Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Rehabilitation Center At Sandalwood, The
3835 Harlan St, Wheat Ridge, CO · (303) 422-1533
- Certified beds
- 103
- Residents per day
- 83
- Ownership
- For-Profit
- Chain
- No chain reported
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicare + Medicaid
- Certified since
- September 1, 1990
1
How this home got 4 stars
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
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Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in Colorado.
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Staffing
★★★★★no change
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
-
Quality measures
★★★★★+1 star
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
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Overall
★★★★★4 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Colorado homes
Rehabilitation Center At Sandalwood, The carries 68.5 inspection points. That is fewer than 46% of Colorado's 208 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Colorado: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–22 pts
- 4★ 22–44 pts
- 3★ 44–70.75 pts
- 2★ 70.75–104 pts
- 1★ over 104 pts
Bars show every rated home in Colorado by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
23 health citations on record since 2023. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
Harm and immediate-jeopardy citations (2)
-
L
Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures.
-
G
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Everything else, by area of care
Quality of Life and Care13E
- D
Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
- D
Ensure residents do not lose the ability to perform activities of daily living unless there is a medical reason.
- D
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- D
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
- D
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
- D
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
- D
Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
- D
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
- E
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
- D
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
- D
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- D
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
- D
Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services.
Infection Control2E
- E
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
- D
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Resident Rights2D
- D
Honor the resident's right to manage his or her financial affairs.
- D
Honor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning2D
- D
Provide care by qualified persons according to each resident's written plan of care.
- D
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Administration1F
- F
Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation1D
- D
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Inspection history
2026-02-11
4 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Infection Control (1 deficiency)
2024-04-26
9 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (7 deficiencies)
2023-01-11
10 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (6 deficiencies)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 3 h 39 min of nursing staff time a day, 34 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
3 h 39 min
Colorado average
3 h 42 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Fines and payment denials
$46,150 in federal fines on record over the past three years.
| Date | Penalty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-26 | Fine | $46,150 |
6
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine1.5 pts worse | 91.9% | 93.4% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine1.2 pts better | 94.9% | 93.7% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury0.8 pts worse | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms0.2 pts better | 8.6% | 8.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight2.7 pts better | 2.1% | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication6.1 pts better | 5.5% | 11.6% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication14.8 pts better | 5.1% | 19.9% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained0.1 pts better | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened0.4 pts worse | 12.1% | 11.7% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased4.6 pts better | 8.2% | 12.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder0.2 pts better | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection0.7 pts worse | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence4 pts better | 16.6% | 20.6% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers1.3 pts better | 2.1% | 3.4% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine8.5 pts worse | 68.5% | 77.0% | 82.3% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit4 pts better | 8.0% | 12.0% | 11.8% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication0.8 pts worse | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine12.5 pts worse | 61.1% | 73.6% | 80.1% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission8.8 pts better | 11.7% | 20.5% | 23.4% |
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Fire safety
8 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Smoke4F
- F
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- F
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- E
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- E
Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
Construction1F
- F
Use approved construction type or materials.
Services1F
- F
Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Egress1E
- E
Have properly located and lighted "Exit" signs.
Miscellaneous1D
- D
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
·
Other homes nearby
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Lakeside Post Acute
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★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- J
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 17 min
- Fines
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-
Wheatridge Care Center
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★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- G
- Nursing / resident / day
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- Fines
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-
Cambridge Care Center
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★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- G
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 4 min
- Fines
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