The Preserve

The Preserve holds a 5-star overall rating from CMS, which is the highest possible score and puts it well above most nursing homes nationwide. That top-line number is a composite built from three separate ratings, each measuring something different about how a facility operates. On Health Inspections, The Preserve earned 4 stars, meaning state inspectors found fewer and less serious problems than the typical facility - a good sign that the home is meeting care standards and keeping residents safe from preventable issues. The Staffing rating also comes in at 4 stars, which tells you that nurses are spending more time with residents than average - practically speaking, that means your loved one is less likely to wait long for help and more likely to receive attentive, individualized care each day.

Where The Preserve really stands out is in Quality Measures, where it earned a perfect 5 stars. This rating is based on 15 clinical indicators that track actual resident health outcomes - things like falls, pressure sores, infections, and how well residents maintain their physical functioning. A 5-star score here means the facility is consistently achieving results that are much better than average across those measures. When CMS combines all three components into an overall rating, a strong Quality Measures score carries significant weight, and that is what helps push The Preserve to an overall 5 stars even with two components sitting at 4. For families, the takeaway is straightforward: this is a facility with solid inspection results, good staffing levels, and genuinely strong health outcomes for the people living there.

The Preserve stands out when it comes to staffing compared to most Florida nursing homes. Registered nurses there provide about 1.19 hours of care per resident each day, which is more than double the Florida average of 0.52 hours. When you add in all nursing staff, residents receive roughly 4.94 total nurse hours per day versus the state average of 3.87. In practical terms, that means when your loved one needs help getting up in the morning, managing medications, or dealing with an unexpected health concern, there are more trained hands available to respond. Higher staffing does not guarantee a perfect experience, but it does generally mean shorter wait times for assistance and more opportunities for staff to notice small changes in a resident's condition before they become bigger problems.

The Preserve has a solid 4-out-of-5-star health inspection rating, which suggests inspectors have generally found things in order during their visits. That said, the facility does have one government penalty on record, with a fine of $25,155 issued in May 2023. A single penalty doesn't automatically signal a troubled facility, but it's worth asking the facility directly what the citation was for and what steps were taken to fix the problem. Taking that kind of information in context alongside staffing levels, resident reviews, and your own visit will give you a much clearer picture than any single data point. Families evaluating this facility can compare it to others in Fort Myers on the Fort Myers nursing homes and assisted living page.

1. How many residents does each certified nursing assistant care for during the day shift, and does that number change at night or on weekends?
2. How long have your direct care staff been working here on average, and what is your turnover rate over the past year?
3. If my loved one has a fall, a medication error, or a serious change in condition, how will you notify me, and how quickly can I expect that call?
4. Can I visit at any time without calling ahead, including evenings and weekends, or are there restrictions on when family can come?
5. What does a typical day actually look like for a resident who needs help with bathing, meals, and getting around, from the time they wake up until they go to bed?
6. How do residents or family members raise a complaint, and can you show me an example of a concern that was reported and what changed as a result?

For more guidance on evaluating facilities, see our guide to questions to ask when choosing a Florida nursing home.