Lakeside Rehab: Administrator Flipped Off Resident - TX
The incident occurred at Lakeside Rehabilitation and Care Center on April 29, when multiple staff members witnessed the administrator flip off Resident #1. A housekeeper saw it happen and reported it to management. The facility's former director of nursing and assistant director of nursing also filed complaints about the administrator's conduct.
But the registered nurse coordinator, who was tasked with investigating, didn't speak with the resident until federal inspectors arrived months later in August. She told inspectors she didn't think it was reportable abuse because too much time had passed.
Ten days elapsed between the incident and when any investigation began.
The resident told inspectors during their August visit that the administrator had indeed made the gesture. When asked about it, the resident "just looked at the Administrator and did not respond." The resident said the incident didn't affect him negatively and he didn't feel intimidated. He said he still maintains his usual patterns at the facility, staying up late and sleeping late, with staff accommodating his preferences.
The registered nurse coordinator admitted in a phone interview with inspectors that a housekeeper told her about the administrator's hand gesture toward the resident. Despite this report, she chose not to interview the resident directly. She said the resident hadn't reported any issues in a subsequent "Safe Survey" conducted on May 8.
Her reasoning for not investigating promptly was that "a lot of time had passed" between April 29 and May 8. She told inspectors the administrator received verbal counseling about the incident, but no written disciplinary action was taken.
The facility conducted an abuse prevention in-service following the incident and resident responses on the May 8 surveys, but no further investigations were conducted into any allegations that emerged.
The regional director of operations, who oversees 20 facilities, said in a phone interview that he received emails about complaints against the administrator from the former director of nursing and assistant director of nursing. He assigned the registered nurse coordinator to investigate the director of nursing's complaint.
The regional director struggled to recall details, telling inspectors it had been some time since the incidents and he might not remember the timeline accurately. He said he believed the registered nurse coordinator shared her investigation results with him, though he couldn't remember specifics.
When pressed about whether the finger gesture was reportable, he said it was "bordering on reportable but sounded like it was reportable." He was unaware that the registered nurse coordinator had never interviewed the targeted resident. He thought the administrator had been counseled about the incident but wasn't sure what action was taken.
A confidential source told inspectors they heard about the administrator flipping off the resident. This source said they heard the resident tell the former assistant director of nursing: "I don't know why he would feel comfortable doing that with me because we don't have a relationship like that."
The comment suggests the resident was surprised by the administrator's conduct and didn't consider their relationship casual enough to warrant such behavior.
During the exit conference on August 28, the administrator vehemently denied the allegations. He told inspectors he disagreed with their findings and "adamantly denied the allegation he flipped Resident #1 off."
The administrator also disputed the registered nurse coordinator's account of being counseled. He said she never formally counseled him and only told him "if you did it don't do it again."
Federal inspectors found the facility violated regulations requiring that residents be treated with dignity and respect. The facility's own resident rights policy, dated December 2016, states that employees must treat all residents with kindness, respect and dignity.
The case illustrates how nursing homes can fail residents even when incidents are witnessed and reported internally. Multiple staff members, including the housekeeper who saw it happen and nursing leadership who filed complaints, brought the administrator's conduct to management's attention.
Yet the investigation was delayed, incomplete, and resulted in minimal consequences. The registered nurse coordinator's decision not to interview the resident meant the facility never directly asked the person most affected by the incident about their experience or whether they felt safe.
The 10-day delay between incident and investigation also meant potential evidence could be lost and witnesses' memories could fade. Federal guidelines typically require immediate investigation of potential abuse allegations to protect residents and preserve evidence.
The administrator's denial during the exit conference, combined with his dispute over whether he was properly counseled, suggests ongoing disagreement about what happened and what consequences were appropriate.
The resident's response that he wasn't intimidated and continues his normal routines may indicate resilience, but it doesn't excuse the inappropriate conduct or the facility's inadequate response. Nursing home residents depend on staff to maintain professional boundaries and treat them with basic respect.
The facility's failure to properly investigate when multiple staff members reported concerning behavior by the administrator raises questions about its commitment to protecting residents from potential mistreatment. The registered nurse coordinator's reasoning that too much time had passed to make it reportable contradicts standard practices for investigating abuse allegations in long-term care settings.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lakeside Rehabilitation and Care Center from 2025-08-28 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
LAKESIDE REHABILITATION AND CARE CENTER in LUBBOCK, TX was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 28, 2025.
The incident occurred at Lakeside Rehabilitation and Care Center on April 29, when multiple staff members witnessed the administrator flip off Resident #1.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.