Golden Empire Complaints, Violations and Inspection Records
Data current as of the August 2026 CMS Care Compare release and the CDPH state enforcement dataset of August 27, 2024. State citation records cover July 1, 1997 through June 30, 2024.
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What the public record shows
If you are looking into Golden Empire in Grass Valley, whether a loved one lives there now or you are considering it, the public record is worth reading before you decide. Federal and state inspectors publish what they find.
Here is what the record shows for this facility, drawn from CMS Care Compare and the California Department of Public Health:
- CMS overall rating: 4 of 5 stars. The health inspection rating, the most independent of the three categories, is 3 of 5.
- California state citations: 19 on record, including 19 class B, with $19,900 in assessed penalties.
- Staffing: 3.64 nursing hours per resident per day; registered nurse turnover 16.7%.
- Most recent standard and complaint inspections: 15 deficiencies cited on August 22, 2025. The most recent inspection since then was on February 11, 2026: 2 deficiencies cited in the complaint inspection.
- Federal enforcement: no federal fines on record in the reported period.
- Ownership: Dynasty Valley LLC, for-profit.
Golden Empire ratings and staffing
Golden Empire is located at 121 Dorsey Drive in Grass Valley, Nevada County. It is a for-profit facility operated by Dynasty Valley LLC, with 148 certified beds and an average of 138.8 residents a day. It accepts Medicare and Medicaid.
CMS rates every certified nursing home in three separate categories, and the overall star is a blend of them:
- Health inspections, based on what state surveyors observe in person during unannounced visits. Weight this one most heavily, because it does not rely on data the facility reports about itself.
- Staffing, drawn from payroll-based records of how much nursing time each resident actually receives.
- Quality measures, built largely from data the facility submits. Read a high score here with more caution than the other two.
For Golden Empire, those scores are: health inspections 3 of 5, staffing 4 of 5, quality measures 5 of 5.
Staffing. Golden Empire reports 3.64 total nursing hours per resident per day, of which 0.34 are registered nurse hours. Over the reporting year, 40.4% of the nursing staff left. Registered nurses supervise aides, catch medication errors before they reach a resident, and notice when a person's condition is changing. Staffing is the single number that most reliably predicts whether a facility catches a problem early or lets it become a crisis.
How this home compares in the public record
CMS publishes each home's star rating and its payroll-based staffing hours, and it publishes the federal fines it has imposed. The county and California figures beside each number are the averages across those same published records.
These figures are taken from public CMS Care Compare records as of August 2026 (the August 2026 release) and public CDPH records as of June 2024 (the state enforcement dataset of August 27, 2024). They are reported as published and are not a recommendation, endorsement or assessment of any facility by this firm. How these figures were assembled.
Homes in Nevada County with a higher CMS overall rating
CMS rates each of these homes above Golden Empire on the overall star rating it publishes. The rating is one measure of a facility's record, and each page below carries that home's own inspection findings, staffing hours and citation history.
- Tahoe Forest Hospital D/P SNF, Truckee: CMS overall rating 5 of 5
These figures are taken from public CMS Care Compare records as of August 2026 (the August 2026 release) and public CDPH records as of June 2024 (the state enforcement dataset of August 27, 2024). They are reported as published and are not a recommendation, endorsement or assessment of any facility by this firm. How these figures were assembled.
Federal inspection findings and penalties
Scope and severity A to C means no actual harm, with potential for minimal harm. Scope and severity D to F means no actual harm, with potential for more than minimal harm. Scope and severity G to I means actual harm that is not immediate jeopardy. Scope and severity J to L means immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
February 11, 2026, complaint inspection
2 deficiencies cited. Surveyors cited the facility for protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody and timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
- F0600Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (scope and severity D)
- F0609Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. (scope and severity D)
February 6, 2026, complaint inspection
1 deficiency cited. Surveyors cited the facility for observe each nurse aide's job performance and give regular training.
- F0730Observe each nurse aide's job performance and give regular training. (scope and severity D)
December 10, 2025, complaint inspection
1 deficiency cited. Surveyors cited the facility for provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- F0684Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals. (scope and severity D)
August 22, 2025, standard and complaint inspections
15 deficiencies cited. Surveyors cited the facility for keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential, ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment, and ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
- F0583Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential. (scope and severity E)
- F0641Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. (scope and severity E)
- F0761Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs. (scope and severity E)
- F0812Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (scope and severity E)
- F0814Dispose of garbage and refuse properly. (scope and severity E)
- F0880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (scope and severity E)
- F0925Make sure there is a pest control program to prevent/deal with mice, insects, or other pests. (scope and severity E)
- F0600Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (scope and severity D)
- F0637Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition (scope and severity D)
- F0658Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (scope and severity D)
- F0684Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals. (scope and severity D)
- F0697Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services. (scope and severity D)
- F0755Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. (scope and severity D)
- F0849Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services. (scope and severity D)
- F0868Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly (scope and severity D)
July 31, 2025, complaint inspection
1 deficiency cited. Surveyors cited the facility for ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
- F0689Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (scope and severity D)
June 9, 2025, complaint inspection
1 deficiency cited. Surveyors cited the facility for provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
- F0880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (scope and severity E)
April 11, 2025, complaint inspection
1 deficiency cited. Surveyors cited the facility for provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
- F0880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (scope and severity E)
March 18, 2025, complaint inspection
3 deficiencies cited. Surveyors cited the facility for develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft, develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals, and provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- F0607Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft. (scope and severity D)
- F0657Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (scope and severity D)
- F0684Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals. (scope and severity D)
April 3, 2024, complaint inspection
2 deficiencies cited. Surveyors cited the facility for provide and implement an infection prevention and control program and implement gradual dose reductions(gdr) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and prn orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and prn use is limited.
- F0880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (scope and severity E)
- F0758Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited. (scope and severity D)
December 1, 2023, standard inspection
3 deficiencies cited. Surveyors cited the facility for provide and implement an infection prevention and control program, procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards, and post nurse staffing information every day.
- F0880Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (scope and severity F)
- F0812Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (scope and severity E)
- F0732Post nurse staffing information every day. (scope and severity D)
Penalties. CMS records show no federal fines for Golden Empire in the reported period.
California state citations
California inspects and cites nursing homes separately from the federal government. The Department of Public Health issues three classes of citation. 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. A class B citation is a violation the Department determined had a direct or immediate relationship to residents' health, safety or security, other than a class AA or A violation.
State records show 19 citations against Golden Empire between October 16, 2000 and September 22, 2011: 19 class B, with $19,900 in assessed penalties.
- September 22, 2011, class B, Patient Care. $1,000 penalty.
- September 22, 2011, class B, Other. $1,000 penalty.
- April 21, 2011, class B, Patient Care. $1,000 penalty.
- February 4, 2009, class B, Patient Rights. $1,000 penalty.
- February 4, 2009, class B, Patient Rights. $750 penalty.
- March 18, 2008, class B, Other. $1,000 penalty.
- March 18, 2008, class B, Other. $1,000 penalty.
- January 3, 2008, class B, Medication. $900 penalty.
- June 6, 2007, class B, Patient Care. $3,000 penalty.
- June 6, 2007, class B, Patient Care. $1,000 penalty.
- June 6, 2007, class B, Administration. $1,000 penalty.
- June 6, 2007, class B, Administration. $1,000 penalty.
and 7 earlier citations, in the CDPH record linked under Sources.
Across Nevada County's 5 certified facilities, the average is about 13.8 state citations per facility. Golden Empire's 19 is above that average.
A citation records a determination by state surveyors. A citation does not by itself establish that any particular resident was injured or that the facility is liable to anyone.
Other nursing homes in Grass Valley
Families comparing options in Grass Valley often look at these facilities as well. Each link opens that facility's full public record:
- Crystal Ridge Care Center, 4 stars, 14 state citations
- Grass Valley Healthcare Center, 3 stars, 4 state citations
- Wolf Creek Care Center, 4 stars, 22 state citations
- Tahoe Forest Hospital D/P SNF, 5 stars, 10 state citations (in Nevada County)
See every facility in the Nevada County nursing home directory.
Other nursing homes in Nevada County
These are other nursing homes in Nevada County, listed by how close each home's ZIP code is to the ZIP code for Golden Empire. The public record gives a street address but no coordinates, so distance is not measured; homes in the same ZIP code appear first. No rating or inspection figure is used to order this list.
- Crystal Ridge Care Center, Grass Valley
- Grass Valley Healthcare Center, Grass Valley
- Wolf Creek Care Center, Grass Valley
- Tahoe Forest Hospital D/P SNF, Truckee
This list is drawn from public CMS Care Compare records as of August 2026 (the August 2026 release) and public CDPH records as of June 2024 (the state enforcement dataset of August 27, 2024). It is ordered by location only and is not a recommendation, endorsement or assessment of any facility by this firm. How these figures were assembled.
What to do if you are worried about care at this facility
You will usually notice something is wrong before anyone official does, and you do not need proof before you act. If you are concerned about care at Golden Empire, you can take these steps:
Write down what you see. Note dates, times, and specific concerns, and photograph anything relevant. A clear, contemporaneous record matters if an investigation follows.
File a complaint with the California Department of Public Health. CDPH licenses and inspects skilled nursing facilities and investigates complaints, and a serious complaint can trigger an on-site inspection. You can file online through CDPH's Cal Health Find system, which routes your complaint to the Nevada County licensing district office.
Contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The ombudsman is a free advocate who will visit your loved one, look into your concerns, and press the facility on their behalf. Nevada County's ombudsman program can be reached at (916) 376-8910. This is often the fastest first step when the issue is care quality rather than an emergency.
For the full walkthrough, see How to report nursing home abuse in California.
Injuries that most often signal neglect
The injuries below are the ones most often at issue in California nursing home cases. Any one of them at Golden Empire is a reason to ask what the facility's own records show:
- Bedsores and pressure ulcers, especially a wound that reached stage 3 or 4
- Falls and fractures in a resident who was supposed to be supervised
- Wandering and elopement from a building that was not secured
- Dehydration and malnutrition
- Sepsis and untreated infections
- Medication errors
- Wrongful death, when neglect contributed to a resident's passing
Nursing home abuse claims in Nevada County
If a loved one was harmed at Golden Empire, these pages explain how Nevada County families pursue the most common nursing home claims, each with local facility data and the county long-term care ombudsman:
- Nevada County bedsore lawyer
- Nevada County nursing home neglect lawyer
- Nevada County nursing home fall lawyer
- Nevada County nursing home wrongful death lawyer
You can also compare every home in the Nevada County nursing home directory.
Are There Lawsuits Against Golden Empire?
This page reports federal and state inspection, complaint and enforcement records for Golden Empire. Those records are separate from civil lawsuits: a government citation is not a lawsuit, and a facility can be sued without ever being cited. This site does not track civil court filings. Civil cases against California skilled nursing facilities are usually filed in the Superior Court of the county where the facility is located; records for Nevada County are searchable through the Nevada County Superior Court's online case records. If your family member was injured at Golden Empire, the records that matter most are usually the resident's own: nursing notes, care plans, fall-risk assessments, wound records, medication administration records, physician orders and incident reports. Talk to us about what happened.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Golden Empire a good nursing home?
- CMS gives Golden Empire an overall rating of 4 of 5 stars, with a health inspection rating of 3 of 5 based on in-person state surveys. California has issued 19 state citations against the facility. A rating is a starting point, not a verdict. Read it alongside the inspection dates and what you see for yourself.
- What should I do if my loved one was injured at Golden Empire?
- Document the injury with dated photos, request the care plan and treatment records, and report your concern to the California Department of Public Health and the Nevada County Long-Term Care Ombudsman. If the injury is serious, such as a bedsore, a fall, or an untreated infection, you can also speak with a nursing home attorney about whether you have a claim.
- Has Golden Empire been fined or cited for serious violations?
- Public records show 19 California state citations with $19,900 in state penalties.
- How many state citations does Golden Empire have?
- The California Department of Public Health has issued 19 citations against Golden Empire in Grass Valley between October 16, 2000 and September 22, 2011: 19 class B, with $19,900 in assessed penalties.
- How do I report a problem at Golden Empire?
- File a complaint with CDPH through its Cal Health Find system, or contact the Nevada County Long-Term Care Ombudsman at (916) 376-8910. In an emergency, call Adult Protective Services or 911.
If your loved one was harmed
We came to this work from the other side. We spent years defending nursing homes, which means we know how a facility builds a file to protect itself and where the gaps in that file tend to be. Under California's Elder Abuse Act (Welfare and Institutions Code sections 15600 to 15675), a family that proves, by clear and convincing evidence, that neglect was committed with recklessness, oppression, fraud or malice can recover remedies beyond an ordinary injury claim, including attorney's fees (section 15657).
If your loved one was harmed at Golden Empire, talk to our Nevada County nursing home abuse lawyers. We handle cases in Grass Valley and across California. The consultation is free and confidential, we are available around the clock, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you.
Call (888) 999-0169. Available 24/7. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
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Sources
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Care Compare: Golden Empire provider record, CCN 056391. Ratings, staffing, and federal deficiency data processed August 1, 2026.
- CMS Provider Data Catalog: Provider Information, Penalties, and Health Deficiencies datasets.
- California Department of Public Health, Cal Health Find: Golden Empire state license record, FACID 230000276, license 230000135.
- California Department of Public Health, Health Facilities State Enforcement Actions dataset (CHHS Open Data), citations July 1, 1997 through June 30, 2024.
Disclaimer
The inspection data, ratings, citations, staffing figures, and ownership information on this page come from public sources, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (medicare.gov) and the California Department of Public Health. This information is reported as published by those sources and may not reflect the most current findings or conditions at the facility. Deficiencies and citations listed may have been corrected or appealed since the date shown. Inclusion of Golden Empire in this directory is not a statement, allegation, or suggestion that the facility has committed abuse, neglect, or any wrongdoing. This page is attorney advertising and an information resource. It is not legal advice, and using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Young & Wallin is not affiliated with Golden Empire, and neither the facility nor any government agency endorses this page.