FountainView Care Center Ratings and Violations

Older adults with medical needs can move into nursing homes to gain access to 24/7 healthcare services. These facilities play a vital role in helping seniors across the United States maintain a reasonable quality of life. However, when nursing homes fail to meet professional standards, residents often suffer from abuse or neglect. These facilities tend to have a history of poor quality ratings, deficiencies, and staffing concerns, as is the case with FountainView Care Center in Lakewood, NJ.

At the Nursing Home Law Center, we have a team of caring attorneys helping families after nursing home abuse. We will stand by your side as you pursue civil action against the at-fault parties, holding them accountable while seeking fair compensation for legal damages.

In this guide, we will examine the history of violations and poor ratings at this New Jersey nursing home. Then, we will discuss the legal option of a civil claim if you suffer from abuse or neglect at FountainView Care Center.

FountainView Care Center: Skilled Nursing Facility Profile

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency that regulates nursing homes nationwide. This entity publishes information about individual facilities on the CMS website, which includes location data, past inspections, quality ratings, and deficiencies.

Here is some of the latest data on FountainView Care Center:

Facility Name: FountainView Care Center (Shore Health Care Center Inc.)

Address: 527 River Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701

CMS Overall Rating: 1 star (much below average)

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

CMS Staffing Rating: 3 stars (average)

CMS Quality Measures Rating: 4 stars (above average)

Federal Fines in the Last 3 Years: 11 fines totaling $67,276

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

Cited for Abuse: Yes

SFF: No

About FountainView Care Center in Lakewood, NJ

FountainView Care Center is a skilled nursing facility in Lakewood, NJ, that provides short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and post-hospital services. A for-profit partnership owns this 123-bed nursing home. It is not part of a continuing care retirement community or hospital. Residents of this New Jersey nursing community have access to the following services and amenities:

• 24/7 nursing support
• Wound care
• Trauma care
• Diabetic management
• Pain management
• IV therapy
• Tracheotomy care
• Hospice care
• Respite care
• Daily living assistance (bathing, dressing, eating, etc.)
• Chronic illness support
• Nutrition and food planning
• Injury recovery
• Respiratory therapist
• Congestive Heart Failure management
• Physical therapy
• Private and semi-private rooms
• Social, recreational, and physical activities

FountainView Care Center CMS Overall Ratings, Violations, and Safety Inspections

One important role the CMS fulfills is rating each care center in the United States. This agency created a five-star rating system that grades each institution in three main categories (health inspections, staffing, and quality measures), which inform the facility’s overall rating. The scale for this system is as follows:

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

In the sections below, we will explore the three main categories at FountainView Care Center to determine the reasoning behind their CMS ratings.

Health Inspections

A one-star rating in this category is considered much below average. Nursing homes are typically inspected every year or every other year, but they can also be assessed in response to complaints. The most recent inspection of FountainView Care Center, conducted in March 2025, issued 11 health citations against the nursing home, exceeding the New Jersey average of 8.9 and the national average of 9.8.

Since October 224, there have been two complaint inspections at the Lakewood, NJ, facility. In the last three years, 17 complaints and two facility-reported issues have resulted in health citations. Let’s look at some specific deficiencies mentioned in these health inspection reports, including the failure to:

• Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment
• Protect each resident from all types of abuse, such as physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect
• Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to the proper authorities
• Respond appropriately to all alleged violations
• Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality
• Keep residents’ personal and medical records private and confidential
• Honor the resident’s right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights
• Ensure that drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles
• Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed
• Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program
• Honor the resident’s right to a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely
• Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute, and serve food in accordance with professional standards

Staffing

Three stars are considered average by the CMS. However, this raises significant staffing concerns at FountainView Care Center, affecting its ability to meet the needs and preferences of all residents. Here are some staffing deficiencies that could result in harm to the residents at this Lakewood, NJ, nursing home:

• 3 hours and 44 minutes of nurse staff hours per resident per day, compared to the New Jersey average of 3 hours and 53 minutes and the national average of 3 hours and 54 minutes
• 22 minutes of registered nurse hours per resident per day, compared to the New Jersey average of 42 minutes and the national average of 41 minutes
• 3 minutes of physical therapist staff hours per resident per day, compared to 7 minutes in New Jersey and 4 minutes nationally
• 15 minutes of registered nurse staff hours per resident per day on the weekend, compared to the New Jersey average of 29 minutes and the national average of 28 minutes
• A nursing staff turnover rate of 46.3%, compared to the New Jersey average of 41.2%
• 2 administrators have left the care center within a given year, compared to the state and national average of .5

Quality Measures (Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care)

The highest-rated category at FountainView Care Center is quality measures, with four stars (three stars for short-stay measures and five stars for long-stay measures). Even though this category is considered above average, there are still numerous deficiencies that have resulted in abuse, neglect, or other forms of harm to residents:

• 12.5% of short-stay residents have had an outpatient emergency department visit, compared to the New Jersey average of 8.1$ and the national average of 12%, indicating a pattern of nursing home fall injuries
• 2.66% of short-stay residents experienced new or worsened pressure ulcers, compared to the national average of 2.32%, demonstrating a failure to prevent bedsores in nursing homes
• 1.98% of short-stay residents experienced one or more falls with major injuries, compared to the national average of .78%, raising questions about preventable falls in nursing homes
• 7.84% of short-stay resident infections resulted in hospitalization, compared to the national average of 7.12%, alluding to issues surrounding nursing home infection oversight
• 3.46 hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days, compared to the New Jersey average of 2.07 and the national average of 1.89
• 1.83 outpatient emergency department visits per 1,000 long-stay resident days, compared to 1.12 in New Jersey and 1.80 nationally
• 6.4% of long-stay residents experienced pressure ulcers, compared to the New Jersey average of 5.1% and the national average of 5.2%
• 1.7% of long-stay residents had a urinary tract infection, compared to 1% in New Jersey, indicating a problem with nursing home UTI prevention
• 23.2% of long-stay residents experienced new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence, compared to the New Jersey average of 16% and the national average of 20.2%
• 4.8% of long-stay residents lost too much weight, compared to the New Jersey average of 4.6%, demonstrating a failure to address resident malnutrition in nursing homes

Residents’ Legal Rights Following Abuse or Neglect at Fountain View Care Center

If you are a resident of FountainView Care Center in New Jersey, you are granted specific rights by state and federal laws, including:

• The right to receive high-quality care
• The right to maintain a dignified existence and be treated with respect
• The right to file administrative complaints

A violation of your rights, or any other form of misconduct in the nursing community, could give you the foundation for a civil lawsuit against the at-fault parties. A New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyer from our firm can help you recover compensation for the following damages from your civil claim:

• Medical expenses – Emergency room visits, surgeries, medications, assistive devices, rehabilitation, and therapy
• Future medical costs – For costs that you will incur in the future for ongoing treatment, verified by a licensed medical professional
• Emotional distress – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, depression, fearfulness, withdrawal, self-harm, and suicide ideation
• Pain and suffering – For physical suffering caused by your injuries or required surgeries
• Loss of enjoyment of life – An inability to experience joy at the same level as you did pre-incident
• Punitive damages – Awarded in cases involving gross negligence or intentional misconduct

How Nursing Home Law Center Can Help

At the Nursing Home Law Center, we know what it takes to hold facilities like FountainView Care Center accountable for abuse, neglect, or misconduct. You won’t be alone in your fight for fair compensation with our attorneys on your side.

A Lakewood nursing home neglect lawyer can provide the following legal services during the claims process:

• Investigating FountainView Care Center for negligence
• Gathering evidence of wrongdoing
• Assessing all legal damages
• Protecting your rights as a resident
• Negotiating with insurance companies
• Litigating in civil court

Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing unless we win your case. Additionally, we offer a free consultation so you can ask questions about the legal process, New Jersey nursing home statutes, or time constraints for your specific case.

If you or a loved one has suffered at the nursing facility at 527 River Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701, contact us today at 800-926-7565 or complete the online form to schedule a free consultation with our expert attorneys.

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.