Quick answer: Nursing home neglect in Merced County is the failure to provide the care a resident needs to stay safe: repositioning, feeding, hydration, hygiene, supervision, and medical care. Under California's Elder Abuse Act (Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.57), serious neglect can carry attorney's fees and enhanced damages. Document what you see, request the chart, and call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free review. Merced County has ten nursing homes, and most rate in the middle or better. Neglect is usually what those fines describe, and a middling star does not rule it out.
If your loved one was neglected in a Merced, Los Banos, or Atwater nursing home, you may have a claim under California's Elder Abuse Act. Call (888) 999-0169 for a free, confidential case review. We spent years defending nursing homes, so we know exactly how these cases are fought, and you pay nothing 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 across Merced County
Neglect surfaces as the specific injuries we handle: bedsores, falls and fractures, dehydration and malnutrition, sepsis and infections, medication errors, and wandering and elopement.
The CMS file puts the county's lowest overall ratings at these homes. CMS gives Los Banos Post Acute in Los Banos a 2 star overall rating and a 2 star health inspection rating, with a 2 star staffing rating. Its record also shows 4.06 nursing hours per resident per day. In Los Banos, New Bethany Skilled Nursing holds a 2 star overall rating and a 2 star health inspection rating, with a 4 star staffing rating. It carries 4.45 nursing hours per resident per day as well. CMS gives Golden Merced Care Center in Merced a 3 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating, with a 3 star staffing rating. It carries 4.08 nursing hours per resident per day and $83,538 in federal fines across 1 federal penalty as well. Across the county, 2 of 10 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
A three-star home with a six-figure fine record is exactly why the specific facility matters more than the county average.
Review any home's full record in our Merced County nursing home directory. For how California defines and proves neglect, see our California nursing home neglect page.
How Merced County families can respond
Write down what you see, with dates and photos, and request the complete chart in writing, including care plans, weight logs, intake records, and repositioning sheets. 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. If your loved one is in immediate danger, contact Merced County Adult Protective Services or call 911. Our full guide is here: how to report nursing home abuse in California.
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. We know how understaffing hides in a chart that says "care provided" on a shift with no one to provide it, and how a heavy fine record, even at a three-star home, exposes problems the rating conceals. As Merced County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle neglect cases across Merced, Los Banos, and the county and throughout California.
Talk to a Merced County nursing home neglect lawyer today
Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free case evaluation. We serve families throughout Merced County and all of California, 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.
- Neglect defined under California law, Welfare and Institutions Code section 15610.57: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=WIC§ionNum=15610.57.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as nursing home neglect in California?
Neglect is the failure to provide the care a resident needs to stay safe and healthy: repositioning, feeding, hydration, hygiene, mobility, supervision, and medical care. Under California's Elder Abuse Act, serious neglect can carry attorney's fees and enhanced damages where it was reckless.
What should I do first if I suspect neglect?
Document what you see, request the chart in writing, and get an independent medical evaluation. Then talk to a lawyer, because the records that prove neglect are easiest to obtain early.
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 neglect?
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.
What does the largest fine record among Merced County nursing homes show?
By the current CMS data, these are the homes in Merced County with the lowest overall CMS ratings. Los Banos Post Acute in Los Banos carries a 2 star overall rating and a 2 star health inspection rating. New Bethany Skilled Nursing in Los Banos carries a 2 star overall rating and a 2 star health inspection rating. Golden Merced Care Center in Merced carries a 3 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating and $83,538 in federal fines across 1 federal penalty. Every Merced County home's full record, with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines, is in our Merced County nursing home directory.
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Disclaimer: facility ratings, fines, and penalties 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.