Quick answer: When a Los Angeles 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. Families across Los Angeles County 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, and in this county, neglect is heavily documented.
If you believe an LA 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 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.
What the enforcement record shows in Los Angeles County
Fines and penalties are imposed for serious violations or for failing to fix them, and they signal a facility whose problems were on the record long before any one family's loss. Los Angeles County's nursing homes carry $16,092,884 in federal fines across 207 facilities, and 48 display the CMS abuse icon.
The CMS file puts the county's largest federal fine totals at these homes. In Montebello, Rio Hondo Subacute & Nursing Center has drawn $411,481 in federal fines across 8 federal penalties, with 4.64 nursing hours per resident per day. In Mission Hills, Ararat Nursing Facility has drawn $407,175 in federal fines across 7 federal penalties, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. Its record also shows a 4 star staffing rating, 4.79 nursing hours per resident per day and the federal abuse warning icon. In Sylmar, Maclay Healthcare Center has drawn $361,118 in federal fines across 7 federal penalties, with a 2 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. It also carries a 3 star staffing rating, 4.10 nursing hours per resident per day and the federal abuse warning icon. Countywide, 210 of 369 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Fines and an abuse flag do not prove a wrongful death, but they establish that regulators documented danger at a facility repeatedly. You can review any home's penalty history in our Los Angeles County nursing home directory.
How Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County Long-Term Care Ombudsman (WISE & Healthy Aging) at (800) 334-9473. Our full guide is here: how to report nursing home abuse in California. For how these claims work and what your family can recover, see our California nursing home wrongful death page.
If something about the care your loved one received does not sit right, let us take a look. Call (888) 999-0169 for a free consultation.
Why work with us
Michael Young and Thomas Wallin spent years defending LA County nursing homes before switching sides. 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 Los Angeles County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across the county and throughout California, with the care they deserve.
Talk to a Los Angeles nursing home wrongful death lawyer today
Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free, confidential case evaluation. We represent families across Los Angeles County and all of California, we have recovered millions in elder abuse cases, and you pay nothing 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 an LA County nursing home help a wrongful death case?
They can. A facility's fines, penalties, and abuse-icon history show regulators documented problems before your loved one's death, which supports the argument that the harm was foreseeable. LA County homes carry $16,092,884 in federal fines on record; you can see which homes in our Los Angeles 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 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 resident deaths?
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, fines, penalties, 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.