Quick answer: A serious bedsore (stage 3 or 4) in a Imperial County nursing home can support a claim under California's Elder Abuse Act, because federal rules (42 CFR 483.25) treat advanced pressure ulcers as preventable unless a documented medical condition made them unavoidable. Request the wound care and repositioning records and check the home's CMS inspection rating, then have a lawyer review it for free at (888) 999-0169 or send us a message. Imperial County has just three nursing homes, in El Centro, Brawley, and the city of Imperial, and the quality runs the full range. In the CMS data, the home in Brawley carries a one-star overall rating with a heavy fine record, and the home with the county's highest overall CMS rating also carries a long list of penalties. A serious pressure ulcer is most likely where staffing and oversight are weakest.
If your loved one developed a bedsore in an El Centro, Brawley, or Imperial nursing home, you may have a claim under California's Elder Abuse Act. Call (888) 999-0169 for a free, confidential consultation. We changed sides after years defending nursing homes, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Nursing home records in Imperial County
Imperial County has 3 federally certified nursing facilities with 253 licensed beds. Since 1997, state inspectors have issued 21 citations against Imperial County facilities, including 3 class A citations. Facilities in the county have been assessed $62,700 in state penalties over that period.
A class A citation is a violation the Department determined presented an imminent danger of death or serious harm to residents, or a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm would result.
One of those enforcement actions was connected to a resident's death.
The county's facilities average 2.7 of 5 stars on the federal rating system. 1 of 3 facilities holds a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Imperial County facilities have been assessed $138,619 in federal fines.
The most cited nursing homes in Imperial County
- El Centro Post-Acute Care (11 citations)
- Pioneers Memorial Skilled Nursing Center (8 citations)
- Imperial Manor (2 citations)
See every facility in the county, with its full record, in the nursing home directory.
Citation data covers July 1, 1997 through June 30, 2024. Ratings and fines are current as of the CMS processing date shown above.
What the record shows in Imperial County
The CMS file puts the county's thinnest nurse staffing at these homes. Imperial Manor in Imperial reports 3.84 nursing hours per resident per day against a state average of 4.52, with a 4 star overall rating and a 4 star health inspection rating. Its record also shows a 1 star staffing rating and $22,935 in federal fines across 5 federal penalties. El Centro Post-Acute Care in El Centro reports 3.99 nursing hours per resident per day against a state average of 4.52, with a 3 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating. It also carries a 2 star staffing rating and $10,254 in federal fines across 2 federal penalties. Countywide, 1 of 3 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Before you accept a facility's explanation for a bedsore, check its record in our Imperial County nursing home directory. Left untreated, a stage 4 ulcer can reach the bone and become a fatal infection. For the four stages and the California statutes, see our California bedsore page.
How Imperial County families can respond
Photograph the wound and date the photos, and request the complete chart in writing, including wound care notes and repositioning logs. Get an independent medical evaluation. File a complaint with the California Department of Public Health through Cal Health Find, or contact the Imperial County Long-Term Care Ombudsman through the Imperial County Area Agency on Aging, or the state crisis line at (800) 231-4024. In an emergency, contact Imperial County Adult Protective Services or call 911. Our full guide is here: how to report nursing home abuse in California.
Not sure whether what happened crosses the line into neglect? A short, free call can tell you. Call (888) 999-0169.
Why work with us
Michael Young and Thomas Wallin spent years defending nursing homes before switching sides. They have since recovered millions of dollars for families in elder abuse cases across California. We go straight for the repositioning logs and the payroll-based staffing records, because the gap between "turned every two hours" in the chart and the aides actually working that shift is where these cases are won. As Imperial County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across El Centro, Brawley, and the county and throughout California.
Talk to an Imperial County bedsore lawyer today
Wound photos and repositioning logs get harder to obtain every week. Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free case evaluation. We serve Imperial County and all of California, you deal directly with the attorneys, and there is no fee unless we win.
Sources and authoritative references
- CMS Care Compare, the federal nursing home rating and inspection database: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/
- California Department of Public Health, Cal Health Find, to look up a facility or file a complaint: https://calhealthfind.cdph.ca.gov/
- California Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, Welfare and Institutions Code section 15600: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=WIC§ionNum=15600.
- Federal quality-of-care and pressure-ulcer standard, 42 CFR 483.25: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/part-483/section-483.25
Frequently asked questions
How do I check an Imperial County nursing home's record?
Use our Imperial County nursing home directory. It lists each home's staffing against the state average, plus ratings, citations, and any fines, all from public CMS data.
What should I do first if my parent has a stage 4 bedsore?
Photograph the wound, request the complete chart in writing, and get an independent medical evaluation. Then talk to a lawyer before accepting the facility's explanation, because the version families are given rarely matches the records.
How many nursing homes are in Imperial County?
Imperial County has 3 federally certified nursing facilities with 253 licensed beds. Every one of them is listed in our Imperial County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Do Imperial County nursing homes have citations for bedsores and pressure ulcers?
State inspectors have issued 21 citations against Imperial County nursing homes since 1997, across the full range of care failures rather than any single one. We do not publish a citation count by injury type, because the state does not categorize them that way. Check the specific home's own record instead. Every one of them is listed in our Imperial County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Can a four-star Imperial County nursing home still be a bedsore case?
Yes. 1 Imperial County nursing home rate 4 stars or better overall and still carry federal fines or state citations on record. A star rating summarizes a home's inspection history, staffing and quality measures across the whole facility. It does not establish what happened to one resident, and it does not bar a claim. The records for the specific home and the specific stay are what answer that.
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Disclaimer: facility ratings, staffing figures, and fines above are drawn from public CMS data (medicare.gov) as of the August 2026 processing date and are reported as published. They may not reflect the most current findings, and inclusion of any facility is not an allegation of wrongdoing. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case. This page is attorney advertising and not legal advice.