Quick answer: When a San Mateo 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 in San Mateo 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.
If you believe a San Mateo 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 San Mateo County
San Mateo County has 14 federally certified nursing facilities with 1,657 licensed beds. Since 1997, state inspectors have issued 96 citations against San Mateo County facilities, including 5 class AA citations and 14 class A citations. Facilities in the county have been assessed $530,645 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.
5 of those enforcement actions were connected to a resident's death.
The county's facilities average 3.9 of 5 stars on the federal rating system. 3 of 14 facilities hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
San Mateo County facilities have been assessed $206,193 in federal fines.
The most cited nursing homes in San Mateo County
- San Mateo Medical Center D/P SNF (15 citations)
- Linda Mar Care Center (14 citations)
- Ahmc Seton Medical Center (10 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 San Mateo County
Among the county's 14 homes, a few stand out.
In the CMS data, these are the most heavily fined homes in the county. San Mateo Medical Center D/P SNF in San Mateo has drawn $104,000 in federal fines across 2 federal penalties, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. Its record also shows a 4 star staffing rating and 3.94 nursing hours per resident per day. Federal regulators have assessed Golden Pavilion Healthcare in Daly City $41,426 in federal fines across 3 federal penalties, with a 3 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating. Its record also shows a 4 star staffing rating and 3.86 nursing hours per resident per day. In Daly City, Ahmc Seton Medical Center has drawn $41,019 in federal fines across 3 federal penalties, with a 1 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. It also carries a 4 star staffing rating and 5.81 nursing hours per resident per day. Countywide, 3 of 14 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
These records do not by themselves prove a wrongful death, but a pattern of penalties establishes that regulators found serious problems, which is the context in which a death has to be examined. You can review each home's record in our San Mateo County nursing home directory.
How San Mateo 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 San Mateo County Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County) at (650) 780-5709. 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 San Mateo County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across the county and throughout California, with the care they deserve.
Talk to a San Mateo County nursing home wrongful death lawyer today
Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free, confidential case evaluation. We serve families throughout San Mateo County and all of California, 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 repeat penalties help a San Mateo County wrongful death case?
They can. A pattern of federal penalties shows regulators repeatedly documented problems at a home before your loved one's death, which supports the argument that the harm was foreseeable rather than unavoidable. You can see each home's record in our San Mateo 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 San Mateo County?
San Mateo County has 14 federally certified nursing facilities with 1,657 licensed beds. Every one of them is listed in our San Mateo County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Do San Mateo County nursing homes have citations for resident deaths?
State inspectors have issued 96 citations against San Mateo 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 San Mateo County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
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Disclaimer: facility ratings 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.