Quick answer: A serious bedsore (stage 3 or 4) in a Merced 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. Merced County has ten nursing homes across Merced, Los Banos, and Atwater, and while most rate in the middle or better, its enforcement record is concentrated in a couple of homes. A serious bedsore is most likely where staffing is thinnest and the fine history is heaviest.
If your loved one developed a bedsore in a Merced, Los Banos, or Atwater nursing home, you may have a claim under California's Elder Abuse Act. Call (888) 999-0169 to talk it through, free and confidential. We defended these homes for years before switching sides, and there is no fee unless we win.
Nursing home records in Merced County
Merced County has 10 federally certified nursing facilities with 781 licensed beds. Since 1997, state inspectors have issued 25 citations against Merced County facilities, including 6 class A citations. Facilities in the county have been assessed $207,902 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 3.6 of 5 stars on the federal rating system. 2 of 10 facilities hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Merced County facilities have been assessed $92,648 in federal fines.
The most cited nursing homes in Merced County
- Franciscan Post-Acute Care Center (7 citations)
- Golden Merced Care Center (4 citations)
- Anberry Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (4 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 Merced County
The CMS file puts the county's thinnest nurse staffing at these homes. Anberry Post Acute in Merced reports 2.92 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 1 star staffing rating. Anberry Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Atwater reports 3.48 nursing hours per resident per day against a state average of 4.52, with a 5 star overall rating and a 4 star health inspection rating. It carries a 4 star staffing rating as well. In Merced, La Sierra Care Center reports 3.93 nursing hours per resident per day, where the state average is 4.52, with a 3 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating. It also carries a 3 star staffing rating. 2 of the county's 10 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Those are the homes to scrutinize if a pressure ulcer developed.
Before you accept a facility's explanation for a bedsore, check its record in our Merced 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 Merced 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 Merced County Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (209) 385-7402, or the state crisis line at (800) 231-4024 after hours. In an emergency, contact Merced County Adult Protective Services or call 911. Our full guide is here: how to report nursing home abuse in California.
If you are weighing whether to look into this, talking it through costs nothing. Call (888) 999-0169.
Why work with us
Michael Young and Thomas Wallin spent years defending nursing homes before switching sides. Between them they have recovered millions of dollars for elder abuse victims and their families. 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 Merced County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across Merced, Los Banos, and the county and throughout California.
Talk to a Merced 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 stand with families throughout Merced County and all of California, we have recovered millions for elder abuse victims, and you pay nothing 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 a Merced County nursing home's record?
Use our Merced 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 Merced County?
Merced County has 10 federally certified nursing facilities with 781 licensed beds. Every one of them is listed in our Merced County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Do Merced County nursing homes have citations for bedsores and pressure ulcers?
State inspectors have issued 25 citations against Merced 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 Merced County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Can a three-star Merced County home still be a bedsore case?
Yes. 7 Merced County nursing homes rate 3 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.