Life Care Center: Resident Rights Violations - FL
That happened on the morning of February 1, 2026. That same evening, a different nurse gave the same resident the same medication. His heart rate was 58. Still below the threshold. Still no call to the doctor. It happened again on February 7. Then again on February 11, when his blood pressure had also collapsed to 108 over 49, below the separate cutoff the physician had written into the orders.
Four times in eleven days. Four nurses. Nobody contacted the doctor once.
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 17, carried a list of diagnoses that made those vital signs matter: cognitive communication deficits that left him unable to speak clearly, protein calorie malnutrition, major depressive disorder, chronic hepatitis C, and lymphedema, in addition to the high blood pressure the Metoprolol was prescribed to treat. His physician's order was specific: hold the 50-milligram tablet if the heart rate fell below 60, and call the doctor if it dropped below 50. On February 1 at 8 a.m., it was 52.
Staff K, the licensed practical nurse who signed the medication record that morning, told inspectors she could see exactly what had happened. "I do see in the MAR on 2/1/2026 at 8 AM that I signed and the HR was 52," she said during an interview on February 12. "The order stated hold if HR is less than 60 so I agree that the vitals are out of parameters. I should have notified the MD and at that time discussed the next protocol for the resident. I should have held the medication and made a progress note."
She had not done any of those things.
Staff J, the nurse who gave the medication that evening when the heart rate was 58, was equally direct with inspectors. "I did give his blood pressure medications out of parameter on 2/1/2026 at 8 PM," she said, "but I didn't look at any other months. I should have notified the MD that his pulse was under 60 and then the MD would have advised me further on the next step."
The advanced practice registered nurse overseeing Resident 17's care told inspectors she had received no calls from staff about any of this. "I have not gotten any calls from staff informing me the medication was not given when out of the parameters," she said. She described the resident as stable, noting elevated blood pressure at times but no hospitalizations.
A second resident, identified as Resident 35, ran into a different version of the same problem. Her medication record showed a checkmark for a blood pressure drug during a period when inspectors found reason to question whether she had actually received it. Staff D, an LPN, told inspectors: "A check mark documented on the medication record normally means that the medication was given. I don't remember, it's been some time. If I marked it off, I probably gave the medication."
Probably.
Another nurse who cared for Resident 35 acknowledged the stakes plainly. "I want to talk to the provider about that order because she has high blood pressure," the nurse told inspectors. "If the medication is not given to her, her blood pressure goes up." She added: "We get so used to the residents."
The Director of Nursing, interviewed the morning of February 12, offered a four-word response to what inspectors had uncovered. "Nurses need to follow the parameters and nursing orders," she said.
For Resident 17, a man who could not easily speak for himself, the parameters had been ignored four separate times by four separate nurses across eleven days. His heart was beating too slowly each time. The medication that can slow it further went in anyway.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Life Care Center of Citrus County from 2026-02-12 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: August 4, 2026 · Our methodology
LIFE CARE CENTER OF CITRUS COUNTY in LECANTO, FL was cited for violations during a health inspection on February 12, 2026.
That happened on the morning of February 1, 2026.
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.