Quick answer: A fall that seriously injures a resident who was flagged as a fall risk can be grounds for a claim against a Los Angeles County nursing home, because federal rules (42 CFR 483.25) require adequate supervision and assistive devices to prevent accidents. The fall risk assessment, care plan, and alarm logs show whether the plan was followed. Free case review at (888) 999-0169 or send us a message. A broken hip can end an elderly person's independence, and in a nursing home it is rarely a simple accident. Falls concentrate on the understaffed overnight shift, and Los Angeles County has no shortage of understaffed homes. Of the county's 369 skilled nursing facilities, 210 rate one or two stars overall. Where staffing runs thin, a resident who needs help to the bathroom is left to try alone.
If your loved one broke a hip or was seriously hurt in a fall at an LA County 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 Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County has 369 federally certified nursing facilities with 37,526 licensed beds. Since 1997, state inspectors have issued 4,162 citations against Los Angeles County facilities, including 73 class AA citations and 1,096 class A citations. Facilities in the county have been assessed $39,883,387 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.
272 of those enforcement actions were connected to a resident's death.
48 Los Angeles County facilities currently carry the federal abuse warning icon.
The county's facilities average 2.5 of 5 stars on the federal rating system. 210 of 369 facilities hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Los Angeles County facilities have been assessed $16,092,884 in federal fines.
The most cited nursing homes in Los Angeles County
- Western Convalescent Hospital (76 citations)
- Artesia Palms Care Center (61 citations)
- Lakewood Healthcare Center (52 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.
Where falls are most likely in Los Angeles County
A fall in a resident already flagged as high risk usually means the fall-prevention plan, supervised toileting, a bed or chair alarm, a two-person transfer, was on paper but not staffed. The county's thinnest-staffed homes are where that gap is widest.
The CMS file puts the county's lowest staffing ratings at these homes. CMS gives East Terrace Rehabilitation & Wellness Centre, LP in Los Angeles a 1 star staffing rating, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. It also carries 4.04 nursing hours per resident per day and $168,314 in federal fines across 4 federal penalties. In Los Angeles, Mar Vista Country Villa Healthcare & Wellness carries a 1 star staffing rating, with a 1 star overall rating and a 2 star health inspection rating. It carries 4.21 nursing hours per resident per day, $96,569 in federal fines across 4 federal penalties and the federal abuse warning icon as well. California Post-Acute Care in Lynwood carries a 1 star staffing rating, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. It carries $61,880 in federal fines across 3 federal penalties and the federal abuse warning icon as well. 210 of the county's 369 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
When a building runs that lean, the overnight shift is when residents fall. You can compare any LA County home's staffing against the state average in our Los Angeles County nursing home directory.
A serious fall is also frequently the first visible sign of broader neglect. For how fall cases are built and what California law requires of a home that admits a known fall risk, see our California nursing home fall page.
How Los Angeles County families can respond
Ask the facility, in writing, for the complete chart: the fall risk assessment, the care plan, incident reports, and the call-light and alarm logs, which reveal response times the facility would rather not discuss. Photograph any injuries, date them, and get an independent medical evaluation. File a complaint with the California Department of Public Health through Cal Health Find, or contact the Los Angeles County Long-Term Care Ombudsman (WISE & Healthy Aging) at (800) 334-9473, or (800) 231-4024 after hours. In an emergency, contact Los Angeles County Adult Protective Services at (877) 477-3646 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 LA County nursing homes before switching sides. Between them they have recovered millions of dollars for elder abuse victims and their families. We know how "resident found on floor" gets charted to imply nobody could have prevented it, and how the alarm and call-light logs, read against the staffing sheet for that shift, tell the real story. As Los Angeles County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across the county and throughout California.
Talk to a Los Angeles nursing home fall lawyer today
Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free case evaluation. We serve Los Angeles 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 accident-prevention and supervision standard, 42 CFR 483.25(d): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/part-483/section-483.25
Frequently asked questions
How does reported nurse staffing relate to falls at LA County nursing homes?
Falls concentrate where there are too few staff to answer call lights and supervise high-risk residents, especially overnight. The CMS data counts 236 of the county's 369 homes reporting staffing below the state average of 4.52 hours per resident per day, which you can check in our Los Angeles County nursing home directory.
Can I sue an LA County nursing home for my parent's fall?
Yes. If a resident fell because the facility failed to assess their fall risk, follow the care plan, or provide adequate supervision, it can be liable under California's Elder Abuse Act, which adds attorney's fees and enhanced damages where the neglect was reckless.
What should I do first after a serious fall?
Request the complete chart in writing, photograph the injuries, and get an independent medical evaluation. Then talk to a lawyer before accepting the facility's explanation, because incident reports get revised and staffing sheets get harder to find over time.
How many nursing homes are in Los Angeles County?
Los Angeles County has 369 federally certified nursing facilities with 37,526 licensed beds. Every one of them is listed in our Los Angeles County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Do Los Angeles County nursing homes have citations for falls and fractures?
State inspectors have issued 4,162 citations against Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
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Disclaimer: facility ratings and staffing figures 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.