53 of the 193 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Washington (27%) are independently owned, and all are listed below. 19 of the 53 graded homes earn an A and 2 earn a D or F. They average 4.91 nursing hours per resident per day, 0.55 hours above the 4.36 for every home in Washington. Heron's Key in Gig Harbor grades highest at A (99 out of 100).
How independently owned homes in Washington compare
This group set against every nursing home in Washington, from the current CMS release.
Nursing hours per resident per day
4.91
All homes in Washington: 4.36
Better than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
43.5%
All homes in Washington: 45.1%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
78.4/100
All homes in Washington: 77.1/100
Better than the local average
Grade spread
A
B
C
19 grade A, 22 grade B, 10 grade C, 2 grade D,
The best-graded independently owned home in Washington is
Heron's Key
in Gig Harbor, WA, grade A, 99/100.
Every independently owned nursing home in Washington
Everett Transitional Care Services has real strengths on paper: 4.26 nurse hours per resident day is about 10% above the national average, and its last inspection was recent, in December 2025. The problems sit elsewhere. Staff turnover runs at 56.8% against a national 45.8%, meaning more than half the nursing staff leaves each year, and weekend coverage drops roughly 11% below weekday levels, the stretch when families often can't visit. Inspections also logged 19 deficiencies, two serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, plus $36,243 in fines across two penalties. Quality measure scores sit at 2 of 5 stars despite the strong staffing numbers, so the bedside care doesn't track with the hours on the schedule.
Heartwood runs a for-profit shop with 120 beds in Tacoma, and the staffing picture is genuinely mixed. Nurse hours come in at 3.96 per resident day, a hair above the national average, but weekends drop about 11% below what the home staffs on weekdays, a gap families feel most on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover sits at 42.6%, slightly better than the national 45.8%. The trouble is the inspection record: 82 deficiencies on file, six at harm or jeopardy level, five tied to abuse, and four fines totaling $382,661. The last inspection was March 2026. The staffing numbers look decent; the survey history is what should worry you.
North Bend Post Acute runs 64 beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and the nurse staffing number is 3.58 hours per resident day, roughly 7% under the national average of 3.86, with weekends running about 10% thinner than weekdays. Turnover sits at 42%, which is actually a touch better than the 45.8% national figure, so the problem here isn't retention so much as how few hands are on deck per shift. The inspection record is where it gets serious: 103 deficiencies on file, four at harm or jeopardy level, four tied to abuse, and two fines totaling $206,072. The most recent inspection was March 5, 2025.
McKay Healthcare & Rehab Center is a small hospital-district home in Soap Lake, and its day-to-day staffing looks solid on paper, 4.29 total nurse hours per resident, roughly 11% above the national average. But that average hides two things worth asking about: weekends run about 14% thinner than weekdays, and annual turnover sits at 72.9%, well above the national 45.8%. A recent inspection in March 2025 and a four-star health inspection rating are genuine positives, but the current record carries 40 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and five tied to abuse, plus a $113,505 fine. Good inspections, but the staffing churn is the number I'd press them on.
Bridges To Home is a twelve-bed nonprofit home in Shoreline, and its inspection record is the main thing to know before you call. Fifteen deficiencies on the current record, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, is a lot for a home this small, smaller buildings usually generate shorter lists, not longer ones. There's one fine on record, $8,278. The last inspection was August 4, 2025, so the findings are recent, not stale. With twelve beds, staffing is worth asking about directly: who covers nights, and what happens when someone calls out. Ask for the plan of correction and how the abuse-related findings were resolved.
Yakima Valley School is a state-run home in Selah with 112 beds, and its staffing is the headline: 16.60 nurse hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86. That's a different category of coverage than most families ever see, and turnover sits at 32.2% versus 45.8% nationally. Weekend staffing dips about 8% below its own weekday level, so the floor is thinner on Saturdays and Sundays even here. The inspection record is where it gets harder. Thirty-four deficiencies, four at harm or jeopardy level, eight abuse-related, and a 2/5 inspection rating, with the most recent survey dated May 2026. High staffing and a troubled regulatory history can both be true. Ask what those abuse deficiencies specifically involved.
Lakeland Village runs on state funding and employs nurses at a rate nearly triple the national average, 11.12 hours per resident day against 3.86. Weekend coverage dips only slightly, about 7% below weekdays, and turnover sits at 32.6%, well under the 45.8% national figure. That's genuinely strong staffing. The problem is what inspections keep finding: 26 deficiencies on the current record, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and 10 tied to abuse. Its last inspection was October 27, 2025, so the picture is current, not stale. High nurse hours don't cancel out harm-level findings, a C grade reflects a home where the caregiving capacity is real but the safety record isn't.
Shuksan Rehabilitation runs 52 beds in Bellingham under corporate ownership, and the staffing numbers tell a story worth sitting with. At 3.36 nurse hours per resident day, it's roughly 13% under the national average, and weekends drop about 21% below its own weekday level, so care gets thinnest exactly when families tend to visit. Staff turnover of 55.2% runs well above the national 45.8%, which means fewer familiar faces at the bedside. The inspection record is the harder read: 59 deficiencies, five at harm or jeopardy level, seven tied to abuse, and a $74,794 fine, all with a most recent inspection in May 2025. The quality measure score of 5 out of 5 stands out against a 1 out of 5 on health inspections.
Crescent Health Care runs 85 beds in Yakima under corporate ownership, and the numbers tell a mixed story. Nurse staffing sits at 3.59 hours per resident day, about 7% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 11% below what the home staffs during the week, so coverage gets thinnest exactly when families tend to visit. Turnover at 42.9% is slightly better than the national rate, which is one genuine bright spot.
The inspection record is where things get harder to dismiss: 47 deficiencies on file, including 5 at the harm level and 8 tied to abuse, plus four fines totaling $245,834. The most recent inspection was December 5, 2025, so the record is current. If you're considering this home, ask directly how those abuse-related citations were resolved.
Woodland Convalescent Center runs lean on nursing hours: 3.10 per resident day, roughly a fifth below the national average, and weekends drop another 22% below its own weekday coverage. That thin schedule matters more given what inspectors have logged, 21 deficiencies on the current record, including two at the harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse, with $31,793 in fines across two penalties. The last inspection was June 20, 2025, so the record is recent. The health and quality measure ratings sit mid-range, but the staffing rating is the outlier at one star. For-profit corporate ownership. If you're weighing this one, ask how they cover weekends and what changed after those abuse findings.
Parkside Care in Union Gap runs 88 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its record is one of the heaviest in the county. Sixty-three deficiencies sit on the current record, four at harm or jeopardy level, two tied to abuse, with four fines totaling $205,277. Those numbers line up with inspection and quality ratings of 1 out of 5 each. Staffing looks adequate on paper at 3.88 hours per resident day, barely above the national average, but weekends run about 14 percent thinner than weekdays, and that rating still comes in at 2 out of 5. The last inspection was March 2026, so this is a current picture, not an old one.
Crystal Cove Post Acute runs 96 beds in Lacey under for-profit LLC ownership, and CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, a designation reserved for homes with a persistent record of poor care. The numbers back that up: 132 deficiencies on the current record, including 6 at the harm or jeopardy level and 4 tied to abuse, plus three fines totaling $215,060. Nurse staffing sits at 3.77 hours per resident day, slightly under the national average, and drops about 15% on weekends, when coverage thins out. Staff turnover is the sharper problem, 69.7% a year against a national average of 45.8%, meaning most of the people caring for residents are new to the building.
Auburn Post Acute is a 96-bed for-profit home in King County, and the number that should stop you is 131 deficiencies on its current record, 11 of them at the level where a resident was actually harmed, 10 tied to abuse. That record, plus $380,862 in fines across six penalties, is why CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, the agency's watchlist for the homes with the worst inspection histories. Nurse staffing of 3.66 hours per resident day sits just under the national average, and weekends run about 13% thinner than weekdays, so coverage gets lightest when families tend to visit. Staff turnover is roughly average, nothing here suggests the direct-care aides are the problem. The last inspection was January 31, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
How many independently owned nursing homes are there in Washington?
There are 53 independently owned Medicare-certified nursing homes in Washington, 27% of the 193 nursing homes there.
Are independently owned nursing homes better staffed?
In Washington they average 4.91 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.36 for all nursing homes in Washington, a difference of +0.55 hours. Staff turnover averages 43.5% against 45.1%.
Which independently owned nursing home grades best in Washington?
Heron's Key in Gig Harbor, WA, grade A, 99 out of 100.
Does being independently owned mean a nursing home is safe?
No. Of the 53 graded independently owned homes in Washington, 19 grade A and 2 grade D or F.
Do independently owned nursing homes in Washington accept Medicaid?