The Terrace At Courtenay Springs

The Terrace At Courtenay Springs holds an overall 2-star rating from CMS, which puts it below average compared to other nursing homes nationwide. That overall score is a composite of three separate ratings, and in this case, the weaker scores are pulling the total down despite one bright spot. The health inspection rating is also 2 stars, meaning state inspectors found a higher-than-average number of citations or more serious violations during their visits. That's worth paying attention to, since those inspections are designed to catch real problems with care, safety, and facility conditions. On the positive side, the staffing rating is a strong 4 stars, which tells you that nurses are spending more time with residents than you'd see at many comparable facilities. More staff time generally means more attentive day-to-day care.

The quality measures rating lands at 3 stars, which is right at the national average. This score looks at 15 clinical outcomes, things like whether residents are experiencing falls, pressure wounds, or declines in mobility, and a middle-of-the-road score here means the facility is keeping pace with most others but isn't standing out. Taken together, the staffing picture is genuinely encouraging, but the inspection history is the piece families should dig into further. Asking the facility directly about any recent citations and what steps they've taken to address them would be a smart next move before making a decision.

At The Terrace At Courtenay Springs, residents receive about 3.88 total nurse hours per day, which is essentially on par with the 3.87-hour average seen across Florida senior care facilities. In practical terms, that means the overall amount of hands-on nursing care a resident gets each day is comparable to what most families would find elsewhere in the state. Where there is a noticeable difference is in registered nurse coverage specifically. The facility logs 0.41 RN hours per resident per day, compared to the Florida average of 0.52. RNs handle more complex medical decisions and oversight, so a lower RN figure can mean that more of the daily care is carried out by licensed practical nurses or certified nursing assistants rather than higher-credentialed staff. That is not necessarily a red flag on its own, but it is worth asking the facility how RN oversight is structured throughout the day, especially if your loved one has ongoing medical needs that require close monitoring.

The Terrace at Courtenay Springs carries a 2-out-of-5-star health inspection rating, which is below average and worth paying attention to as you compare options. That said, the facility has no government penalties on record and has never been fined, which means inspectors have not found violations serious enough to trigger formal enforcement action. The lower inspection rating likely reflects findings from routine surveys that led to citations, but nothing that escalated to the penalty stage. For families, this is a mixed picture - the inspection rating suggests some concerns worth asking the facility about directly, but the clean penalty record means regulators have not taken the additional step of holding the facility financially accountable for any issues found. You can compare this facility's record against others in Merritt Island on the Merritt Island 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 nursing staff been working here, and what does turnover look like over the past year?
3. What happens if my loved one falls or has a medical emergency in the middle of the night - who responds, how quickly, and how will you let me know?
4. Can you walk me through exactly what a typical Tuesday looks like for a resident who doesn't have many visitors?
5. How do you handle a situation where a resident or family member has a complaint about care or staff behavior?
6. Has this facility been cited for any deficiencies in the last two state inspections, and can I see those reports before I leave today?

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