Nursing home
University Heights Care Center
656 Dillon Way, Aurora, CO 80011 · Map
For profit - Corporation · Part of Vivage Senior Living (17 facilities) · 105 certified beds
University Heights Care Center is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Aurora, Colorado. CMS rates it 2 out of 5 stars overall (4/5 for staffing, 1/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.06 hours per resident per day, below the Colorado average of 3.70. Its most recent inspection on Aug 7, 2025 cited 17 deficiencies. Note: it carries a CMS abuse icon.
- CMS abuse iconThis facility has an active abuse icon on its CMS record.
- 1 fine totaling $9,315In CMS records: 1 total penalty.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How University Heights Care Center 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) | 3.06 | 3.70 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.71 | 0.83 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.82 | 2.20 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 26.2% | 48.6% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 17.0 | 8.8 | 9.5 | above 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.
- Every deficiency from the December 16, 2025 inspection was corrected by December 17, 2025
Penalties in CMS records: 1 fine totaling $9,315, 1 total penalty.
What inspectors found at University Heights Care Center
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
Make sure there is a pest control program to prevent/deal with mice, insects, or other pests.
Environmental Deficiencies · Dec 16, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Dec 16, 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 · Dec 16, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services.
Administration Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- 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 · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide care or services that was trauma informed and/or culturally competent.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
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
- 656 Dillon Way
Aurora, CO 80011 - CMS certification #
- 065337
- Ownership
- For profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 105
- Avg residents/day
- 88.8
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1995-03-01
- Chain
- Vivage Senior Living (17 facilities)
- Setting
- Urban
Part of Vivage Senior Living
Vivage Senior Living operates 17 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Vivage Senior Living facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around University Heights Care Center using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Workplace safety 1 OSHA workplace safety inspection since 2021, 1 violation cited
Full public records, with dates and sources
Staff pay and workplace safety
Federal records about how the employer here treats its staff.
Federal wage and hour cases
The Department of Labor checks that staff are paid minimum wage and overtime as the law requires.
DOL also concluded 1 case here with no violations found, most recently for a period ending Dec 2, 2010.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division enforcement data, loaded Oct 15, 2026. Concluded cases only. The dates are the period in which DOL found violations, not when the case opened or closed. Back wages are what the employer agreed to pay; penalties are what DOL assessed. DOL does not publish a page for each case, so search the dataset by case number.
OSHA workplace safety inspections
OSHA inspects workplaces for staff safety, such as lifting, needles, chemicals and workplace violence. It does not inspect resident care.
- Dec 9, 2021: programmed (planned) inspection, partial (health). Case closed Jul 29, 2022. 1 violation cited (1 other). Penalties: $0 proposed, $0 now. OSHA record. OSHA recorded the employer as Birch Care Community, LLC. Matched by street address; the name OSHA recorded differs from the community's.
Details
- Other than serious: Injury and illness log forms (OSHA 300 and 301) (1904.29(b)(8)). Penalty $0 proposed, $0 now. To be fixed by Jun 30, 2022.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, as of Oct 15, 2026, inspections since 2016. Penalties can change while a case is open or contested.
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- University Of Colorado Hospital Authority, Aurora. 1.5 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 5 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Aviva at Fitzsimons, Aurora. 1.7 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Jnb Home Health LLC, Aurora. 0.4 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Target Pharmacy. 0.8 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 80011 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Sable Dialysis, Aurora, 0.2 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 4 of 5 stars)
Fresenius Medical Care East Denver Dialysis, Aurora, 0.5 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
062527 Northeast Denver Dialysis (Fkc), Aurora, 1.0 mile away, straight line (CMS rating 5 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 28 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 80011.
Denver Hospice The, office in Denver, 3.8 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
A Peaceful Journey Hospice, office in Aurora, 4.8 miles away, straight line
Sacred Passage Hospice, office in Aurora, 4.9 miles away, straight line - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- University Physicians Incorporated, Aurora. 1.3 miles away, straight line. 4 geriatric medicine doctors 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
- Zone X: 0.2% annual chance (500-year) flood area (moderate risk). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively low. By hazard: inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively moderate, heat wave very 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 | See above |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | See above |
| 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 | Could not read the site |
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Frequently asked questions
Is University Heights Care Center a good nursing home?
CMS gives University Heights Care Center an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, including 4/5 for staffing and 1/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is University Heights Care Center staffed?
University Heights Care Center reports 3.06 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Colorado average of 3.70.
Has University Heights Care Center had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 17 deficiencies.
How many beds does University Heights Care Center have?
University Heights Care Center is certified for 105 beds.