The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in California

Compare the Worst Nursing Homes in California

Every year, thousands of seniors, their families, and friends are faced with the difficult decision of choosing a skilled nursing facility, either because someone is recuperating after a hospital visit or for end-of-life care. This is usually an issue that arises suddenly, and the decision makers are not equipped with the right knowledge and information to make a good decision. Not knowing how to decide, they turn to others for recommendations. Word of mouth, along with geography, are constantly cited as the most important factors in choosing a skilled nursing facility. Choosing a facility with such limited information can lead to significant problems. Not all skilled nursing facilities are the same and the people that you trust to recommend a facility may not know enough about the facility and the alternatives to be a competent guide.

Providing the type of care that residents of skilled nursing facilities require is very difficult. The range of issues that are being treated is vast and the needs cover both people recuperating and recovering as well as those facing end-of-life issues. Residents require significant help with basic daily activities as well as supplemental needs like oxygen and 24/7 monitoring.

To help people who are facing this difficult situation, we have compiled a list of the worst California skilled nursing facilities and the the best skilled nursing facilities. (We have also compiled the best and worst nursing homes by city for most cities in the United States, links are shown at the bottom on this page.) The lists are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (“CMS”) and include information gathered from detailed annual inspections, monthly reporting, complaint histories, deficiency reports and much more.

The list below calls out the worst skilled nursing facilities in California. For the most part these facilities should be avoided. All the facilities have issues with cleanliness and safety and a large number of the facilities have been flagged by CMS as locations where abuse has either occurred or is highly likely.

Avoiding these facilities may not always be an option either because of geographic, monetary, or occupancy constraints. However, being in a bad nursing home does not mean that the resident will not improve. If you have a loved one in one of these facilities, we encourage you to visit often and to ask that friends and other family visit too. It is well documented that positive outcomes for skilled nursing residents is highly correlated with the number and diversity of people visiting the resident. Being there, getting to know the staff, showing the staff that the resident has people that care about him or her is critical. There may not always be a better option, but your direct involvement can make a difference.

To see a more detailed analysis of the performance on skilled nursing facilities in California, including staffing, COVID-19 infections, historical occupancy levels and recent trends, look at our detailed analysis page.

Nursing Home	Rating
Riverside Point Healthcare and Wellness Centre 375 COHASSET RD CHICO, CA	617.17 /
Rio Hondo Subacute and Nursing Center 273 E BEVERLY BOULEVARD MONTEBELLO, CA	548.50 /
Sunset Villa Post Acute 3232 E. ARTESIA BLVD. LONG BEACH, CA	500.83 /
Sunray Healthcare Center 3210 W PICO BLVD LOS ANGELES, CA	483.50 /
Greenfield Care Center of Fairfield 1260 TRAVIS BLVD FAIRFIELD, CA	481.00
Santa Anita Convalescent Hospital 5522 GRACEWOOD AVE. TEMPLE CITY, CA	479.83 /
Maclay Healthcare Center 12831 MACLAY STREET SYLMAR, CA	478.33 /
The Rehabilitation Center of North Hills 9655 SEPULVEDA BOULEVARD NORTH HILLS, CA	461.67
Briarcrest Nursing Center 5648 EAST GOTHAM STREET BELL GARDENS, CA	437.00
Berkley East Healthcare Center 2021 ARIZONA AVE SANTA MONICA, CA	426.00 /

Nursing Homes with the warning icon () have been flagged by CMS for abuse.

How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in California

Every month, we rank all of the skilled nursing facilities in California. These rankings are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid measures ("CMS"), including the CMS 5-Star Rating System and the Health Inspection Scores. The list of the Worst Skilled Nursing Facilities in California is based on the weighted overall health inspection score which is a composite of CMS's three most recent skilled nursing home inspection scores weighted to give the most recent inspection more importance.

The CMS 5-Star Rating System rates skilled nursing facilities from one to five stars, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. The rating system also rates California nursing homes across five different dimensions including overall rating, health inspection rating, quality measures rating, overall staffing rating, and RN staffing rating (RN is an acronym for Registered Nurse).

In addition to the 5-Star Rating System, CMS provides numerical metrics that summarize:

Health Inspection Domain. The health inspection rating is based on the three most recent standard surveys for each nursing home, results from any complaint investigations during the most recent three-year period, and any repeat revisits needed to verify that required corrections have brought the facility back into compliance. CMS calculates a weighted deficiency score based on points assigned to health deficiencies identified in each active provider’s current health inspection survey and the two prior surveys (including revisits), as well as deficiency findings from the most recent three years of complaint investigations. More recent surveys are weighted more heavily than older surveys: the most recent period (cycle 1) is assigned a weighting factor of 1/2, the previous period (cycle 2) has a weighting factor of 1/3, and the second prior survey (cycle 3) has a weighting factor of 1/6. The weighted time period scores are then summed to create the survey score for each facility.
Staffing Domain. Using multiple reporting methods, CMS calculates the amount of time that the nursing staff spends with residents. This is measured across multiple dimensions, one each for three different levels of nursing, including Registered Nurses (“RNs”), Licensed Practical Nurses (“LPNs”), and Certified Nursing Assistants (“CNAs”), plus one metric that totals all contributions. These metrics are expressed in hours per resident per day. CMS also provides state-level and national averages for the metrics to allow for additional comparisons.
Quality Measures Domain. A set of quality measures (QMs) has been developed from MDS-based indicators to describe the quality of care provided in nursing homes. These measures address a broad range of functioning and health status in multiple care areas. The facility rating for the QM domain is based on performance on a subset of 11 (out of 18) of the QMs. Ratings for the QM domain are calculated using the three most recent quarters for which data are available. This time period specification was selected to increase the number of assessments available for calculating the QM rating, increasing the stability of estimates and reducing the number of facilities that do not have enough data to report QM ratings.
Abuse Flag. Abuse is always a concern in skilled nursing facilities. To highlight the issue, CMS has extracted this feature as its own flag. Facilities with an actual abuse event or where the potential for abuse has been shown for the past two years are flagged. The Health Inspection Score is capped at 2-stars for nursing homes that have been flagged for abuse.

Skilled nursing facilities that are new and do not have at least two surveys completed are not rated by CMS. These facilities may have health inspection scores that can be used to evaluate the facility.

One complication in California nursing home inspections is the COVID-19 pandemic. Although inspections should be performed every 12 months, COVID has decreased this frequency. While CMS admits that only in “rare cases” do these inspections increase to 15 months, our analysis suggests that this time frame may be even longer. This report shows that the time between inspections is now just under 500 days (more than sixteen months). There are now hundreds of skilled nursing homes in the United States that have not been inspected in more than 24 months. This list shows the skilled nursing homes with the longest period since being inspected. According to the CMS data, these homes have not been inspected since 2018!

Skilled Nursing Home Abuse in California

Abuse is always going to be an issue with skilled nursing facilities. Skilled nursing facility residents need help with so many basic things and they are suffering, confused, and frustrated. If you are the friend or relative of a nursing home resident, we guarantee that you will be constantly fretting about whether your loved one is receiving proper and timely care. Abuse feels like a violation of your trust, but it happens. CMS actively monitors nursing homes not just for actual abuse but also for indicators that suggest that abuse might be occurring. Homes where abuse has either occurred or might be occurring are flagged. A very high percentage of the worst skilled nursing facilities in California have been flagged for abuse. We have marked these facilities both on the list of the worst skilled nursing facilities and on the detailed page for each of the facilities.

How to Report a Nursing Homes in California

If you run into an issue at a California nursing home, there are a few steps you can take to make sure the issue is reported. First, speak with the immediate staff. If the problem is not solved, speak with a director or administrator, doctor, or any other employee of a high level.

As required by Medicare and Medicaid, reports and complaints must go through a grievance procedure. Per the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a grievance is “an expression of dissatisfaction (other than an organization determination) with any aspect of the operations, activities, or behavior of a Medicare health plan, or its providers, regardless of whether remedial action is requested”. All grievances must be filed in writing or verbally within 60 days of the event prompting the grievance.

To report a California nursing home for quality of care, go through a grievance procedure through your Medicare or Medicaid plan. You can also go through the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIO). These groups serve to help with complaints made regarding the quality of care by Medicare providers. You can also choose to go through both Medicare and a BFCC-QIO.

Worst Nursing Homes in the Largest California Cities

All of the following nursing homes have been given a Weighted Health Inspection Score by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Every year, nursing homes in California go through an unannounced inspection performed by independent state examiners. These examiners look at factors such as cleanliness, hazards, and safety to perform the inspection. Points are given to nursing homes based on their deficiency in a certain category. Thus, a higher Weighted All Cycles Score means more problems and lower quality of care.

The list below ranks the homes with the highest (worst) weighted scores. The score is shown next to the facility name. The list also shows the two most recent deficiencies for each of the nursing homes.

Worst Nursing Homes in Los Angeles

Sunray Healthcare Center (483.5)

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-08-30)
Provide the appropriate treatment and services to a resident who displays or is diagnosed with dementia. (2024-08-30)

Kei-Ai Los Angeles Healthcare Center (403.167)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-08-28)
Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments. (2024-08-25)

California Post Acute (402.833)

Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident. (2024-09-06)
Let each resident or the resident's legal representative access or purchase copies of all the resident's records. (2024-09-06)

University Park Healthcare Center (381.833)

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-05-31)
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-05-17)

St. John of God Retirement (373.833)

Post nurse staffing information every day. (2024-08-29)
Ensure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube. (2024-08-05)

Maple Healthcare Center (353.5)

Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. (2024-09-15)
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2024-09-15)

Alta View Post Acute (310.167)

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-09-06)
Construct fire resistant interior walls. (2024-09-06)

Westwood Post Acute Care (302.667)

Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2024-09-18)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-07-21)

Brier Oak On Sunset (288.667)

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-08-27)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-08-27)

Sharon Care Center (284.833)

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-08-20)
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-07-15)

Worst Nursing Homes in San Francisco

San Francisco Health Care (149.5)

Provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident?s advance directives. (2024-04-26)
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2024-03-22)

Jewish Home and Rehab Center D/p Snf (143.333)

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-07-19)
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. (2024-07-19)

San Francisco Post Acute (123.333)

Notify the resident or the resident?s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident?s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave. (2024-05-21)
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2023-11-04)

Victorian Post Acute (114)

Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2024-06-05)
Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services. (2024-06-05)

Central Gardens Post Acute (91.333)

Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2024-05-31)
Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted (2024-05-31)

City View Post Acute (86)

Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-06-26)
Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. (2024-06-26)

Laurel Heights Community Care (85.333)

Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke. (2024-05-21)
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-05-21)

Pacific Heights Transitional Care Center (80.667)

Make sure there is a pest control program to prevent/deal with mice, insects, or other pests. (2023-10-03)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-08-18)

Lawton Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (53.333)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-09-26)
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2023-04-27)

Sequoias San Francisco Convalescent Hospital (50)

Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2023-07-10)
Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures. (2023-07-10)

Worst Nursing Homes in San Diego

Bayshire Torrey Pines Post-Acute (224.333)

Encode each resident?s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment. (2024-02-10)
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-02-10)

The Shores Post-Acute (179.667)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-06-03)
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. (2024-04-04)

Villa Rancho Bernardo Care Center (107.333)

Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors. (2024-08-27)
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (2024-01-04)

The Pavilion at Ocean Point (106.667)

Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors. (2024-09-05)
Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted (2024-07-15)

Hillcrest Heights Healthcare Center (105.833)

Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2024-03-14)
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2024-03-14)

Reo Vista Healthcare Center (92.667)

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2024-05-24)
Honor the resident's right to share a room with spouse or roommate of choice and receive written notice before a change is made. (2024-05-13)

Mission Hills Post Acute Care (89.333)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-07-26)
Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed. (2024-04-30)

Brighton Place San Diego (81.333)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-06-30)
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. (2024-05-19)

St. Pauls Health Care Center (70.667)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-07-20)
Satisfy building requirements after a repair, renovation, modification, or change of user/occupancy. (2023-05-16)

University Care Center (68.667)

Make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public. (2024-07-26)
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-07-12)

Worst Nursing Homes in Riverside

Riverside Postacute Care (404.333)

Notify each resident of certain balances and convey resident funds upon discharge, eviction, or death. (2024-08-23)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-08-23)

Woodcrest Post Acute and Rehabilitation (206.667)

Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. (2024-08-23)
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. (2024-07-31)

Community Care On Palm (178.5)

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-07-05)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-07-05)

Windsor Cypress Gardens (163)

Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services. (2024-08-19)
Give the resident's representative the ability to exercise the resident's rights. (2024-07-25)

Jurupa Hills Post Acute (156.167)

Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2024-07-19)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-07-19)

Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC (138.333)

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. (2024-06-17)
Provide properly protected cooking facilities. (2024-06-17)

Riverwalk Post Acute (114.667)

Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights. (2024-08-07)
Not transfer or discharge a resident without an adequate reason; and must provide documentation and convey specific information when a resident is transferred or discharged. (2024-08-02)

Arlington Gardens Care Center (99.333)

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2024-09-13)
Allow residents to easily view the nursing home's survey results and communicate with advocate agencies. (2024-07-30)

Riverside Village Healthcare Center (96.667)

Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2024-09-06)
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. (2024-08-08)

Extended Care Hospital of Riverside (84.667)

Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health. (2024-07-02)
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2024-05-03)

Worst Nursing Homes in Sacramento

Bridgewood Post Acute (166)

Provide emergency officials' contact information. (2024-09-17)
List the names and contact information of those in the facility. (2024-09-17)

Mid-Town Oaks Post-Acute (157.333)

Make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public. (2024-02-02)
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2024-01-11)

Arden Park Post Acute (156.667)

Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2024-07-30)
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-07-26)

Pioneer House (141.333)

Put firmly secured handrails on each side of hallways. (2024-07-26)
Make sure that a working call system is available in each resident's bathroom and bathing area. (2024-05-07)

Mckinley Park Care Center (128)

Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services. (2023-12-14)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2023-12-12)

Double Tree Post Acute Care Center (127.333)

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-05-15)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-12-28)

City Creek Post Acute (120)

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. (2024-06-20)
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-02-22)

Capital Post Acute (120)

Ensure 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. (2024-08-27)
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (2024-05-02)

Gramercy Court (117)

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2024-08-27)
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-07-30)

Windsor Care Center of Sacramento (114.667)

Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2024-09-06)
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2024-09-06)

Worst Skilled Nursing Homes in Other States

See the worst skilled nursing homes in other states: