Quick answer: When a Kern County nursing home's neglect or abuse contributes to a resident's death, the family may bring a wrongful death claim (California Code of Civil Procedure 377.60) and an Elder Abuse Act claim for the suffering before death. The facility records, compared to the hospital records, usually reveal whether the death was preventable. Free, confidential review at (888) 999-0169 or send us a message. When a nursing home death is called natural but the timeline does not add up, the records usually tell a different story, and in Kern County the records are troubling to begin with. Families here come to us after a loss the records tie to something preventable: an untreated pressure sore that became a fatal infection, a fall, dehydration, or a medication error. These deaths are often the end point of ongoing neglect.
If you believe a Kern County nursing home's neglect or abuse contributed to your loved one's death, you may have a wrongful death claim and an Elder Abuse Act claim. Call (888) 999-0169 for a free, confidential consultation. We spent years defending these facilities, and we know how the timeline of a death gets reconstructed. You pay nothing unless we win.
Nursing home records in Kern County
Kern County has 17 federally certified nursing facilities with 1,755 licensed beds. Since 1997, state inspectors have issued 304 citations against Kern County facilities, including 2 class AA citations and 68 class A citations. Facilities in the county have been assessed $2,118,825 in state penalties over that period.
A class AA citation is a class A violation that the Department of Public Health determined was a direct proximate cause of a resident's death. 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.
15 of those enforcement actions were connected to a resident's death.
2 Kern County facilities currently carry the federal abuse warning icon.
The county's facilities average 1.8 of 5 stars on the federal rating system. 13 of 17 facilities hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Kern County facilities have been assessed $741,793 in federal fines.
The most cited nursing homes in Kern County
- The Rehabilitation Center of Bakersfield (42 citations)
- Height Street Skilled Care (31 citations)
- Valley Healthcare Center (23 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 enforcement record shows in Kern County
Fines mark a facility whose problems were on the record long before any one family's loss. In Kern County, 16 of 17 homes carry federal fines totaling $741,793, and two display the CMS abuse icon.
In the CMS data, these are the most heavily fined homes in the county. Adventist Health Delano in Delano has drawn $123,442 in federal fines across 2 federal penalties, with a 2 star overall rating and a 2 star health inspection rating. Its record also shows a 3 star staffing rating and 6.42 nursing hours per resident per day. In Bakersfield, Valley Healthcare Center has drawn $91,195 in federal fines across 2 federal penalties, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. It also carries a 3 star staffing rating and 3.78 nursing hours per resident per day. Federal regulators have assessed Bayshire Riverwalk Post-Acute in Bakersfield $80,668 in federal fines across 2 federal penalties, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. It carries a 4 star staffing rating, 4.51 nursing hours per resident per day and the federal abuse warning icon as well. Across the county, 13 of 17 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
A record like that does not by itself prove a wrongful death, but it establishes that regulators found serious, repeated danger across the county. You can review any home's history in our Kern County nursing home directory.
How Kern County families can respond
If you suspect neglect contributed to a death, move to preserve the record. Request the complete chart in writing, and gather the hospital and hospice records, which often reveal how advanced a problem already was on transfer. Report the facility to the California Department of Public Health through Cal Health Find, or contact the Kern County Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (661) 323-7884. Our full guide is here: how to report nursing home abuse in California. For how these claims work, see our California nursing home wrongful death page.
The sooner the records are preserved, the stronger the case. Call (888) 999-0169 for a free consultation.
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. In a death case, the facility presents the most innocent possible account, and that experience is exactly what lets us reconstruct the real timeline from the chart, the medication and treatment records, and the outside hospital records. Under the Elder Abuse Act, a family can also recover for the suffering a loved one endured before death. As Kern County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across the county and throughout California, with the care they deserve.
Talk to a Kern County nursing home wrongful death lawyer today
Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free, confidential case evaluation. We serve Kern County and all of California, you deal directly with the attorneys, and there is no fee unless we win.
This is a painful subject, and there is no rush on your grief. When you are ready, we are here.
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.
- California wrongful death statute, Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=377.60.
Frequently asked questions
Do fines against a Kern County nursing home help a wrongful death case?
They can. A facility's fine and penalty history shows regulators documented problems before your loved one's death, which supports the argument that the harm was foreseeable. Kern County homes carry $741,793 in federal fines on record; you can see which in our Kern County nursing home directory.
Who can bring a wrongful death claim?
Generally the resident's surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, or other close family or heirs, and the estate. The specifics depend on your family situation, which we can sort out in a free consultation.
How do I know if the death was preventable?
The medical and facility records usually tell you. Deaths from advanced bedsores, untreated infections and sepsis, falls, dehydration, and medication errors are frequently preventable, and the facility's timeline compared to the outside hospital records often reveals what happened.
How many nursing homes are in Kern County?
Kern County has 17 federally certified nursing facilities with 1,755 licensed beds. Every one of them is listed in our Kern County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Do Kern County nursing homes have citations for resident deaths?
State inspectors have issued 304 citations against Kern 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 Kern County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
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Disclaimer: facility ratings, fines, and the CMS abuse icon 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.