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California's Department of Public Health (CDPH) cites nursing homes under State law, separately from Medicare's star ratings. Its open enforcement file lists 13,302 State citations and penalties at 1,133 of California's 1,188 open nursing homes, 1997 to mid-2024: 324 Class AA, 2,696 Class A, 9,128 Class B and 1,006 staffing penalties. Type a home's name or city to see its record, with a link to its Medicare page.
From PJ: When my family went through it, the hardest part was not knowing what to ask or where to start. I'm a local here in Cardiff, and I'm happy to sit down with you and sort it out together. Text me anytime. Text PJ
A calm hand for the hospital or care-home week: PJ checks the State and Medicare records with you, writes down the questions for the doctors or the home, and helps you fill in the HIPAA form and sign in to the patient portal, so the family can see what's happening. Family Assist, $30 an hour. No medical or legal advice. Text PJ
Look up a nursing home
Open skilled nursing facilities on CDPH's facility list (updated October 16, 2026). A home's record covers the license it holds today; a home that changed owners may show only part of its history. Not a ranking: bigger homes serve more residents.
Rather just ask? Text your question to PJ, a real person in Cardiff, and he answers it. Asking is free. In North County San Diego, PJ pulls a home's State and Medicare records with you before a move. Text PJ
What California nursing homes are cited for most
| Area (CDPH's category) | Citations and penalties |
|---|---|
| Patient Care | 6,724 |
| Patient Rights | 1,828 |
| Abuse/Facility Not Self Reported | 1,242 |
| Other | 744 |
| DHPPD: 2 - 11 Days | 635 |
| Medication | 357 |
| Administration | 325 |
| Problem Transfer | 316 |
"DHPPD" is direct care hours per patient day, the State's nursing staffing minimum; its categories count the days a home fell short. All open California nursing homes, from CDPH's State Enforcement Actions file.
What the classes mean
- Class AA: a Class A violation the State found was a direct cause of a resident's death (Health and Safety Code 1424).
- Class A: imminent danger, or a substantial probability, of death or serious harm to residents.
- Class B: a direct or immediate relationship to residents' health, safety or security, short of Class A.
- Staffing: an administrative penalty for falling below the State's minimum nursing hours per patient day (HSC 1276.5).
A home can appeal, and appeals can change the class or the amount (CDPH data dictionary).
The fix: check anything newer, and what to ask on a tour
- Newer citations and inspections: search the home on Cal Health Find; CDPH's State Enforcement Actions dashboard has current penalties.
- Medicare's side: each result links the home's Medicare Care Compare page: star ratings, inspection reports, staffing.
- On the tour: ask about the most recent citation and what changed after it, staff turnover, and weekend nurse staffing.
- A problem inside a home: the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, 800-640-4661.
In North County San Diego? Every nursing home near Solana Beach with both report cards, and one lookup for any care provider. Family Assist, $30 an hour.
Sources: CDPH, Health Facilities State Enforcement Actions (archived data file, data dictionary and lookup table), joined to CDPH's Licensed and Certified Healthcare Facility Listing by facility ID; Medicare links by each home's federal provider number. Checked October 22, 2026.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
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Questions people ask
How do I look up a California nursing home's State citations?
CDPH, the California Department of Public Health, publishes them. Its open enforcement file lists 13,302 State citations and penalties at 1,133 of 1,188 open nursing homes, 1997 to mid-2024; this page searches it by home name or city and links each home's Medicare Care Compare page. Newer citations are on Cal Health Find.
What are Class AA, A and B citations for California nursing homes?
They are the State's citation classes under Health and Safety Code 1424: Class AA when a violation was a direct cause of a resident's death, Class A for imminent danger or a substantial probability of death or serious harm, and Class B for a direct or immediate relationship to residents' health, safety or security.
What are California nursing homes cited for most?
In CDPH's open file the most common area is patient care, followed by patient rights, abuse/facility not self reported.
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