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27 Best Medicaid Nursing Homes in San Diego County, California

27 of the 83 Medicare-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California (33%) are top-graded Medicaid-certified, and all are listed below. 27 of the 27 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. Nurse staff turnover runs 28.9%, 8.9 points lower than the 37.8% across all homes there. Lakeside Special Care Center in Lakeside grades highest at A (97 out of 100).

How top-graded Medicaid-certified homes in San Diego County, California compare

This group set against every nursing home in San Diego County, California, from the current CMS release.

Nursing hours per resident per day

4.66

All homes in San Diego County, California: 4.5

Better than the local average

Nurse staff turnover

28.9%

All homes in San Diego County, California: 37.8%

Better than the local average

Average ElderGrade score

89.6/100

All homes in San Diego County, California: 81.4/100

Better than the local average

Grade spread

A

27 grade A,

The best-graded top-graded Medicaid-certified home in San Diego County, California is Lakeside Special Care Center in Lakeside, CA, grade A, 97/100.

Every top-graded Medicaid-certified nursing home in San Diego County, California

Showing 21 to 27 of 27, best-graded first.

A

86/100

South Bay Post Acute Care

Chula Vista, CA · San Diego County

CMS 5/599 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
4.23 /day
Staff turnover
41%
Serious cites
0

South Bay Post Acute Care runs 99 beds in Chula Vista under for-profit LLC ownership, and the numbers behind its record are mostly solid. Nurse staffing sits at 4.23 hours per resident day, roughly 10% above the national average, though weekends dip about 13% below the home's own weekday levels, worth asking about if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff turnover is 40.6%, better than the 45.8% national figure. The home carries 30 deficiencies on its current record, but none at the harm level and none abuse-related, and its last inspection was in May 2025.

A

85/100

Parkway Hills Nursing & Rehabilitation

La Mesa, CA · San Diego County

CMS 3/560 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
3.98 /day
Staff turnover
35%
Serious cites
0

Parkway Hills runs 60 beds in La Mesa under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.98 hours per resident day, modestly ahead of the national 3.86 average. Weekends drop about 9% below weekday coverage, so if your family visits on a Sunday, expect a thinner floor than midweek. Turnover lands at 34.9%, well under the 45.8% national figure, which suggests aides and nurses are staying put longer than at the typical home. The state inspected most recently in September 2025 and found 51 deficiencies on the current record, none rising to harm or jeopardy, though two are abuse-related and worth asking about directly.

A

85/100

La Paloma Healthcare Center

Oceanside, CA · San Diego County

CMS 5/593 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
3.95 /day
Staff turnover
40%
Serious cites
0

La Paloma Healthcare Center sits in Oceanside with 93 certified beds, run by a for-profit limited liability company. Nurse staffing runs 3.95 hours per resident day, a bit above the national average of 3.86, though weekends dip about 6% below its own weekday levels. Staff turnover is 40.2%, better than the national 45.8%. The inspection history is the part worth pausing on: 30 deficiencies on record, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse. The last inspection was April 17, 2025, so that record is recent. Strong marks on health inspections and quality measures sit alongside those deficiencies, and the staffing rating lands in the middle. Read the inspection detail before deciding.

A

85/100

Valley Vista Post Acute

Escondido, CA · San Diego County

CMS 4/559 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
4.01 /day
Staff turnover
43%
Serious cites
0

Valley Vista Post Acute runs 59 beds in Escondido under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.01 hours per resident day, about 4% above the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips roughly 11% below its own weekday level, which is worth asking about if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff turnover is 43.1%, a touch better than the 45.8% national figure, so most caregivers sticking around is a modest plus. The current record shows 28 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level, though 2 are abuse-related, enough to warrant a direct question about what happened and what changed. The last inspection was September 2025, so the picture is recent.

A

85/100

Country Manor La Mesa Healthcare Center

La Mesa, CA · San Diego County

CMS 4/599 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
4.12 /day
Staff turnover
27%
Serious cites
0

Country Manor La Mesa runs on 4.12 nurse hours per resident day, about 7% more than the national average, and its weekend staffing dips roughly 8% below its own weekday level, noticeable, though not the kind of drop that usually signals danger. The turnover picture is the real standout: 27% against a national average near 46%, meaning far fewer people are cycling through the building than is typical. Inspectors cited 23 deficiencies, none at the harm level and none abuse-related, and the most recent visit came in January 2025, so the record is current. For-profit, LLC-owned, and it shows in neither the staffing numbers nor the survey history.

A

85/100

Stanford Court Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center

Santee, CA · San Diego County

CMS 5/5105 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
4.34 /day
Staff turnover
29%
Serious cites
0

Stanford Court runs on 4.34 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 12 percent above the national average, and its staff turnover of 29.3 percent sits well under the 45.8 percent national figure, a sign people tend to stay. The trade-off is consistency: weekend staffing drops about 14 percent from weekday levels. Inspectors have logged 45 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level, though one is abuse-related, and the most recent visit was December 2025. The 4-star health inspection and 5-star quality measures carry more weight than the 3-star staffing rating, which reflects that above-average hours don't guarantee even coverage across the week.

A

85/100

Ocean View Post Acute

Escondido, CA · San Diego County

CMS 4/5120 bedsFor-profitMedicaid
Nurse hours
4.13 /day
Staff turnover
34%
Serious cites
0

Ocean View Post Acute runs about 4.13 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 7% above the national average, and weekend coverage dips only about 8% below its own weekday levels. Staff turnover sits at 33.6%, well under the 45.8% national figure, that kind of retention matters more than a single staffing number. The trade-off shows up in its inspection record: 42 deficiencies on file, one of them serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, though none involve abuse. State inspectors were last on site in June 2025. At 120 beds under for-profit LLC ownership, quality measures score well, but that volume of deficiencies is worth asking about directly before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How many top-graded Medicaid-certified nursing homes are there in San Diego County, California?
There are 27 top-graded Medicaid-certified Medicare-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California, 33% of the 83 nursing homes there.
Are top-graded Medicaid-certified nursing homes better staffed?
In San Diego County, California they average 4.66 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.5 for all nursing homes in San Diego County, California, a difference of +0.16 hours. Staff turnover averages 28.9% against 37.8%.
Which top-graded Medicaid-certified nursing home grades best in San Diego County, California?
Lakeside Special Care Center in Lakeside, CA, grade A, 97 out of 100.
Does being top-graded Medicaid-certified mean a nursing home is safe?
No. Of the 27 graded top-graded Medicaid-certified homes in San Diego County, California, 27 grade A and 0 grade D or F.
Do top-graded Medicaid-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California accept Medicaid?
27 of the 27 are certified to accept Medicaid. See Medicaid and nursing homes.

Before you shortlist in San Diego County, California