22 of the 43 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Hawaii (51%) are independently owned, and all are listed below. 12 of the 22 graded homes earn an A and 3 earn a D or F. They average 5.55 nursing hours per resident per day, 0.58 hours above the 4.97 for every home in Hawaii. Hi'olani Care Center At Kahala Nui in Honolulu grades highest at A (99 out of 100).
How independently owned homes in Hawaii compare
This group set against every nursing home in Hawaii, from the current CMS release.
Hi'olani Care Center at Kahala Nui is a small nonprofit home, just 20 certified beds, and the staffing numbers are where it stands out. At 6.39 nurse hours per resident day, it runs roughly two-thirds above the national average, and its staff turnover of 23.9% is about half the national rate, which matters because consistent caregivers know their residents. Weekend coverage dips only slightly below weekdays, so care doesn't thin out on Saturdays and Sundays.
The trade-off is in inspections: a three-star health inspection rating and 24 deficiencies on the current record, though none at the harm level and none abuse-related. The last state visit was June 2024. Strong staffing and quality scores, a middling inspection history.
Hale Ola Kino By Arcadia runs on unusually heavy staffing for a 32-bed home: 5.51 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 43% above the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips about 15% below its own weekday level, which is worth asking about, but the bigger story is retention, 13.2% annual turnover against a national average of 45.8% means aides and nurses tend to stay, and that consistency matters more than almost anything for daily care. The 24 deficiencies on record include none at the harm level and none abuse-related, and the most recent inspection was February 2025. Corporate for-profit ownership, but the numbers here don't read like a typical corporate building.
Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital runs on unusually heavy staffing for a nursing home, 6.10 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 58 percent above the national figure. Just as telling is the turnover: 7.5 percent a year against a national average near 46 percent, meaning the people caring for residents largely stay put. Weekend coverage dips only slightly below weekdays, so families shouldn't expect a stark drop-off on Saturdays.
The trade-off sits in the inspection record. Eighteen deficiencies are logged, including one at the harm level and one abuse-related, though the most recent inspection in May 2026 suggests the state-run home is being watched closely. Strong staffing and consistent caregivers, with some compliance problems still on the books.
Hale Makua in Wailuku runs 4.61 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 19% above the national average of 3.86, and that cushion matters on Maui where travel for care is hard. Weekend staffing dips about 13% below its own weekday level, so ask how that gap gets covered. Staff turnover is 23.8% against a national 45.8%, meaning aides and nurses tend to stay. Its record shows 17 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with an inspection dated January 30, 2026, so the picture is current.
15 Craigside runs on a level of nurse staffing most homes can't match, 4.53 hours per resident day, about 17% above the national average. The bigger story is turnover: 13% compared to roughly 46% nationally, which means the people caring for residents tend to stay. Weekend coverage dips about 12% below its own weekday levels, so if you're planning visits, that's worth knowing. On the inspection side, five deficiencies on record, none at the harm or jeopardy level, none abuse-related, and the most recent inspection was June 2025. As a nonprofit with 45 beds, it operates at a scale where oversight tends to stay tight. The numbers here reflect consistency rather than any single standout metric.
Arcadia Retirement Residence runs on unusually strong staffing for a nonprofit in Honolulu: 4.61 nurse hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, with weekend coverage dipping only about 9% below weekdays. Turnover sits at 24.7%, roughly half the national rate, which matters because consistent caregivers know their residents. The tradeoff shows up in its inspection history, 37 deficiencies on record, including two at the harm level and three tied to abuse, with one $12,854 fine. The most recent inspection was October 2024, so that record is current. Strong hands-on care, a thinner record on compliance.
Oahu Care Facility runs on better-than-average nurse coverage, 5.09 hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national figure of 3.86, and its weekend hours dip only modestly below weekdays. Staff turnover is 47.8%, a touch above the national 45.8%, so the people giving that care turn over somewhat more than elsewhere. What pulls the record down is the inspection history: 37 deficiencies on file, including one at the harm level and one tied to abuse, plus an $8,278 fine. The most recent inspection was November 2025. Strong daily staffing, thinner safety record.
Aloha Nursing & Rehab Centre in Kaneohe runs on unusually heavy staffing for a for-profit partnership home, 4.75 nurse hours per resident day, about 23% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping roughly 10% below its own weekday levels. Turnover sits at 38.6%, better than the 45.8% national figure but still meaning more than a third of staff leaving each year. The tradeoff shows up in inspections: 40 deficiencies on the current record, one serious enough to cause harm, and a $36,296 fine, though nothing abuse-related. The most recent inspection was August 2025, so the record is current. Strong daily care hours, a middling inspection history.
Liliha Healthcare Center runs on nurse staffing that's well above average, 4.72 hours per resident day against a national 3.86, and its staff turnover of 26.5% is far below the 45.8% national figure, which matters because stable staff know residents' routines. Weekend coverage dips about 11% from weekday levels, so ask how that plays out on Saturdays and Sundays. The caution flag is the inspection record: 48 deficiencies on file, including two at the harm level and five tied to abuse, with a 2/5 inspection rating and the most recent survey in January 2025. For-profit corporate ownership. The numbers describe a well-staffed building with a troubled regulatory history, worth asking about directly.
Kulana Malama sits in Ewa Beach with 33 certified beds, run by a for-profit limited liability company. The staffing number is the headline: 9.84 total nurse hours per resident day, roughly two and a half times the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips only about 6% below weekdays, and turnover at 41% runs slightly better than the 45.8% national figure.
But 25 deficiencies sit on the current record, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and one tied to abuse, plus a $14,069 fine. The last inspection was June 2024. Strong daily staffing and a clean recent survey history aren't the same thing, and here the paper trail is doing more work than the hours-per-resident number.
Lanai Community Hospital runs just 10 certified beds, which makes its staffing figure worth a second look: 12.42 nurse hours per resident day, roughly triple the national average. Small homes often post numbers like that because a fixed crew covers very few residents. Weekend staffing dips about 9% below its own weekday level, so coverage isn't perfectly even. Turnover sits at 58.3%, well above the 45.8% national mark, meaning the people delivering that care change often. Inspections in April 2026 produced 17 deficiencies, none at the harm level, though four were abuse-related, worth asking about directly. The company is a for-profit LLC.
Pearl City Post Acute runs 6.15 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 59% above the national average, and its staff turnover of 27.8% sits well under the 45.8% national figure, a combination that suggests people here tend to stay. Weekend staffing dips about 11% below weekday levels, which is common but worth knowing if you're visiting or calling on a Saturday.
The current record shows 29 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level, though three are abuse-related and should be asked about directly. The last inspection was April 2026, so the picture is recent. A for-profit limited liability company operates the 122-bed home.
Hale Makua - Kahului runs a 252-bed nonprofit home where the day-to-day staffing is genuinely strong, 4.87 nurse hours per resident, about 26% above the national average, with 5 out of 5 on CMS's staffing measure. Retention is better than most too: 32.2% turnover against a national 45.8%. What pulls the record down is the inspection side. The current file shows 59 deficiencies, six of them at harm or jeopardy level and two involving abuse, with $170,249 in fines across three events and a 2-out-of-5 inspection rating. The most recent survey was January 2026, so the findings are recent, not stale. Weekend coverage also dips about 13% below weekday levels. Good staffing, troubled compliance.
Palolo Chinese Home runs 4.13 nurse hours per resident day, which is genuinely better than the national average of 3.86. The catch is that weekend staffing drops roughly 8% below its own weekday levels, and turnover sits at 49.1%, higher than the 45.8% national figure. On the record side, 48 deficiencies is a lot to carry, including one at the harm level and seven tied to abuse. Inspectors were last in on May 1, 2025. The staffing and quality measure scores look decent, but a 2/5 on health inspections is the number that should give you pause.
Nurse staffing at this Kula home runs about 5.79 hours per resident day, roughly half again the national average of 3.86, enough to earn the top CMS staffing rating. Weekends dip about 14% below weekday levels, so coverage isn't perfectly even across the week. The tradeoffs show up elsewhere: annual turnover sits at 53.9% against a national 45.8%, and the current inspection record carries 32 deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and four tied to abuse. The two-star health inspection rating reflects that. Quality measures scored 5/5, and the last inspection was June 2024. Strong bedside hours, persistent regulatory findings.
Nuuanu Hale sits in Honolulu with 75 certified beds and a for-profit corporate owner. The staffing numbers are a mixed picture: 3.61 nurse hours per resident day, about 6% under the national average, with weekends running roughly 10% below its own weekday level. That said, turnover is unusually low at 20.8% against a national 45.8%, which suggests a stable crew even if raw hours are thin.
The inspection record is where the concern concentrates. Fifty-six deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and four tied to abuse, plus a $27,310 fine. The most recent inspection was February 2026. Quality and staffing measures rate well above average, but those compliance findings are the number a family should ask about directly.
Kalakaua Gardens has a staffing story that cuts both ways. At 5.78 nurse hours per resident day, it runs about 50 percent above the national average, and residents get roughly the same coverage on weekends as weekdays. But that staffing comes at a cost: annual turnover hits 100 percent, more than double the national figure, meaning the aides and nurses at the bedside are largely new faces year after year.
The inspection record is the bigger concern. Thirty-one deficiencies, two of them at the harm or jeopardy level and one tied to abuse, plus a $55,692 fine. The most recent inspection was in February 2026.
Maunalani runs 5.51 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 43% above the national average, and weekends dip only about 12% below its own weekday level, the kind of consistent coverage that matters when someone needs help on a Saturday night. Inspections look strong too: a five-star health inspection rating, a five-star quality rating, no abuse deficiencies, and 21 total deficiencies with two at the harm level. The number that stands out is turnover, 97.4% annually against a national average of 45.8%, meaning nearly the entire nursing staff turns over each year, and two fines totaling $32,133 sit on the record. High marks from surveyors, but a workforce in constant churn.
The Care Center of Honolulu runs 182 certified beds under corporate for-profit ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.64 hours per resident day, roughly 20% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping about 11% below its own weekday levels. Staff turnover lands at 38.9%, which is lower than the 45.8% national figure, so people tend to stay longer here than at the typical home. What pulls the record down is the inspection side: 56 deficiencies on file, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and seven tied to abuse, plus a $8,018 fine. The most recent inspection was November 19, 2025.
Kuakini Geriatric Care is a 187-bed nonprofit in Honolulu with a serious split in its record. The staffing numbers aren't the problem: 3.43 nurse hours per resident day sits about 11% under the national average, but turnover is 26.1% against a national 45.8%, and CMS gives staffing four stars. The inspection side is where it falls apart, 55 deficiencies on the current record, three at harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse, plus $83,236 in fines. CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, which is reserved for the homes with the most persistent problems.
Frequently asked questions
How many independently owned nursing homes are there in Hawaii?
There are 22 independently owned Medicare-certified nursing homes in Hawaii, 51% of the 43 nursing homes there.
Are independently owned nursing homes better staffed?
In Hawaii they average 5.55 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.97 for all nursing homes in Hawaii, a difference of +0.58 hours. Staff turnover averages 38.9% against 36.4%.
Which independently owned nursing home grades best in Hawaii?