How to read a facility’s inspection record

Assisted living & memory care (RCFEs)

Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly are licensed and inspected by California’s Department of Social Services (CDSS). The record shows citations, complaint investigations, and visit dates:

• Type A citation — the more serious kind: a violation that poses an immediate or substantial risk to a resident’s health or safety. A pattern of these is a real red flag.
• Type B citation — a less severe violation (often paperwork, staffing records, or maintenance). One or two are common and not necessarily worrying; look at how quickly they were corrected.
• Substantiated complaints — complaints the state investigated and confirmed. Weigh the nature and recency.

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs)

Nursing homes are surveyed under federal Medicare rules, and CMS Care Compare publishes a 1–5 star rating (overall, plus health inspections, staffing, and quality measures), recent deficiencies, and any penalties or special-focus status. Stars are a starting point, not a verdict — read the underlying inspection and staffing detail too.

How to weigh what you find

• Recency matters. A serious issue from years ago that was fixed is different from a recent one.
• Patterns matter more than one-offs. Repeated similar citations suggest a systemic problem.
• Ask about it. A good operator will explain a citation and what changed. Bring it up on your tour.
• Severity over count. One Type A is more telling than several minor Type B notes.

Always check the source

We summarize this data from the official records and link to them on every facility page — so you can read the actual state (CDSS) or federal (CMS) record yourself and confirm current status. We never rate or rank facilities; we just surface what the public record shows.