All states › Louisiana › Lake Charles › The Gardens and Guardian
1401 Country Club Road Lake Charles, LA 70605 · Calcasieu County
All 7 nursing homes in Lake Charles, LA (6 take Medicaid)
CMS certification number 195636 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is The Gardens and Guardian a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record
There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for The Gardens and Guardian as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall, above the Louisiana average of 2.6.
Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 5.60 hours per resident per day at The Gardens and Guardian, above the Louisiana median of 3.73 (US median: 3.72). About 0.26 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 4.50 hours, 20% below its all-week average. Ask how weekends are staffed. 66.2% of nursing staff left within a year (Louisiana median 46.4%). High turnover can mean residents see unfamiliar caregivers; ask how long the nurses on the unit have worked there. 2 administrators left in the past year.
About this nursing home
Paying for care at The Gardens and Guardian: Medicare and Medicaid
The Gardens and Guardian is certified for Medicare but not Medicaid. It can provide short-term skilled nursing and rehab covered by Medicare Part A, but if long-term care is needed and Medicaid becomes the payer, a move to a Medicaid-certified home would be needed. 6 other homes in Lake Charles accept Medicaid. Nursing homes that accept Medicaid in Louisiana.
In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on July 21, 2026 and found 0 deficiencies. In total, inspectors issued 10 citations in the last three years.
Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
What the inspections found
Over the last three years, inspectors issued 10 citations at The Gardens and Guardian across 4 inspection dates, 6 of them from complaint investigations. None were at the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy levels; 10 were "potential for more than minimal harm" (D–F) and 0 were minimal (A–C). The most common areas cited were resident assessment and care planning (4) and pharmacy service (3). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards" (tag F0812, level E, March 5, 2025).
March 5, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
July 10, 2024 · 2 citations
DHonor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.
DEncode each resident’s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment.
January 23, 2024 · 5 citations · includes complaint inspection
ESet up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
DProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
DEnsure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
June 21, 2023 · 2 citations
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
Questions to ask on a tour of The Gardens and Guardian
- CMS rates staffing 2 out of 5. How many residents does each nurse aide care for on day, evening and night shifts?
- Weekend staffing is 20% below the all-week average. Who is on duty on Saturday nights?
- Nursing staff turnover was 66.2% a year. How many of the staff come from agencies?
- Several administrators left in the past year. What has changed for residents since then?
- When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?
Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.
Fines and payment denials
1 penalty in the last three years.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 2025 | Payment Denial | 1 days of payments denied |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| August 2026 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near The Gardens and Guardian
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
-
1.0 mi
CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital Lake CharlesEmergency roomMedian ER visit 2h 10m for patients treated and sent home
- 1.2 mi
- 2.7 mi
Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Nearby nursing homes
More nursing homes near The Gardens and Guardian › All nursing homes in Lake Charles ›
Compare The Gardens and Guardian with the 3 closest homes side by side ›
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.