If your loved one is currently living in a nursing home or considering moving into one, you have a right to know about that facility’s quality and safety record. On this page, we provide detailed information on how to check nursing home violations through the following resources:
- California Department of Health
- Cal Compare
- Medicare.gov
- Propublica
- The long-term care ombudsman
- Review sites
If you uncover violations at your loved one’s facilities, our dedicated California nursing home abuse lawyers can help keep your loved one safe and advise you of your rights and options.
Where To Look for Nursing Home Violations
Multiple government and private websites provide accountability for nursing homes by publishing inspection reports, reviews, and violation data to the public. You can find detailed information about any Medicare-licensed nursing home in California at these sites. We recommend visiting a few to get accurate information.
California Health Facility Information Database
The California Department of Public Health publishes complaint information and inspection results on its public website. Violations are known as deficiencies. You can view the deficiency history of any California nursing home by doing the following:
- Go to the California Department of Health’s Facility Look-up page.
- Click the “Find and Compare a Health Care Facility” button.
- Enter the name of the facility and click the green search button on the right.
- Click the name of the facility.
- Click the green View Details button.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the window, and look for the Compliance History section.
- To view inspection reports, click the Survey and Inspection Results button or the Survey Deficiencies button, then the appropriate link in the “Survey Findings” column on the table.
- To view a listing of complaints in a table format, click the Complaints and Facility-Reported Incidents button, then select the year.
Cal Long-Term Care Compare
The Cal Long-Term Care Compare tool provides a convenient way to access unbiased nursing home ratings and information on violations. The UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing compile this data from state and federal government websites. To search for a facility:
- Visit the Cal Long-Term Care Compare website
- Click the “Select Type of Care” button on the left side of the search bar and select the type of facility you are looking for.
- Enter the facility’s name into the search bar and click the search icon on the right.
- View ratings in the following categories: staffing, quality of care, and health and safety inspections
Care Compare Tool at Medicare.gov
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publishes state health inspection and complaint reports for all U.S. Medicare-certified facilities. It provides the most detailed information available about nursing home violations, which it refers to as citations or deficiencies. To see violations for a specific facility:
- Visit Medicare.gov
- Click Providers & Services near the upper right corner, then “Find care providers” on the menu that pops up.
- Click Nursing homes, including rehab services, on the left menu.
- Enter the street, ZIP code, city, or state where the facility is located under “My Location.” Click on the name of the location in the pop-up menu.
- Enter the name of the facility where indicated and click its name in the pop-up menu.
- Click the green search button.
You will land on an overview page displaying Medicare’s overall star rating, as well as ratings for health inspections, staffing, and quality measures.
Viewing the Inspection Results
When you select View Inspection Results, you will see an overview that details the following:
- Health citations over the previous year
- Complaints that prompted citations in the last year
- Citations from complaints in the last three years
- Infection control inspections in the last three years
You can access PDF copies of the inspection reports by clicking the link under the date. To see a listing of all deficiencies from each inspection, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link to view all health inspection details.
What Else Should You View on Medicare’s Care Compare Site?
CMS recognizes the link between understaffing and nursing home abuse and neglect. If you select View Staffing Information from the overview page, you can view information about the hours of care residents receive per day and staff turnover rates. You can also compare these numbers to those of other facilities nationwide. When selecting a facility for your loved one, look for facilities with above-average staffing.
The Quality Measures Rating measures 17 areas of care for short-term stays and 16 areas for long-term stays. You will be able to see how the facility compares to other facilities in important areas, such as indwelling catheter use, psychotropic drug use, bedsores, falls, and emergency room visits.
The Red Hand Icon and Special Focus Facility Designation
If you see the red hand icon next to a facility’s name, this means it has been cited for nursing home abuse.
A yellow triangle icon next to a facility’s name indicates that it is a special focus facility with a long history of low ratings. These facilities undergo more frequent inspections and are subject to progressive enforcement action, with the threat of losing their Medicare certification. These facilities do not receive ratings, but you can view inspection reports, staffing information, and quality measures information.
Using Medicare’s Care Compare Tool To Select a Nursing Home
Medicare’s website can help you narrow your nursing home search. From the search page, enter the zip code or city where you want to place your loved one. You can sort the search results by star rating or location.
Under Medicare’s rating system, three stars is considered average compared to other nursing homes. An average nursing home often performs poorly in several areas, so look for nursing homes with five-star ratings in overall quality, staffing, quality measures, and inspection results. Rule out facilities with any rating lower than four stars, if possible.
Nursing Home Inspect by ProPublica
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom focused on exposing government, corporate, and nonprofit abuse through investigative journalism. Its Nursing Home Inspect database pulls violation information from Medicare.gov and publishes it in a user-friendly, searchable format.
To search for California nursing homes, visit the California database and type the facility name or county into the search bar. You can also search by report keyword.
When you pull up a facility, you can view ownership information, nurse staffing hours, nurse turnover rates, and deficiency information.
Each listing includes an expandable table with a detailed view of deficiencies and a link to each PDF inspection report on Medicare.gov.
ProPublica makes it easy to prioritize inspection reports that point to serious problems by prominently displaying the A through L designations of each deficiency. Deficiencies rated J, K, or L indicate immediate jeopardy to residents’ life, health, and safety.
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
The California Department of Aging’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman offers support and advocacy to residents of long-term care facilities. Every California county has an ombudsman’s office, which is staffed primarily by trained volunteers. An ombudsman’s role is to advise residents and their families about their rights and investigate reports of abuse or neglect. Every nursing home is required to post the local ombudsman’s contact information in a conspicuous public area. You can also view local information at the Department of Aging’s ombudsman service locator.
An ombudsman can help you access nursing home inspection reports and complaint information and advise you on what to look for in a nursing home based on your loved one’s needs.
Reviews by Family Members of Nursing Home Residents
Real-life stories of someone’s experience in a nursing home can be compelling, but not all reviews are legitimate. The most reliable way to find trustworthy reviews is to check reputable review sites that utilize technology to detect fake reviews. Such sites will also prevent businesses from removing negative reviews. Google reviews and Yelp are good places to start. However, fake reviews can show up anywhere. Here are some good signs of legitimate reviews:
- Multiple reviewers report similar experiences.
- The reviewer uses their real name.
- The reviewer has left other reviews.
- The review seems consistent with other reviews and ratings about the facility.
- You can sense some level of emotion in the review.
- The reviewer identifies themselves as the resident or a family member.
- The information in the review is specific and detailed.
Why Immediate Action Is Crucial When You Suspect a Nursing Home Violation
When you suspect nursing home abuse or neglect, you may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg. Facilities that get away with violations often become more brazen over time.
Many families are reluctant to report abuse without absolute proof because they fear the facility will retaliate against their loved one. This is a valid concern. However, if abuse or neglect is happening, it will never stop until someone intervenes. The longer it goes on, the greater the harm. We have advocated for nursing home residents for decades, and we have never seen a facility retaliate after we became involved.
If you wait too long, you could lose your best chance at getting justice and compensation through a civil lawsuit. The statute of limitations restricts your time to file suit, and the clock may have already started ticking.
What To Do If You Suspect a Nursing Home Violation at Your Loved One’s Facility
If you suspect your loved one is receiving substandard care or notice any signs of nursing home abuse, take the following action immediately:
- Call the California Department of Health at (800) 554-0354 to file a complaint. You can also file a complaint through its website.
- Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman’s CRISIS Line at (800) 231-4024 and ask the ombudsman to investigate.
- Contact an experienced nursing home abuse law firm such as Lanzone Morgan, LLP to explore your legal options.
Our compassionate nursing home abuse lawyers can listen to your story, visit your loved one, and guide you through the process of filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit. You may be able to recover substantial compensation.
Did Your Loved One Suffer From Violations? Contact Lanzone Morgan, LLP
Nursing home residents are vulnerable adults who often lack the ability to speak up for themselves. They can suffer immeasurable harm from abuse or neglect, and many never recover. While you cannot undo the harm that has already been committed, you can start protecting your loved one today and hold the nursing home accountable.
At Lanzone Morgan, LLP, we have helped injured residents and their families recover over $200 million in compensation, and we are ready to fight just as hard for you. Contact us online or call (888) 887-9777 today for a free consultation.