74 Nursing Homes That Accept Medicaid in San Diego County, California
74 of the 83 Medicare-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California (89%) are Medicaid-certified, and all are listed below. 27 of the 73 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. They average 4.4 nursing hours per resident per day, 0.1 hours below the 4.5 for every home in San Diego County, California. Lakeside Special Care Center in Lakeside grades highest at A (97 out of 100).
How 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
4.4
All homes in San Diego County, California: 4.5
Worse than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
37.6%
All homes in San Diego County, California: 37.8%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
80.8/100
All homes in San Diego County, California: 81.4/100
Worse than the local average
Grade spread
A
B
C
27 grade A, 38 grade B, 8 grade C,
The best-graded Medicaid-certified home in San Diego County, California is
Lakeside Special Care Center
in Lakeside, CA, grade A, 97/100.
Every Medicaid-certified nursing home in San Diego County, California
Amaya Springs runs 4.29 total nurse hours per resident day, roughly 11% above the national average, and weekends dip about 11% below its own weekday level, a real drop, though not a collapse. What stands out is the split in the federal ratings: five stars on health inspections and four on quality measures, against one star on staffing, which is unusual given that the raw hours look decent. The 31 deficiencies on record include one abuse-related finding, but none rose to harm or jeopardy, and the last inspection was recent, in January 2026. This is a small for-profit limited liability home, 50 beds, in Spring Valley.
Santa Fe Post-Acute runs 187 beds in Vista under for-profit LLC ownership, and its inspection record is the part that stands out: 50 deficiencies on file, three of them serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, plus a single $64,269 fine. Nurse staffing sits at 3.78 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends run about 5% leaner than weekdays, so coverage thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Inspectors were last in on May 2, 2025, meaning the record is current rather than stale. No abuse findings appear in the data, which matters, but the volume and severity of the health citations are worth asking about directly.
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.
Somerset Post Acute Care runs 4.68 nurse hours per resident day, about 21% above the national average of 3.86, that's a real staffing advantage, and it shows up in a 3/5 staffing star. But look at how that coverage holds up on weekends: it drops roughly 14% below the weekday level, so the hands on deck shrink exactly when families tend to visit. Turnover sits at 61.9% against a national average of 45.8%, meaning most of the people providing that care are relatively new. The inspection record carries 43 deficiencies, one at the harm level and one abuse-related, with a $26,728 fine and a March 2025 inspection.
Aviara Healthcare Center runs 120 certified beds in Encinitas under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing comes in at 4.15 hours per resident day, about 7% above the national average of 3.86. The catch is retention: annual turnover sits at 62.4% against a national 45.8%, and weekend coverage dips roughly 7% below the home's own weekday level, so the extra hours can be uneven in practice. The record shows 60 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level, though one is abuse-related, and the last inspection was in September 2025. Quality measures score well; inspections land mid-range; staffing scores low.
Brighton Place San Diego runs 99 certified beds as a for-profit LLC, and its health inspection record is the main thing to know: 53 deficiencies on the current record, including two abuse-related citations. None reached the harm or jeopardy level, and the last inspection was in January 2025, so the record is recent. Staffing looks solid at first glance, 3.91 nurse hours per resident day, just above the national average, but the numbers sag on weekends, running about 7% below the home's own weekday level, and CMS rates staffing at just one out of five stars. Total nurse hours can clear the national bar while the distribution still leaves gaps.
Villa Las Palmas runs 151 beds in El Cajon under corporate ownership, and its staffing sits a bit under the national average, 3.73 nurse hours per resident day against 3.86, with weekends dipping about 5% below weekdays. The tradeoff is retention: 33.1% turnover beats the 45.8% national figure, so the faces here tend to stick around longer than at a typical home. What pulls the record down is the inspection side: 47 deficiencies on file, two of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, plus four abuse-related citations and $33,732 in fines. The last inspection was May 2025, so this is current.
Brighton Place Spring Valley runs 4.08 nurse hours per resident day, about 6% above the national average of 3.86, which sounds reassuring until you look closer: CMS gives the staffing a single star, and weekend coverage drops roughly 11% below its own weekday level. The inspection record shows 34 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level, but two tied to abuse, and that May 2025 inspection is recent enough to still reflect current conditions. For-profit LLC ownership matters here mainly for how staffing decisions get made. The quality measure stars look decent, yet the numbers behind them suggest a home where weekday care is steadier than weekends, and where the state has found plenty to write up without finding immediate danger.
Country Hills runs 305 beds in El Cajon under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing sits at 3.91 nurse hours per resident day, barely above the national average of 3.86. That thin margin gets thinner on weekends, which run about 6% below the home's own weekday levels, and annual turnover hits 58.2% against a national 45.8%. The inspection record is where the real concern lives: 73 deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus a $122,210 fine. The last inspection was March 2025, so the record is current. Quality measure scores look strong on paper, but that's a different measure than the ones families feel day to day.
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.
Magnolia Post Acute Care runs 99 beds in El Cajon under corporate for-profit ownership, and its staffing sits right at the national average, 3.89 nurse hours per resident day against 3.86 nationwide, with weekend coverage dropping roughly 13% below its own weekday numbers. Turnover of 37.5% is better than the 45.8% national figure, so the workforce is more stable than most. The concern is the inspection record: 33 deficiencies, including 8 abuse-related citations and one at the harm or jeopardy level, with a single $117,475 fine. A recent August 2025 inspection and a 2-out-of-5 health inspection rating suggest the care problems are current, not historical.
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.
San Diego Post-Acute Center runs 240 beds in El Cajon under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing is the strongest thing it has going: 4.16 nurse hours per resident day, about 8 percent above the national average, with turnover at 36.5 percent, meaningfully better than the 45.8 percent norm. Weekend coverage dips roughly 6 percent below weekdays, which is worth asking about. The inspection record is where the picture darkens. Eighty-seven deficiencies sit on the current record, three of them at harm or jeopardy level and seven tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $46,495. The most recent inspection was February 27, 2025. Strong daily care numbers do not cancel out that history.
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 Medicaid-certified nursing homes are there in San Diego County, California?
There are 74 Medicaid-certified Medicare-certified nursing homes in San Diego County, California, 89% of the 83 nursing homes there.
Are Medicaid-certified nursing homes better staffed?
In San Diego County, California they average 4.4 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.5 for all nursing homes in San Diego County, California, a difference of -0.1 hours. Staff turnover averages 37.6% against 37.8%.
Which Medicaid-certified nursing home grades best in San Diego County, California?