Advanced Health Care of Aurora: Drug Storage Failures - CO
The cart sat by the nurses' station with one staff member facing a computer screen with his back to the medications. Registered nurse #3 opened and closed a drawer, charted on his computer, then walked away at 2:21 p.m. without locking the cart. He didn't return until 2:27 p.m.
Earlier that day, registered nurse #2 discovered the same cart unlocked when she tugged on the top drawer and it opened. She pushed the lock mechanism to secure it, telling inspectors the cart wasn't locked correctly and should be locked at all times.
The facility's medication storage policy requires carts to be locked or attended by authorized personnel at all times. Only licensed nurses and pharmacy staff can access medications.
Licensed practical nurse #2 told inspectors medication carts must stay locked when unattended for safety. She called it a crucial part of the job, especially important because of heavy traffic from visitors, residents and staff in the hallways. Staff receive quarterly training on safe medication storage.
When interviewed, RN #3 said he always made sure carts were locked and would tug on drawers to verify they were secure. He acknowledged the cart should not have been left unlocked.
The director of nursing confirmed medication carts should never be left unlocked and unattended, stating it was facility policy to keep medications locked at all times.
Federal inspectors cited the facility for failing to store medications according to professional standards, finding minimal harm or potential for actual harm to residents.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Advanced Health Care of Aurora from 2025-11-20 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 19, 2026 · Our methodology
ADVANCED HEALTH CARE OF AURORA in AURORA, CO was cited for violations during a health inspection on November 20, 2025.
The cart sat by the nurses' station with one staff member facing a computer screen with his back to the medications.
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.