STERLING LIVING CENTER
The information listed below provides an in-depth look into the type and quality of care offered at Sterling Living Center. It is important to note that when evaluating if a nursing home is right for you or a loved one, ratings should not be taken as the sole deciding factor, but as one of many aspects to be considered.
Address
STERLING LIVING CENTER
1420 SOUTH 3RD AVENUE
STERLING, CO 80751
(970) 522-2933
1420 SOUTH 3RD AVENUE
STERLING, CO 80751
(970) 522-2933
Nursing Home Ratings
| Health Inspections | |
| Quality Measures | |
| Nursing Staff | |
| R.N. Staff Only | |
| Overall Rating | |
Percent of Beds Occupied
45%Number of Residents and Certified Beds
- Residents: 46
- Certified Beds: 103
This Facility Accepts
- Medicare
- Medicaid
Operational Details
- Operated By For Profit - Limited Liability Company
- Offers Only Resident Counseling
- This Facility is Part of a Chain or Franchise
Resident Services
The information below lists services this facility has provided for residents from October through December 2010. During this period, the most common type of service provided was "Ultra-High Rehabilitation". To get a better idea of the types of services that are commonly performed, compare the "Percent of Service Days" column below. These services are based on submitted claims to Medicare and do not provide a complete overview of all the services provided by Sterling Living Center. For more information read our guide on how nursing facilities are reimbursed, types of services, and ADL index scores.
| Resident Services | Resident Conditions | Percent of Service Days |
Medium Rehabilitation Plus Extensive Services
Rehabilitation 150 Minutes Per Week Minimum
- Five days any combination of three rehabilitation disciplines
- Tracheostomy care
- Ventilator or respirator
- Isolation for active infectious disease while a resident
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of 2 or more
| ADL Index Range: 11-16 | 0.9% |
| Total Percent: | 0.9% |
Ultra-High Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation 720 Minutes Per Week Minimum
- At least one rehabilitation discipline five days/week
- A second rehabilitation discipline three days/week
| ADL Index Range: 11-16 | 19.1% |
| ADL Index Range: 6-10 | 7.7% |
| ADL Index Range: 0-5 | 29.4% |
| Total Percent: | 56.2% |
Very High Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation 500 Minutes Per Week Minimum
- At least one rehabilitation discipline five days/week
| ADL Index Range: 11-16 | 5.7% |
| ADL Index Range: 6-10 | 5.6% |
| ADL Index Range: 0-5 | 17.2% |
| Total Percent: | 28.6% |
High Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation 325 Minutes Per Week Minimum
- At least one rehabilitation discipline five days/week
| ADL Index Range: 11-16 | 2.0% |
| ADL Index Range: 0-5 | 2.0% |
| Total Percent: | 4.0% |
Medium Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation 150 Minutes Per Week Minimum
- Five days any combination of three rehabilitation disciplines
| ADL Index Range: 0-5 | 3.9% |
| Total Percent: | 3.9% |
Low Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation 45 Minutes Per Week Minimum
- Three days any combination of three rehabilitation disciplines
- Two services of restorative nursing six days per week
| ADL Index Range: 0-10 | 1.0% |
| Total Percent: | 1.0% |
Extensive Services
- Tracheostomy care
- Ventilator or respirator
- Isolation for active infectious disease while a resident
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of 2 or more
| ADL Index Range: 2-16 - Tracheostomy care or ventilator/respirator | 1.3% |
| Total Percent: | 1.3% |
Special Care High
- Comatose
- Septicemia
- Diabetes with daily injections and a change of order two or more days
- Quadriplegia with ADL score greater or equal to 5
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and shortness of breath when lying flat
- Fever with pneumonia, or vomiting, or weight loss, or feeding tube
- Parenteral/IV feedings
- Respiratory therapy for 7 days
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of 2 or more
| ADL Index Range: 11-14 - No Signs of depression | 1.3% |
| Total Percent: | 1.3% |
Special Care Low
- Cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson's disease with ADL score greater or equal to 5
- Respiratory failure and oxygen therapy while a resident
- Feeding tube where calories >= 51% or calories are in the range of 26-50% and fluid >= 501 mL)
- Ulcers: 2 or more stage II or 1 or more stage III or IV pressure ulcers
- Ulcers: 2 or more venous or arterial ulcers
- Ulcers: 1 stage II pressure ulcer and 1 venous or arterial ulcer with 2 or more skin care treatments
- Foot infection/diabetic foot ulcer/open lesions of foot with treatment
- Radiation therapy while a resident
- Dialysis while a resident
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of 2 or more
| ADL Index Range: 11-14 - No Signs of depression | 1.3% |
| Total Percent: | 1.3% |
Clinically Complex
- Pneumonia, hemiplegia with ADL score >=5
- Surgical wounds or open lesions with treatment
- Burns
- Chemotherapy while a resident
- Oxygen therapy while a resident
- IV medications or transfusions while a resident
- Extensive Services, Special Care High or Special Care Low qualifier and ADL score of 0 or 1
| ADL Index Range: 0-1 - No Signs of depression | 0.6% |
| Total Percent: | 0.6% |
Behavioral Symptoms and Cognitive Performance
- Cognitive impairment BIMS score less than or equal to 9
- CPS great than or equal to 3
- Hallucinations or delusions
- Physical or verbal behavioral symptoms toward others
- Other behavioral symptoms
- Rejection of care or wandering
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score of 5 or less
| ADL Index Range: 0-1 - Less restorative nursing | 1.0% |
| Total Percent: | 1.0% |
Rating Details For Sterling Living Center
Nursing Staff - 
The nursing staff is the most important part of what determines the quality of care and comfort of a resident in a nursing home. Government regulations set expectations on time spent with each resident based on the services being provided. The breakdown below lists the nursing types (RN, LPN, LVN, CNA) and a comparison of the reported and expected hours per resident per day.
| Nursing Hours Per Resident Per Day | Reported | Expected |
| Registered Nurse (RN) Hours | 26 Minutes | 56 Minutes |
| Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) Hours | 1 Hour and 5 Minutes | 35 Minutes |
| Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Hours | 1 Hour and 29 Minutes | 2 Hours and 15 Minutes |
| Total Licensed Nurse Hours | 1 Hour and 31 Minutes | 1 Hour and 31 Minutes |
| Total Nurse Hours | 2 Hours and 60 Minutes | 3 Hours and 47 Minutes |
Quality of Care - 
Medicare determines quality of care ratings for nursing facilities by surveying several "quality measures", which are broken down into long-term and short-term stay residents, as well as if the action is preventive or if there is a deficiency in the quality of care. State averages for Colorado are also provided for comparison purposes. Note: Figures below are averaged over the past nine months.
| This Facility | Colorado Average |
Long-Term Stay Preventive Actions
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Given Influenza Vaccination During the Flu Season | 90-100% | 88% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Were Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination | 90-100% | 87% |
Long-Term Stay Deficiencies
| Percent of Low-Risk Long-Stay Residents Who Lose Control of Their Bowels or Bladder | 70% | 48% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Lose Too Much Weight | 16% | 8% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Had a Urinary Tract Infection | 6% | 9% |
| Percent of Low-Risk Long-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores | - | 3% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Spend Most of Their Time in Bed or in a Chair | 2% | 3% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Whose Ability to Move About in and Around Their Room Got Worse | 9% | 11% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Have/Had a Catheter Inserted and Left in Their Bladder | 5% | 7% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Are More Depressed or Anxious | 26% | 16% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Were Physically Restrained | 1% | 4% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Whose Need for Help with Daily Activities Has Increased | 13% | 15% |
| Percent of Long-Stay Residents Who Have Moderate to Severe Pain | 2% | 4% |
| Percent of High-Risk Long-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores | 3% | 9% |
Short-Term Stay Preventive Actions
| Percent of Short-Stay Residents Given Influenza Vaccination During the Flu Season | 90-100% | 81% |
| Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Were Assessed and Given Pneumococcal Vaccination | 87% | 79% |
Short-Term Stay Deficiencies
| Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Have Delirium | - | 3% |
| Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Have Pressure Sores | 13% | 9% |
| Percent of Short-Stay Residents Who Had Moderate to Severe Pain | 32% | 23% |
Health Inspection Details - 
All Medicare and/or Medicaid certified nursing home must undergo health inspections on average once a year, but may be more frequent if the facility is peforming poorly. These inspections cover most aspects of life in a nursing home, and are broken down into deficiencies types, which including: Pharmacy Service, Administration, Resident Rights, Nutrition and Dietary, Resident Assessment, Environmental, and Mistreatment. Below are the list of deficiencies found by inspectors in the past few years along with the degree of harm and how many residents may have been affected. Note: The most recent health survey was on 11/17/2010.
Degree of Harm
- Potential for Minimal Harm
- Minimal Harm or Potential for Harm
- Resident Harmed
- Immediate Jeopardy to Resident Health
Residents Affected
- Isolated
- Some Residents
- Many Residents
| Deficiencies Found By Inspectors | Degree of Harm | Residents Affected |
Administration
Set Up or Keep a Group of People to Review and Ensure Quality.
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Environmental
Provide Needed Housekeeping and Maintenance.
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Make Sure That the Nursing Home Area is Free of Dangers That Cause Accidents.
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Have a Program to Keep Infection from Spreading.
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Make Sure That the Nursing Home Area is Free of Dangers That Cause Accidents.
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Have a Program to Keep Infection from Spreading.
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Provide Needed Housekeeping and Maintenance.
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Make Sure That the Nursing Home Area is Free of Dangers That Cause Accidents.
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Have a Program to Keep Infection from Spreading.
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Provide Bedrooms That Don't Allow Residents to See Each Other when Privacy is Needed.
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Make Sure That a Working Call System is Available in Each Resident's Room or Bathroom and Bathing Area.
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Make Sure That the Nursing Home Area is Safe, Easy to Use, Clean and Comfortable.
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Mistreatment
Protect Residents from Mistreatment, Neglect, And/Or Theft of Personal Property.
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1) Hire Only People Who Have No Legal History of Abusing, Neglecting or Mistreating Residents; or 2) Report and Investigate Any Acts or Reports of Abuse, Neglect or Mistreatment of Residents.
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1) Hire Only People Who Have No Legal History of Abusing, Neglecting or Mistreating Residents; or 2) Report and Investigate Any Acts or Reports of Abuse, Neglect or Mistreatment of Residents.
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Keep Each Resident Free from Physical Restraints, Unless Needed for Medical Treatment.
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Nutrition and Dietary
Make Sure That Residents Are Well Nourished.
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Prepare Food That is Nutritional, Appetizing, Tasty, Attractive, Well-Cooked, and at the Right Temperature.
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Provide Food in a Way That Meets a Resident's Needs.
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Store, Cook, and Give out Food in a Safe and Clean Way.
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Store, Cook, and Give out Food in a Safe and Clean Way.
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Pharmacy Service
Have Drugs and Other Similar Products Available, Which Are Needed Every Day and in Emergencies, and Give Them out Properly.
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Properly Mark Drugs and Other Similar Products.
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Keep the Rate of Medication Errors (Wrong Drug, Wrong Dose, Wrong Time) to Less Than 5%.
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Make Sure That Residents Are Safe from Serious Medication Errors.
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Properly Mark Drugs and Other Similar Products.
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Quality Care
Provide Social Services for Related Medical Problems to Help Each Resident Achieve the Highest Possible Quality of Life.
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Make Sure That Each Resident Who Enters the Nursing Home Without a Catheter is Not Given a Catheter, Unless It is Necessary.
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Make Sure That Each Resident's Nutritional Needs Were Met.
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Properly Care for Residents Needing Special Services, Including: Injections, Colostomy, Ureostomy, Ileostomy, Tracheostomy Care, Tracheal Suctioning, Respiratory Care, Foot Care, and Prostheses.
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Provide Social Services for Related Medical Problems to Help Each Resident Achieve the Highest Possible Quality of Life.
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Give Professional Services That Meet a Professional Standard of Quality.
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Make Sure That Each Resident's Nutritional Needs Were Met.
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Provide Social Services for Related Medical Problems to Help Each Resident Achieve the Highest Possible Quality of Life.
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Give Professional Services That Meet a Professional Standard of Quality.
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Give Each Resident Care and Services to Get or Keep the Highest Quality of Life Possible.
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Resident Assessment
Make Sure All Assessments Are Accurate, Coordinated by an Rn, Done by the Right Professional, and Are Signed by the Person Completing Them.
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Make Sure That Doctors Visit Residents Regularly, As Required.
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Develop a Complete Care Plan That Meets All of a Resident's Needs, with Timetables and Actions That Can Be Measured.
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Make Sure That Doctors Visit Residents Regularly, As Required.
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Resident Rights
Give the Resident's Legal Representative the Same Rights As the Resident.
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Make Sure Each Resident Has the Right to Choose Activities, Schedules and Health Care According to His or Her Interests, Assessment, and Plan of Care.
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Give the Resident's Legal Representative the Same Rights As the Resident.
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Keep Each Resident's Personal and Medical Records Private and Confidential.
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Enforcement
Below is a list of any civil penalities or denials of payment for new admissions (DPNA) that this facility received in the previous three years. Note: Monetary figures are not available for DPNAs.
| Action Taken | Date | Amount |
| Civil Money Penalty (CMP) | 08/07/2008 | $5,000 |
Deficiencies from Complaints and Incidents
The table below lists incident reports by the nursing staff or administration for Sterling Living Center, as well as complaints by residents or their family in the previous three years.
Degree of Harm
- - Potential for Minimal Harm
- - Minimal Harm or Potential for Harm
- - Resident Harmed
- - Immediate Jeopardy to Resident Health
Residents Affected
- - Isolated
- - Some Residents
- - Many Residents
| Formal Complaints | Degree of Harm | Residents Affected |
Pharmacy Service
1) Make Sure That Residents Who Take Drugs Are Not Given Too Many Doses or for Too Long; 2) Make Sure That the Use of Drugs is Carefully Watched; or 3) Stop or Change Drugs That Cause Unwanted Effects.
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Quality Care
Make Sure That Each Resident Who Enters the Nursing Home Without a Catheter is Not Given a Catheter, Unless It is Necessary.
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Give Professional Services That Meet a Professional Standard of Quality.
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Resident Assessment
Develop a Complete Care Plan That Meets All of a Resident's Needs, with Timetables and Actions That Can Be Measured.
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Resident Rights
Try to Resolve Each Resident's Complaints Quickly.
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Fire Safety
Nursing homes certified by Medicare and/or Medicaid are required to have fire safety inspections to meet Life Safety Code (LSC) standards. Below is a list of deficiencies that Sterling Living Center had in recent fire safety inspections. This information can be used to see if all standards were met, the degree of harm, the number of residents affected, and the date when deficiencies were corrected. Note: The most recent fire safety survey was on 12/16/2010.
Degree of Harm
- - Potential for Minimal Harm
- - Minimal Harm or Potential for Harm
- - Resident Harmed
- - Immediate Jeopardy to Resident Health
Residents Affected
- - Isolated
- - Some Residents
- - Many Residents
| Deficiencies Found By Inspectors | Degree of Harm | Residents Affected |
Automatic Sprinkler Systems
Properly Working Alarms on Sprinkler Valves.
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Automatic Sprinkler Systems That Have Been Maintained in Working Order.
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Back-Up Procedures in Place for a Faulty Automatic Sprinkler System.
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Automatic Sprinkler Systems That Have Been Maintained in Working Order.
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Portable Fire Extinguishers.
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Back-Up Procedures in Place for a Faulty Automatic Sprinkler System.
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Building Service Equipment
Heating and Ventilation Systems That Have Been Properly Installed According to the Manufacturer's Instructions.
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Properly Protected Cooking Facilities.
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Corridor Walls and Doors
Corridor and Hallway Doors That Block Smoke.
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Electrical
Weekly Inspections and Monthly Testing of Generators.
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Properly Installed Electrical Wiring and Equipment.
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Properly Installed Electrical Wiring and Equipment.
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Properly Installed Electrical Wiring and Equipment.
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Emergency Plans and Fire Drills
Did Not Have a Written Emergency Evacuation Plan.
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Record of Quarterly Fire Drills for Each Shift Under Varying Conditions.
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Exits and Egress
Exits That Are Accessible at All Times.
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Exits That Are Accessible at All Times.
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Fire Alarm Systems
A Fire Alarm System That Can Be Heard Throughout the Facility.
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Furnishings and Decorations
Restrictions on the Use of Highly Flammable Materials.
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Hazardous Area
Construction That Can Resist Fire for One Hour or an Approved Fire Extinguishing System.
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Construction That Can Resist Fire for One Hour or an Approved Fire Extinguishing System.
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Illumination and Emergency Power
Proper Backup Exit Lighting.
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Emergency Lighting That Can Last at Least 1 1/2 Hours.
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Emergency Lighting That Can Last at Least 1 1/2 Hours.
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Properly Located and Lighted "Exit" Signs.
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Medical Gases and Anesthetizing Areas
Proper Fire Barriers, Ventilation and Signs for the Transport of Oxygen.
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Proper Fire Barriers, Ventilation and Signs for the Transport of Oxygen.
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Miscellaneous
Fire Safety Features Required by Current Fire Safety Codes.
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Smoke Compartmentation and Control
Walls or Barriers That Prevent Smoke from Passing Through and Would Resist Fire for at Least One Hour.
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Smoke Barrier Doors That Can Resist Smoke for at Least 20 Minutes.
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Walls or Barriers That Prevent Smoke from Passing Through and Would Resist Fire for at Least One Hour.
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Smoking Regulations
Posted "No-Smoking" Signs in Areas Where Smoking is Not Permitted or Did Not Provide Ashtrays Where Smoking Was Allowed.
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Source: Medicare Nursing Home Compare; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - Retrieved 2011
