, or relevant state and federal statutes.

If you or a loved one has suffered while staying at C. M. Tucker Jr, Nursing Care Center in Columbia, SC, contact us today at 800-925-7565 or complete the online form to schedule your 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.