16 Independent Nursing Homes in San Diego County, California
16 of the 83 Medicare-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California (19%) are independently owned, and all are listed below. 9 of the 15 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. They average 5.66 nursing hours per resident per day, 1.16 hours above the 4.5 for every home in San Diego County, California. The Dorothy & Joseph Goldberg Healthcare Center in Encinitas grades highest at A (97 out of 100).
How independently owned 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
5.66
All homes in San Diego County, California: 4.5
Better than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
32.3%
All homes in San Diego County, California: 37.8%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
84.4/100
All homes in San Diego County, California: 81.4/100
The Dorothy & Joseph Goldberg Healthcare Center runs on 5.59 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 45% above the national figure of 3.86, and it holds that staffing with a 23.3% turnover rate, about half the national average of 45.8%. Weekend coverage dips only about 9% below its own weekday level, which is a modest gap by industry standards. Thirty deficiencies sit on the current record, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related; the most recent inspection was July 24, 2025. This is a nonprofit corporation with 58 certified beds in Encinitas, and the numbers point to steady, well-funded care rather than a building skating by on minimums.
Villa Coronado runs on unusually deep nurse staffing, 7.56 hours per resident day, roughly double the national average of 3.86, and its weekend coverage holds close to weekday levels, dipping only about 6%. Staff turnover sits at 20.1%, well under the 45.8% national figure, which matters because consistent caregivers tend to know residents' routines. The tradeoff shows up in the inspection record: 25 deficiencies, one tied to abuse, though none rose to the harm or jeopardy level. State inspectors were last in on May 2, 2025, so that record is recent. A nonprofit corporation operates the 122-bed home, and all three CMS star ratings, health inspections, quality measures, staffing, come in at 5.
Staffing at this La Mesa nonprofit runs 6.71 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 74% above the national average of 3.86, and the 15.2% annual turnover is far below the 45.8% national figure, so the same caregivers tend to stay. Weekend coverage dips about 9% below weekdays, worth asking about. The 14 deficiencies on record include nothing at the harm or jeopardy level and nothing abuse-related, and the last inspection was June 2025. With 30 certified beds, it's small enough that a hospital-based operation can keep close tabs on residents.
The state-run veterans home in Chula Vista runs 4.80 nurse hours per resident per day, roughly a quarter above the national average, with a 5/5 CMS staffing rating and turnover at 17.3 percent, well under the 45.8 percent national figure. Those numbers help explain its B grade, but the 34 deficiencies on file matter too, including one at the harm level and two abuse-related citations, with a single $8,018 fine. Weekend staffing dips about 12 percent below its own weekday level. A January 2026 inspection is recent enough to trust. Solid staffing and stable workforce; the citation record is the piece to weigh.
Sharp Chula Vista Med Ctr Snf runs on a level of nurse staffing you rarely see: 5.45 hours per resident per day, about 41% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only slightly below weekdays. Staff turnover sits at 21.6%, less than half the national rate, a sign people stay. Inspections were recent and the health record is solid, though 34 deficiencies include one at harm level and two tied to abuse, which families should ask about directly. Nonprofit ownership and a B grade reflect a home whose day-to-day care capacity is strong, with specific past problems worth understanding before you decide.
Nurse staffing at Helen Bernardy Center runs about 7.89 hours per resident day, roughly double the national average of 3.86. Weekends dip only about 7 percent below its own weekday levels, so coverage stays fairly steady rather than thinning out when families tend to visit. The health inspection record shows 13 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection dated March 2026. It's a government hospital-district home with 43 certified beds, and its quality measure and health inspection ratings both sit at the top of CMS's scale. The staffing rating is one notch lower, which is worth asking about directly if you tour.
The Villas At Poway runs on unusually deep nurse staffing, 6.90 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekend coverage only dips about 12% below its weekday level, so care doesn't thin out as much when families visit. Staff turnover sits at 11.8% while the national figure is 45.8%, which means the people caring for residents tend to stick around. The tradeoff shows up in its inspection history: 40 deficiencies currently on record, including one at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus ten fines totaling $57,124. Its last inspection was in May 2025, so the picture is recent. Strong staffing and retention, but the survey record is the thing to ask about directly.
Meadowbrook Village runs about 19 beds as a nonprofit, and the staffing numbers stand out right away: 7.48 nurse hours per resident day, roughly double the national average, with weekends dipping only about 7% below weekdays. Turnover sits at 30% against a national 45.8%, so the people caring for residents tend to stay. The tradeoff shows up in the quality measures, where CMS scores it 2 out of 5, that's the weak spot. Inspections are another story: a 5/5 health inspection rating, last survey in October 2024, with 11 deficiencies on record but none at the harm level and none abuse-related.
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.
Hillcrest Manor Sanitarium runs 98 certified beds in National City under corporate ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.23 hours per resident day, about 9% above the national average of 3.86. That's the strongest number here, though weekends drop roughly 9% below the home's own weekday coverage, so the weekday floor isn't the whole picture. The health inspection record shows 33 deficiencies, including one abuse-related citation, but none at the harm or jeopardy level, and the most recent inspection was in February 2026, so the survey picture is current rather than stale. CMS gives it 4 of 5 stars for both health inspections and quality measures, 3 of 5 for staffing.
The Royal Home is small, 19 certified beds, and it's staffed better than most: 4.18 nurse hours per resident day, about 8% over the national average. Weekends dip roughly 9% below its own weekday level, so coverage thins out then. The bigger number to sit with is turnover: 73.9% of nursing staff leaving annually, against a national average of 45.8%. That churn matters more at a 19-bed home, where there's no big team to absorb it. Its record shows 31 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the last inspection in December 2025, recent enough. Quality measures score well; the inspection history is middling. You're looking at a well-staffed, recently inspected home with a retention problem.
Bella Vista Health Center in Lemon Grove runs 4.87 total nurse hours per resident day, roughly 26% above the national average of 3.86, and its weekend staffing only dips about 7% below weekdays, a smaller drop-off than many homes show. The 22 deficiencies on record include none at the harm or jeopardy level and none tied to abuse, and the most recent inspection was November 2025. Staff turnover sits at 47.6%, slightly above the national 45.8%. With 99 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, the numbers describe a home that is adequately staffed and recently inspected, but not one where retention stands out.
Granite Hills runs 4.06 nurse hours per resident day, which is about 5% above the national average, real, but modest. The bigger issue is what's on the record: 56 deficiencies, two of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, plus two abuse-related citations and a $14,015 fine. Weekend staffing drops roughly 8% below weekday levels, so coverage thins exactly when families tend to visit. A for-profit LLC with 99 beds, inspected in January 2025, carries a 2-star inspection rating and a 2-star staffing rating from CMS. The quality measure score sits higher at 3 stars, but that's self-reported data, and the inspection findings are what surveyors saw firsthand.
Edgemoor Hospital is county-run, and the staffing shows it: 6.43 nurse hours per resident day, roughly two-thirds more than the national average of 3.86, with turnover at 21% against a national 45.8%. Weekends run about 10% thinner than weekdays, but that's a mild dip for a nursing home. The caution is inspections. The current record holds 25 deficiencies, including five tied to abuse and one at the harm level, with a $41,895 fine, and the most recent inspection dates to December 2025. Strong care measures and staffing don't erase a citation record like that. Ask about those abuse deficiencies directly.
St. Pauls Health Care Center sits in San Diego with 59 certified beds and a nonprofit corporation behind it. The nurse staffing number is genuinely strong, 4.78 hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, though weekends dip about 9% below what the home staffs on weekdays. That staffing strength is offset by a 62.5% annual turnover rate, well above the 45.8% national figure, and by 58 deficiencies on the current record, including one at the harm level and three tied to abuse. The most recent inspection was in June 2025. High direct-care hours and a troubling inspection history are both true here at once.
Grossmont Gardens is a for-profit corporate home in La Mesa with 16 deficiencies on its current record. None of those rose to the level of actual harm or jeopardy, which matters, that's the line between paperwork problems and a resident getting hurt. One is abuse-related, so ask about that specifically when you tour. The most recent inspection was February 12, 2026, so the record is current rather than stale. Sixteen citations is a lot to work through, though, and the count itself suggests the home struggles to stay ahead of federal requirements rather than catching problems before surveyors do. Worth asking staff how they've addressed the abuse citation and what changed since.
Frequently asked questions
How many independently owned nursing homes are there in San Diego County, California?
There are 16 independently owned Medicare-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California, 19% of the 83 nursing homes there.
Are independently owned nursing homes better staffed?
In San Diego County, California they average 5.66 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.5 for all nursing homes in San Diego County, California, a difference of +1.16 hours. Staff turnover averages 32.3% against 37.8%.
Which independently owned nursing home grades best in San Diego County, California?