Quick answer: A fall that seriously injures a resident who was flagged as a fall risk can be grounds for a claim against a Santa Clara 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 fall that breaks a hip is most likely where supervision is thin. Santa Clara County has 50 skilled nursing facilities, and 13 fall in the bottom two tiers.
If your loved one broke a hip or was seriously hurt in a fall at a San Jose, Sunnyvale, or Gilroy 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 Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County has 50 federally certified nursing facilities with 5,114 licensed beds. Since 1997, state inspectors have issued 627 citations against Santa Clara County facilities, including 13 class AA citations and 51 class A citations. Facilities in the county have been assessed $2,847,630 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.
26 of those enforcement actions were connected to a resident's death.
The county's facilities average 3.5 of 5 stars on the federal rating system. 13 of 50 facilities hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
Santa Clara County facilities have been assessed $651,609 in federal fines.
The most cited nursing homes in Santa Clara County
- Westwood Post Acute (46 citations)
- The Redwoods Post-Acute (37 citations)
- Mission De La Casa (33 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 happen in Santa Clara 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 carried out.
In the CMS data, these are the county's lowest staffing ratings. In Mountain View, Villa Siena carries a 1 star staffing rating, with a 1 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating. It also carries 6.04 nursing hours per resident per day. White Blossom Care Center in San Jose carries a 1 star staffing rating, with a 2 star overall rating and a 1 star health inspection rating. Its record also shows 4.03 nursing hours per resident per day and $97,052 in federal fines across 2 federal penalties. Vasona Creek Healthcare Center in Los Gatos carries a 1 star staffing rating, with a 2 star overall rating and a 3 star health inspection rating. It also carries 3.71 nursing hours per resident per day. Across the county, 13 of 50 homes hold a 1 or 2 star overall rating.
A weak inspection record is a signal worth taking seriously after a serious fall. You can compare every home in our Santa Clara 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, see our California nursing home fall page.
How Santa Clara 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. 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 Santa Clara County Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Catholic Charities) at (408) 944-0567, or the state crisis line at (800) 231-4024 after hours. In an emergency, contact Santa Clara 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 "resident found on floor" gets charted to imply nobody could have prevented it, and how the incident report, the alarm logs, and the state survey findings line up. As Santa Clara County nursing home abuse lawyers, we handle these cases across San Jose, Sunnyvale, Gilroy, and the county and throughout California.
Talk to a Santa Clara County nursing home fall lawyer today
Call (888) 999-0169 or send us a message for a free case evaluation. We serve families throughout Santa Clara 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.
- 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
Does a weak inspection rating matter for a fall case?
Yes. The health-inspection rating comes from unannounced state surveys, so a one-star score means surveyors documented meaningful problems, which can support a claim that a fall was preventable rather than a one-time accident. Review each home in our Santa Clara County nursing home directory.
Can I sue a Santa Clara 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 over time.
How many nursing homes are in Santa Clara County?
Santa Clara County has 50 federally certified nursing facilities with 5,114 licensed beds. Every one of them is listed in our Santa Clara County nursing home directory with its ratings, staffing, citations and fines.
Do Santa Clara County nursing homes have citations for falls and fractures?
State inspectors have issued 627 citations against Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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.