Not rated by CMS — ratings are suppressed for new or low-volume facilities.
The next survey window likely opens around December 2026
Estimate from public CMS data, current as of June 2026. Survey timing is at the state agency's discretion.
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Life Care Center Of Charleston during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
A resident with a history of falls and cognitive deficits eloped from the facility during a fire alarm when staff left their posts to manage the situation. The resident exited through an unsecured door and fell in the courtyard, resulting in a fractured clavicle. Staff interviews revealed a lack of headcount and preassigned door assignments during the alarm.
The facility failed to remove expired and discontinued medications from medication carts and did not secure a medication cart on the Morning Star Unit, leaving it unlocked and unattended with resident medications and private information exposed. These deficiencies were confirmed by nursing staff.
The facility failed to ensure proper kitchen sanitation and hand hygiene, affecting 119 residents. Observations revealed expired and unlabeled food items, unsanitary kitchen equipment, and CNAs not performing hand hygiene during meal service. The Dietary Manager confirmed the issues, and the DON expressed surprise at the findings, given the Registered Dietician's mock surveys.
The facility reported a medication administration error rate of 15.38%, exceeding the acceptable threshold. Errors included improper insulin pen priming by multiple LPNs and a failure to administer a resident's Sertraline dose on time, despite its availability in the facility's pyxis.
The facility failed to ensure proper insulin administration for three residents, as LPNs did not follow the correct procedure for priming insulin pens. One LPN administered insulin without priming the pen, while two others primed the pens incorrectly, leading to uncertainty about the correct dosage being delivered.
A facility failed to maintain dignity for a resident during an insulin injection. The resident, with diabetes and other conditions, was not provided privacy or a blanket despite requests. The LPN administered the injection with the room door open and the resident's roommate present, violating the facility's dignity policy.
Resident Elopes During Fire Alarm Due to Inadequate Supervision
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide proper supervision for a resident, identified as R97, which resulted in the resident eloping from the facility. During a fire alarm, a resident on another hall pulled the alarm, causing all doors to open. Staff left their assigned areas to manage the situation, leaving R97 unsupervised. Consequently, R97 exited the facility through a secured door that became unsecured due to the alarm and ended up in the courtyard, where they fell and sustained a fractured clavicle. R97 was admitted to the facility with multiple diagnoses, including metabolic encephalopathy, vascular dementia with mood disturbance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, unsteadiness on feet, history of falling, and cognitive communication deficit. The resident's medical history indicated a high risk for falls, which was not adequately addressed during the incident. The lack of supervision during the fire alarm led to R97's unsupervised exit and subsequent fall in the courtyard. Interviews with staff revealed that during the fire alarm, there was a failure to conduct a headcount of residents, and staff were not preassigned to specific doors, leading to confusion and inadequate supervision. The Maintenance Director confirmed that the courtyard gates were not secured, and the fire alarm system allowed doors to become unsecured, contributing to the resident's ability to leave the facility unnoticed.
Medication Storage and Security Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that expired, outdated, or discontinued medications were removed and not stored with resident medications in use. This deficiency was observed in three out of five medication carts and one treatment cart. Specific instances included the storage of discontinued Risperidone and expired Acetaminophen on the Dayspring Unit's medication cart, expired Elder Tonic on the Meadow Ridge medication cart, and expired Hemorrhoidal Ointment on the Meadow Ridge treatment cart. Additionally, expired Vitamin E and discontinued Oxycodone were found on the Rosewood medication cart. These expired and discontinued medications were confirmed and removed by the respective nursing staff. Furthermore, the facility failed to secure a medication cart on the Morning Star Unit. The cart was found unlocked and unattended in the hallway, with a stack of a resident's medication blister packs on top and the computer screen open to a resident's private information. This was confirmed by an LPN who admitted to leaving the cart unattended while attending to a resident in a nearby room. The facility's drug storage guide did not adequately address the storage of expired or discontinued medications, nor did it ensure the security of medication carts when unattended.
Deficiencies in Kitchen Sanitation and Hand Hygiene
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper sanitization of kitchen equipment and management of food items, which could potentially affect 119 residents. During an initial walk-through of the facility kitchen, it was observed that there were expired foods in the main cooler and unlabeled items in the freezer. Specifically, two stainless steel pans containing puree eggs and bread had no preparation dates, and frozen dough and rolls in the freezer were not labeled with open or use-by dates. Additionally, the kitchen equipment, including the industrial stove, hotbox, and deep fryer, had significant accumulations of old food, grease, and grime. Ceiling fans in the kitchen also had dust buildup. The Dietary Manager confirmed these findings and stated that cleaning tasks are assigned and monitored, but was unable to provide documentation of cleaning logs. The facility also failed to ensure that CNAs performed proper hand hygiene during meal service. Observations during a dining session revealed that an LPN handled food trays without performing hand hygiene before or after contact with the trays and residents. The LPN was seen touching her face, hair, and other surfaces before handling food trays, which is against the facility's hand hygiene policy. Interviews with the LPN and the Infection Preventionist confirmed that hand hygiene training is conducted annually, and CNAs are expected to sanitize their hands before and between serving each resident. The Director of Nursing expressed expectations for no expired food in the kitchen and for dietary staff to conduct deep cleaning of kitchen equipment. Despite these expectations, the facility's Registered Dietician's mock surveys did not identify these issues, which were surprising to the DON. The lack of proper food management and hand hygiene practices indicates a failure to adhere to the facility's policies and procedures, potentially compromising resident safety.
Medication Administration Errors and Insulin Pen Misuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a medication administration error rate of less than 5 percent, resulting in a rate of 15.38 percent. This deficiency involved multiple instances of improper insulin pen usage and a failure to administer a prescribed medication on time. Specifically, an LPN administered 10 units of Glargine Insulin to a resident without priming the insulin pen, as required by the facility's policy. Additionally, the same LPN did not administer a 9:00 AM dose of Sertraline 100 mg because it was not in the medication cart, despite the medication being available in the facility's pyxis. Further observations revealed that two other LPNs also failed to follow proper insulin pen priming procedures. One LPN primed the pen horizontally with the needle cap on, while another LPN did the same and did not hold the needle in place for the required 6 to 10 seconds after injection. These actions led to uncertainty about whether the correct insulin dose was administered. The Director of Nursing confirmed the availability of the Sertraline in the facility, indicating a lapse in medication administration protocol adherence.
Failure to Properly Administer Insulin via Insulin Pens
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the proper administration of insulin via insulin pens, resulting in significant medication errors for three residents. The facility's policy on insulin pen administration, revised in August 2023, requires that insulin pens be primed before each use to prevent air from collecting in the insulin reservoir. However, during a medication pass, an LPN administered 10 units of Glargine Insulin to a resident without priming the pen, and admitted to being unaware of the need to prime the pen, thus being unable to confirm the correct dosage was administered. Further observations revealed additional errors in insulin administration. Another LPN primed an insulin pen while holding it horizontally with the needle cap on, before administering 23 units of insulin to a second resident, and could not confirm the correct dosage was delivered. Similarly, a third LPN attempted to prime an insulin pen horizontally with the needle cap still on, before administering insulin to a third resident. This LPN also failed to ensure the correct dosage was administered, as the needle was removed immediately after the injection without verifying the complete delivery of insulin.
Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Insulin Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain dignity for Resident 39 during the administration of an insulin injection. The resident, who was admitted with diagnoses including diabetes mellitus type 2, morbid obesity, and long-term use of insulin, was observed during an insulin administration procedure. During the observation, the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) assisted the resident onto the bed without providing a blanket or privacy, despite the resident's repeated requests for a blanket. The room door was open, and the resident's roommate was present, facing the resident. The LPN proceeded to pull up the resident's dress, unfasten her brief, and administer the insulin injection into her abdomen without providing any form of cover or privacy, thus failing to maintain the resident's dignity and respect as per the facility's policy.
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Resident with a documented fall history left unattended on the patio; found on the ground with a hip fracture.
Walk-in cooler logs missing for 12 days; expired supplements in the medication room fridge.
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Nursing homes near N Charleston
How nearby facilities compare on the same public inspection record.
| Facility | Distance | Overall rating | Citations, 12 mo | Serious (J–L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak Manor - Charleston | 0.7 mi | — | 0 | 0 |
| The Reserve Healthcare And Rehabilitation | 2.8 mi | — | 0 | 0 |
| Hallmark Healthcare Center | 5.8 mi | — | 0 | 0 |
| Oakbrook Health And Rehabilitation Center | 6.1 mi | — | 0 | 0 |
| Presbyterian Communities Of South Carolina-summerv | 9 mi | — | 0 | 0 |
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Trusted data, never guesswork. Every citation, penalty, rating and Plan of Correction on this page is sourced from public CMS records (latest release August 2026) and official state health department websites.