Nursing home · Top rated by CMS
Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence
1600 S Potomac St, Aurora, CO 80012 · Map
For profit - Corporation · Part of Life Care Centers Of America (194 facilities) · 120 certified beds
Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Aurora, Colorado. CMS rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 4/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.88 hours per resident per day, above the Colorado average of 3.70. Its most recent inspection on May 1, 2025 cited 8 deficiencies.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence compares
This facility vs. the Colorado and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Colorado avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 3.88 | 3.70 | 3.89 | above avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.79 | 0.83 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.17 | 2.20 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 31.0% | 48.6% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 8.0 | 8.8 | 9.5 | below avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
What inspectors found at Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Mar 4, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide the appropriate treatment and services to a resident who displays or is diagnosed with dementia.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Dec 9, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
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.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Prevent the use of unnecessary psychotropic medications or use medications that may restrain a resident's ability to function.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Educate residents and staff on COVID-19 vaccination, offer the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents and staff after education, and properly document each resident and staff member's vaccination status.
Infection Control Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Protect each resident from separation (from other residents, his/her room, or confinement to his/her room).
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · May 1, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Sep 14, 2023 - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jun 30, 2022 - Potential for harm
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Jun 30, 2022
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 1600 S Potomac St
Aurora, CO 80012 - CMS certification #
- 065266
- Ownership
- For profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 120
- Avg residents/day
- 94.5
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1989-10-12
- Chain
- Life Care Centers Of America (194 facilities)
- Setting
- Urban
Part of Life Care Centers Of America
Life Care Centers Of America operates 194 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Life Care Centers Of America facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Nurse 24 hours a day, transportation
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- The Medical Center Of Aurora & South Hospital, Aurora. 0.1 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 4 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Advanced Health Care of Aurora, Aurora. 0.3 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Aveanna Healthcare, Aurora. 1.3 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Omdera Pharmacy. 0.3 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 80012 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Aurora Dialysis Center, Aurora, 0.2 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Usrc Altitude Dialysis, Aurora, 1.3 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Davita East Aurora Dialysis, Aurora, 1.7 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 29 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 80012.
A Peaceful Journey Hospice, office in Aurora, 2.3 miles away, straight line
Berkley Palliative Care And Hospice, LLC, office in Aurora, 2.6 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Denver Hospice The, office in Denver, 3.9 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Destiny Internal Medicine PC, Aurora. 0.6 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively moderate. By hazard: inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave relatively low, earthquake relatively low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence a good nursing home?
CMS gives Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 for staffing and 4/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence staffed?
Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence reports 3.88 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Colorado average of 3.70.
Has Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 8 deficiencies.
How many beds does Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence have?
Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence is certified for 120 beds.