These guides answer the questions families ask before they ever call a lawyer: how to read a nursing home's rating, how to spot neglect, how to file a complaint, and what your legal options and deadlines are in California. They are written in plain language and reviewed by Thomas Wallin, a California attorney. Everything here is general information, not legal advice.
Choosing and checking a home
- How to read CMS nursing home star ratings what the one-to-five-star rating means, which of the three scores to trust most, and how to look up any home.
- California Nursing Home Report Card 2026 our statewide analysis of all 1,165 California nursing homes, ranking counties and operators from public CMS data.
- California nursing home operators how the ten largest nursing home companies in the state rate.
Recognizing and reporting a problem
- Signs of nursing home neglect the physical, behavioral, and facility-level warning signs, and what each may mean.
- How to file a complaint against a California nursing home the CDPH Cal Health Find process, step by step.
- How to report nursing home abuse in California the full reporting ladder, from the ombudsman to Adult Protective Services.
Understanding your legal options
- Statute of limitations for elder abuse in California the deadlines to file, including the strict six-month rule for government-run facilities.
- Who can file a wrongful death claim in California who has standing under state law, and the one-action rule.
- Nursing home abuse settlement value in California what actually drives the value of a claim, and why "average" figures online are unreliable.
- Nursing home abuse glossary plain-language definitions of the terms you will encounter.
Talk to a California nursing home abuse lawyer
If a loved one was harmed, Michael Young and Thomas Wallin are former nursing home defense attorneys who have recovered millions of dollars for elder abuse victims. Call (888) 999-0169 for a free, confidential consultation. We serve families throughout California, and you pay nothing unless we win.
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Where to Report, and Who Does What
Long-Term Care Ombudsman CRISISline
Investigates abuse and neglect complaints inside long-term care facilities and advocates for the resident. Free, confidential, answered 24 hours a day.
California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification
Licenses skilled nursing facilities, investigates complaints and issues the citations that become public record.
Cal Health Find
The CDPH search where a complaint against a named facility is filed, and where the state inspection record for that facility is published.
Adult Protective Services
The California Department of Social Services line for abuse of an elder living in the community rather than in a licensed facility. Answered 24 hours a day, routed to the county agency by zip code.
Medicare Care Compare
The federal ratings, staffing figures and inspection findings this site publishes for every certified home, at their source.
Free Case Evaluation
Confidential. No obligation. Available 24/7.
Disclaimer: these guides are general information, not legal advice, and do not create an attorney-client relationship. This page is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.