Apex Secure Care Brownfield
APEX SECURE CARE BROWNFIELD in BROWNFIELD, TX — inspection on April 14, 2026.
Found 10 citations. Severity: Standard violations.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct within required timeframes. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns and are subject to follow-up verification.
Inspection Findings
During a wound care observation on 4/13/2026 at 10:07am, revealed LVN A entered Resident #32's room and performed wound care to Resident #32's left buttock. LVN A did not close the door to Resident #32's room which allowed any staff, visitor or wandering resident to enter the room. Resident #32 was visible from the hallway. LVN A did not close the privacy curtain between Resident #32 and Resident #23, the roommate, who was sleeping in the room, facing away from Resident #32. LVN A did not close the window blinds, that had direct view to the street and to the facility exterior premises.
During an interview on 4/13/2025 at 6:27pm with LVN A, she stated she had been trained to provide privacy but was unsure of her last training.
She stated she did not close the door, but she had pulled the curtain enough so Resident #32 was not visible from the hallway. LVN A stated she did not close the curtain between Resident #32 and Resident #23 because Resident #23 was sleeping and was rolled the other direction. LVN A stated, I never close the windows or the blinds because it is a locked facility anyways. LVN A stated the purpose of providing privacy to residents during care was to for dignity and because no one wants to be exposed.
LVN A stated a potential negative outcome of not providing privacy to residents could be residents feeling embarrassed or exposed. On 4/13/2026 at 6:44pm an interview was attempted with Resident #32. Resident #32 was not cognitively intact and was not interviewable.
During an interview on 4/14/2026 at 3:13pm with the ADM, he stated he expected the staff to provide full privacy when providing care. He stated privacy meant having the door closed, the blinds closed and the privacy curtain pulled. He stated he was unsure if LVN A had been trained on privacy and dignity. He stated LVN A's actions were careless. He stated the potential negative outcome would be dignity issues for the residents. He stated they did not have a policy for privacy/dignity, but they had a quality-of-life policy that had information related to privacy and dignity.
Record review of facility policy titled Quality of life- Dignity last revised February 2020, revealed; Each resident shall be cared for in a manner that promotes and enhances his or her sense of well-being, level of satisfaction with life, feeling of self-worth and self-esteem. 10.
Staff promote, maintain and protect resident privacy, including bodily privacy during assistance with personal care and during treatment procedures. 11.
Demeaning practices and standards of care that compromise dignity are prohibited.
Staff are expected to promote dignity and assist residents. 12.
Staff are expected to treat cognitively impaired residents with dignity and sensitivity.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
encouraged to use their personal belongings to the extent possible. 1. A safe, clean, comfortable and
physical layout of the facility maximizes resident independence and does not pose a safety risk.2.
to, preventing the spread of disease-causing organisms by keeping resident care equipment clean and properly stored, orderly (uncluttered physical environment that is neat and well-kept) and comfortable interior.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
The facility failed to maintain RN coverage of eight hours a day for 6 days.
This failure could place residents at risk of not having their nursing and medical needs met and receiving improper care.
Findings included:
Record review of the facility's employee survey roster dated 4/12/26 revealed there were three RNs employed at the facility.
Record review of Punch Detail Reports, dated 10/4/2025, 10/5/2025, 10/11/2025, 10/12/2025, 10/19/2025, and 11/9/2025, revealed there were no hours logged for RN coverage.
Record review of an email dated 4/13/2026 at 10:53 AM, revealed the ADM's response to the surveyor read, unfortunately, facility did not have RN coverage dates requested, when punch-in details for RN coverage were requested for 10/4/2025, 10/5/2025, 10/11/2025, 10/12/2025, 10/19/2025, and 11/9/2025.
During an interview on 4/15/26 at 3:42 PM, the ADM stated he was aware there was no RN coverage for 6 days in October and November 2025 He stated the RN who was scheduled to work chose not to work on those days. He stated the RN was contracted to work at the facility through an agency they had a contract with.
The ADM stated the facility policy required RN coverage 7 days a week for 8 hours per day. He stated there currently was no DON employed at the facility. He stated he had hired a new DON who would start soon. He stated the facility DON resigned without notice on 4/09/2026. He stated the DON usually monitored RN coverage and would contact an agency to ensure there was RN coverage. He stated staff had been trained in RN coverage requirements. He stated there was a DON employed at the facility during the time RN coverage was not met. He stated he expected there to be RN coverage daily or filled by the DON. He stated a potential negative outcome was that there would be lack of supervision from an RN to ensure quality of care and quality of life to every resident. He stated the punch details sheets he had would reflect no hours for RN Coverage on those dates.
During an interview on 4/15/26 at 4:54 PM, the BOM stated the documents provided for RN coverage on the dates requested had the date at the top of the document and were blank to show there was no RN coverage on those dates.
Record review of the policy provided by the facility titled, Registered Nurse, undated, revealed the following: Purpose: Ensure that a Registered Nurse is available for supervision in the facility.
Procedure: Except when waived, the facility must use the services of a registered nurse for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
Observation on 04/13/26 at 6:03 PM the test trays arrived at the family dining room and were sampled by three surveyors at 6:05 PM with the following results: Regular Meal - Regular TextureFish Sandwich - mushy texture, freezer tasteTator tots - cold/lukewarmSalad - okay Regular Meal - Mechanical Soft TextureFish - lukewarm beans - cold Regular Meal - PureeFish - okay, smoothTator tots - lukewarmBeans - okay, smooth During an interview on 04/14/26 at 2:33 PM, the DM stated he tasted the food before and after it was served about two to three times a month.
The DM stated he also asked the residents about the food and had not heard a lot of negative feedback.
The DM stated he was always in contact with the Dietician regarding the food and he was trained to follow the recipe.
The DM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was it could cause food borne illness if the food was cold or malnutrition if they did not want to eat all of it.
During an interview on 04/14/26 at 2:44 PM, the ADM stated he expected the food to be tasteful, at an appetizing temperature and presentable.
The ADM stated he tasted the food every once in a while.
The ADM stated the DM had been trained on food palatability periodically.
The ADM stated the Dietician had been out to the facility recently and he was still awaiting her report on the kitchen services.
The ADM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was they could get sick.
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Food and Nutrition Services, with a revised date of 10/17 reflected the following: Policy Statement: Each resident is provided with a nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diet that meets his or her daily nutritional and special dietary needs, taking into consideration the preferences of each resident.Policy Interpretation and Implementation:.7.
Food and nutrition services staff will inspect food trays to ensure that the correct meal is provided to each resident, the food appears palatable and attractive, and it is served at a safe and appetizing temperature.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
room surfaces not in contact with food shall be cleaned on a regular schedule and frequently enough
cleanliness throughout their work areas during all tasks, and to clean after each task before
food shall be marked to indicate the date by which food shall be consumed on the premises, sold or discarded, The ready -to-eat food if held at 41 degrees Fahrenheit can only be held for a maximum of 7 days, with day of preparation being day 1.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
competencies and skills sets to provide nursing and related services to assure resident safety and
resident for 1 of 5 (LVN C) nursing staff reviewed in that:
The facility failed to ensure LVN C maintained an active nursing license while working as a nurse.
The failure could place residents at risk of receiving care from an unlicensed professional.
The findings include:
Record review of the facility employee records on [DATE] at 4:20 PM, revealed LVN C had an LVN/LPN license with an expiration date of [DATE].
Record review of the facility's punch-detail report from [DATE] to [DATE] revealed the following:LVN C worked:[DATE] - 11.1 hours[DATE] - 11.08 hours[DATE] - 11.93 hours[DATE] - 11.17 hours[DATE] - 12.07 hours[DATE] - 9.07 hours[DATE] - 5.0 hours[DATE] - 10.92 hours[DATE] - 3.03 hours[DATE] - 12.82 hours Interview on [DATE] at 4:33 PM, the BOM stated that she had checked LVN C's license and the expiration date was correct.
The BOM stated LVN C was sent home yesterday ([DATE]) when the facility checked her license and showed that it was expired.
The BOM stated it was her responsibility to check the nursing staff's licenses and certificates.
The BOM stated she checked the license for the nursing staff upon hire and that was how she was trained.
The BOM stated it could be a problem for the residents if their nurse did not have a current license.
Interview on [DATE] at 4:38 PM, the ADM stated the BOM was responsible for checking the license/certificate for the nursing staff.
The ADM stated he expected all licensed individuals to be up to date when required.
The ADM stated the BOM had been trained to check the employees' licenses regularly.
The ADM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was that they could be dealing with someone who did not have a license.
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Licensure, Certification, and Registration of Personnel, with a revised date of 04/07 reflected the following: Policy Statement: Employees who require a license, certification, or registration to perform their duties must present such verification with their application for employment.Policy Interpretation and Implementation1.
Personnel who require a license, certification, or registration to perform their duties must present verification of such license/certification/registration to the human resources director/designee prior to or upon employment.2. A copy of the current license, certification, or registration number must be filed in the employee's personnel record.3. A copy of recertifications (e.g. annual, bi-annual, etc., as applicable) must be presented to the human resources director/designee upon receipt of such recertifications and prior to the expiration of current licensure, certification, and/or registration. A copy of the recertification must be filed in the employee's personnel record.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
#1,2,32,36,40,46,3,50,54,4 and 63 revealed they all had an order for enhanced barrier precautions.
jeopardy to resident health or not have signs and symptoms of infection on 4/14/2026.
Record review of facility in-service titled safety Handwashing/Hand Hygiene; Standard precautions; infection prevention policies and practices/enhance barrier precautions dated 4/13/2026 revealed 30 staff signatures.
The in-service
specifically gown and glove use for residents with chronic wounds or MDRO's.
Hand hygiene: strict adherence before and after resident contact and dressing changes.
Immediately remove the contaminated supplies (scissors, wound cleaner).
Ensure all multi- use wound care equipment is either discarded or undergoes high level disinfection per manufacturer and CDC guidelines.
During interviews conducted on 4/14/2026 from 2:35pm- 4:33pm revealed the ADON, LVNs A,B,C,E,G, CNAs H,J,L,P,R,T,U,X and CMAs S,W had been trained on infection control practices.
They stated they had been trained to utilize hand hygiene between glove changes and before and after any resident care.
They stated EBP was initiated for residents who have wounds, invasive devices or a history of infections.
They stated the potential negative outcome of not utilizing infection control practices could be spreading infection between residents and staff members.
They stated they had been trained in putting on and removing PPE.
They stated if they knew a resident had a wound or invasive device and there were no PPE or EBP signs, they would notify the ADON and follow up to ensure all precautions were implemented.
They stated any equipment used between residents such as scissors, or blood pressure cuffs must be cleaned before and after use with the sanitizing wipes and allowed to airdry before using on a resident to prevent the spread of infection.
They stated if they were responsible for wound care they would ensure dermal wound spray would be kept outside the room and used the spray on the gauze before entering the room as part of their wound preparation.
They stated dermal wound spray should not be taken into the resident's room and used directly on the wound as it could potentially lead to cross contamination. On 4/14/2026 at 5:01pm, the Administrator was notified that the IJ was removed.
However, the facility remained out of compliance at a scope of isolated and a severity level of no actual harm with potential for more than minimal harm that is not immediate jeopardy due to the facility's need to evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective systems.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
During the initial kitchen observation on 04/12/26 beginning around 10:09 AM, the left oven door was opened, and a cardboard square came out from between the bottom of the stove and the top of the oven door and fell on the floor.
The oven door did not close and had about two to three inches gap between the door and the stove.
During an interview on 04/12/26 at 10:25 AM, [NAME] B stated the spring went out on the oven door about two to three weeks ago. [NAME] B stated she thought it had been reported. [NAME] B stated they had been using the cardboard square to help keep the oven door closed all of the way.
During an interview on 04/14/26 at 1:35 PM, the Maintenance Supervisor stated he was aware of the broken oven door and he would get it fixed that day.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated he asked the staff to write all repairs in the maintenance log, so he did not forget them.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated that the oven door needed a spring, but he would find another way to keep the oven door closed without using the cardboard square.
During an interview on 04/14/26 at 2:33 PM, the DM stated the left oven door had a broken spring.
The DM stated the left oven door has been broken for about a month.
The DM stated he was using towels to help keep the oven door closed, but the kitchen staff was using a cardboard square.
The DM stated the maintenance supervisor did know about the broken oven door.
The DM stated the facility had ordered a spring to fix the broken door, but he was not able to find an invoice related to it.
The DM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was that their food could not be cooked thoroughly or some of it could be burned.
During an interview on 04/14/26 at 2:44 PM the ADM stated he expected the kitchen equipment to be operational and functional.
The ADM stated the left oven door had been an issue and the DM had told him it needed a new spring.
The ADM stated he would need more information on the oven to order a spring for the door due to how old the oven was.
The ADM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was bad food, food that was not fully cooked or was burned.
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Maintenance Service, with a revised date of 10/09 reflected the following: Policy Statement: Maintenance service shall be provided to all areas of the building, grounds, and equipment.Policy Interpretation and Implementation:1.
The maintenance department is responsible for maintaining the buildings, grounds, and equipment in a safe and operable manner at all times.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
Observation on 04/12/26 at 11:25 AM, revealed the floors around the nursing station were noted to have several areas of white/black marks on the brown flooring.
Interview on 04/12/26 at 1:06 PM, the Maintenance Supervisor stated the ceiling had started leaking this weekend (04/11/26) with the rain.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated the area was blocked off from the residents.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated he had been working with a roofing company in town and was waiting for them to give a quote to fix the roof damage.
Observation on 04/13/26 at 11:26 AM in C Hall, revealed brown water spots noted on 5 ceiling tiles outside Room C9.
During a confidential family interview on an undisclosed dated at an undisclosed time revealed the facility was in bad shape and dirty.
Interview on 04/14/26 at 1:35 PM, the Maintenance Supervisor stated the floors in the dining room and around the nursing station, he was working on pieces to get them replaced.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated some areas on the floors were walked on a lot by residents and family members and their wheelchairs.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated the roof and ceilings were a problem and a company had gone out about a month or two ago and he was still waiting for them to contact him with the quote.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated the leaking areas were blocked off to the residents, so no one slipped.
Interview on 04/14/26 at 2:44 PM the ADM stated the facility had spoken with two companies regarding the roof damage and it had been a while since they had gone back and forth, asking the Maintenance Supervisor about it needing the estimates.
The ADM stated last week there was still no reply and he did not know what the hold-up was.
The ADM stated the Maintenance Supervisor was trained on repairs, but he would start fixing one thing and then another area would need immediate attention.
The ADM stated the building was old and had chronic issues.
The ADM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was a bad appearance or not homelike.
Record review of the facility document titled, Maintenance Work Order Log from 3/16/26 to present revealed: 4/12 - Roof in dining room leaking
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Maintenance Service, with a revised date of 12/09 reflected the following: Policy Statement: Maintenance service shall be provided to all areas of the building, grounds, and equipment.Policy Interpretation and Implementation:1.
The maintenance department is responsible for maintaining the buildings, grounds, and equipment in a safe and operable manner at all times.2.
Functions of maintenance personnel include, but are not limited to:a. maintaining the building in compliance with current federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines.b. maintaining the building in good repair and free from hazards .3.
The maintenance director is responsible for developing and maintaining a schedule of maintenance services to assure that the buildings, grounds, and equipment are maintained in a safe and operable manner.
675019 04/14/2026
Apex Secure Care Brownfield 1101 E Lake St Brownfield, TX 79316
facility failed to ensure the handrail in Hall C between Rooms C3 and C4 was firmly attached to the
04/13/26 at 10:12 AM, the handrail in C Hall between Rooms C3 and C4 was noted to be loose/wobbly and not firmly attached to the wall.
Interview on 04/14/26 at 1:35 PM, the Maintenance Supervisor stated he did not know about the handrail in C Hall or the water damage on the ceiling tiles.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated if it was not written in the Maintenance logbook, then he did not know about it.
The Maintenance Supervisor stated a resident could fall with a loose handrail.
Interview on 04/14/26 at 2:44 PM, the ADM stated the Maintenance Supervisor was trained on repairs, but he will start fixing one thing and then another area will need immediate attention.
The ADM stated the building was old and had chronic issues.
The ADM stated a potential negative outcome to the residents was a bad appearance or not homelike.
Record review of the facility document titled, Maintenance Work Order Log from 3/16/26 to present revealed no work orders related to the handrail between Rooms C3 and C4.
Record review of the facility's policy titled, Maintenance Service, with a revised date of 12/09 reflected the following: Policy Statement: Maintenance service shall be provided to all areas of the building, grounds, and equipment.Policy Interpretation and Implementation:1.
The maintenance department is responsible for maintaining the buildings, grounds, and equipment in a safe and operable manner at all times.2.
Functions of maintenance personnel include, but are not limited to:a. maintaining the building in compliance with current federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines.b. maintaining the building in good repair and free from hazards .3.
The maintenance director is responsible for developing and maintaining a schedule of maintenance services to assure that the buildings, grounds, and equipment are maintained in a safe and operable manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an F-tag violation?
- F-tags are federal deficiency codes used by CMS to categorize nursing home violations. Each F-tag corresponds to a specific federal regulation (42 CFR Part 483). For example, F607 relates to abuse prevention policies, F880 relates to infection control.
- Were these violations corrected?
- Facilities must submit plans of correction and implement changes within required timeframes. CMS conducts follow-up inspections to verify corrections. Check the inspection report for specific correction dates and follow-up verification status.
- How often do nursing home inspections happen?
- CMS conducts unannounced inspections of all Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes at least once per year. Additional inspections may occur based on complaints, facility-reported incidents, or follow-up to verify previous violations were corrected.
- What should families do about these violations?
- Families should: (1) Review the full inspection report for details, (2) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspections, (4) Compare with other facilities in BROWNFIELD, TX, (5) Report new concerns to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- Complete inspection reports are available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request copies directly from APEX SECURE CARE BROWNFIELD or from the state Department of Health. Reports include deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines.