Highlands Lake Center
4240 LAKELAND HIGHLANDS RD, Lakeland, FL 33813
Lakeland, Florida · CMS verdict
Highlands Lake Center holds a 2 of 5 CMS overall star rating - below the Florida state average of 3.2, reflecting below-average quality on the federal five-star scale.
The rating and the PlainElderCare Index below summarize federal inspection, staffing, and outcome data, they measure specific, documented dimensions of this facility, not a holistic verdict on the care your family member would receive. Visit in person, talk with staff and current residents' families, and weigh your family member's specific needs before choosing.
Highlands Lake Center in Lakeland, Florida holds a CMS overall rating of 2 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 45 of 100 (grade F). The 179-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Florida runs a median of $10,342 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index
A transparent composite of this facility's CMS Care Compare sub-ratings and its federal inspection record. It complements, and does not replace, the official CMS overall rating of 2 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 45 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 45.
Weights: health inspections 30%, staffing 25%, quality measures 25%, inspection record 20%; any dimension CMS has not published drops out and its weight redistributes (no silent deflation). Inspection record is benchmarked against all rated US nursing homes. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Data insights
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), Highlands Lake Center carries an overall CMS quality rating of 2 out of 5 stars. That figure rolls up three sub-ratings tracked separately: health inspection (2/5), staffing (3/5), and quality measures (4/5).
What each sub-rating measures
The health inspection rating reflects on-site surveyor findings from the last three cycles. The staffing rating compares case-mix-adjusted nurse hours per resident day to national benchmarks, and quality measures aggregate 15 clinical indicators including pressure ulcers, falls with injury, and long-stay antipsychotic use.
Size and setting
Located in Lakeland, Florida, this facility operates 179 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 158 residents - an occupancy rate of about 88%. The facility is classified under for profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. Occupancy of about 88% puts this facility in normal territory for a stabilized operation, neither unusually full nor unusually empty.
Same-ownership peers
Within Florida, Highlands Lake Center is one of 185 for profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 2-star overall rating sits below the for profit - corporation-segment average of 3.3 stars, ahead of roughly 12% of same-ownership peers in the state. Comparing a facility against its own ownership segment holds the business model roughly constant, which helps isolate facility-level performance from the staffing and reinvestment patterns that differ across for-profit, non-profit, and government operators.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility (33 total). CMS has levied no enforcement penalties over the equivalent window. This is a high deficiency count relative to most facilities; requesting the full survey report directly is the only way to see whether these are concentrated in one area or spread across the facility's operations.
Where these figures come from
The figures above come directly from the U.S. Centers for Medicare \& Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare dataset for federal quality ratings, combined with the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey of more than 15,000 elder-care providers nationwide and U.S. Census American Community Survey income data. Cost figures are monthly medians, refreshed annually with each new CareScout release; quality ratings are refreshed quarterly from the CMS Provider Information File. Read these state and county medians as benchmarks, then verify current rates with individual providers and consult care managers before making placement decisions. See our methodology for source vintage.
How Highlands Lake Center compares to Florida
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Florida facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Florida state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Highlands Lake Center ranks in Florida
Among the 689 CMS-rated nursing homes in Florida, Highlands Lake Center’s 2-star overall rating is higher than 15% of them. The bars show how all Florida homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
135 Florida homes share this 2-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 179 |
| Residents | 158 |
| Ownership | For profit - Corporation |
| County | Polk |
| Penalties | 0 |
| Deficiencies | 33 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Highlands Lake Center? ▾
2 out of 5 stars is Highlands Lake Center's current CMS overall rating, built from a health inspection rating of 2/5, a staffing rating of 3/5, and a quality measures rating of 4/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Florida? ▾
In Florida, a semi-private nursing home room runs a median $10,342/month ($124,100/year) per the CareScout 2025 survey; private rooms average $12,167/month.
What services does Highlands Lake Center offer? ▾
Highlands Lake Center operates as a skilled nursing facility (179 beds with approximately 158 current residents) under for profit - corporation ownership. CMS inspections have recorded 33 deficiencies and 0 penalties there.
Does Highlands Lake Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Highlands Lake Center has multiple deficiencies (33 total) and 0 penalties recorded by CMS. A count this high is above what most facilities post; ask the facility directly for its plan of correction on the largest findings.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in Florida? ▾
In Florida, alternatives include assisted living ($5,610/mo), home health aides ($6,101/mo), and adult day care ($1,625/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Florida elder-care overview, or see how facilities rank nationwide in our highest-rated states ranking.
Weigh nursing care against assisted living, home health, and adult day care, with national median costs, on our care types comparison, and learn how to fund it in our paying for elder care guide.
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Provider ID: 105620.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.