Choosing Care
Choosing a California Nursing Home
Compare care needs, inspections, staffing, ratings, visits, payment options, and resident protections before admission.
Read guideGuides for California Families
Practical, California-specific resources to help you compare nursing homes, understand quality and resident rights, pay for care, and respond when something goes wrong.
Resident Rights
California Nursing Home Resident Rights
Understand dignity, care decisions, privacy, visitors, complaints, family involvement, cameras, and transfer protections.
Read guideComplaints & Help
How to Report a California Nursing Home Concern
Learn when to use the facility grievance process, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Ombudsman, Attorney General, or emergency services.
Read guideQuality & Ratings
Understanding CMS Nursing Home Star Ratings
See how inspections, staffing, quality measures, alerts, and California comparisons shape the CMS star rating.
Read guideStaffing
California Nursing Home Staffing Requirements
Understand the 3.58-hour standard, 24-hour RN rule, daily staffing postings, turnover, and what families should check.
Read guidePaying for Care
Paying for Nursing Home Care in California
Understand Medicare, Medi-Cal LTSS, private pay, insurance, financial eligibility, and application steps.
Read guideTransfer & Discharge
California Nursing Home Transfer & Discharge Rights
Learn the notice, appeal, readmission, bed-hold, nonpayment, and safe-discharge protections available to residents.
Read guideHealth & Safety
Warning Signs of Nursing Home Neglect
Recognize patterns involving falls, bedsores, dehydration, medications, infections, hygiene, behavior, and staffing.
Read guideInspections
California Nursing Home Inspections & Deficiencies
Learn how to read inspection reports, F-tags, scope and severity, plans of correction, complaint findings, and repeat citations.
Read guideResident Advocacy
California Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Learn how the Ombudsman helps residents and families with rights, care concerns, complaints, abuse, and discharge disputes.
Read guideAbuse & Neglect
California Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
Recognize possible abuse, neglect and exploitation, document concerns, protect residents, and understand California reporting options.
Read guideMedicaid Eligibility
Medi-Cal Nursing Home Eligibility
Understand LTSS financial and clinical eligibility, the current Medi-Cal financial rules, level of care, spouses, and asset-transfer issues.
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