All 18 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Honolulu,
side by side on the things that separate them: how many nursing hours each resident gets, how much of the
staff leaves each year, and what inspectors found on their last visit.
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.
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.
The Ching Villas runs on unusually heavy nurse staffing, 6.46 hours per resident day, roughly two-thirds more than the national average, and that shows up in its five-star staffing rating. Weekend coverage dips about 13% below its own weekday level, so ask how that plays out on a Saturday. Turnover sits at 36.3%, better than the 45.8% national figure, which matters for whether you see the same faces month to month. The catch is the inspection record: 40 deficiencies, though none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, and the most recent inspection was in January 2026. For-profit, limited liability ownership. Strong care numbers, a long paper trail to read.
Leahi Hospital is state-run, and that shows in the numbers that matter most: turnover sits at 17.7% against a national average of 45.8%, so the people caring for residents tend to stay. Nurse staffing runs 4.55 hours per resident day, roughly 18% above the national figure, though weekends drop about 20% below the home's own weekday level, worth asking about if your family visits on Saturdays. Eighteen deficiencies are on the current record, four tied to abuse, but none rose to harm or jeopardy, and the last inspection was recent, in July 2025.
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.
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.
Maluhia is state-run, and its 4.14 nurse hours per resident day sit about 7% above the national average, but weekends run roughly 26% thinner than weekdays, which matters if your family visits then. Staff turnover is 29.6%, well below the 45.8% national figure, so the people caring for your relative are more likely to still be there next year. The record isn't spotless: 20 deficiencies, one at harm level, two tied to abuse, plus a single $8,278 fine. The most recent inspection was July 2025. Strong marks across all three CMS categories, real but limited findings underneath.
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.
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.
Hale Nani runs 288 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.69 hours per resident day, roughly 5% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends drop about 12% below its own weekday coverage, so the thinnest shifts land when families tend to visit. Turnover is 32.4%, actually better than the 45.8% national figure, which suggests the problem isn't retention. It's the record: 96 deficiencies, one at harm or jeopardy level, eight tied to abuse, and a $27,885 fine. CMS has placed it in the Special Focus Facility program, reserved for homes with a persistent pattern of poor care. The most recent inspection was May 1, 2026.
Avalon Care Center in Honolulu runs on more nurse hours than most places, 4.62 per resident day, roughly a fifth above the national average, and weekend coverage dips only about 10% from its weekday staffing, which is a smaller drop than many homes show. Turnover sits at 40%, below the national 45.8%. The 41 deficiencies on record sound like a lot until you see none are at the harm or jeopardy level and none involve abuse, and its last inspection was recent, in June 2026. This is a for-profit corporate home with strong quality measure scores, steady staffing, and a clean serious-deficiency record, the kind of profile where the numbers hold up under scrutiny.
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.
Hale Malamalama runs 40 beds in Honolulu under corporate for-profit ownership, and its staffing numbers are genuinely above average, 4.18 nurse hours per resident day against a national 3.86, though weekend coverage dips about 10% below its own weekday level. Turnover sits at 51.2%, higher than the 45.8% national figure. What pulls the picture down is the inspection record: 43 deficiencies, three at harm or jeopardy level and three abuse-related, with $87,032 in fines and a spot in CMS's Special Focus Facility program, which is reserved for homes with a persistent pattern of serious problems. The last inspection was September 27, 2024. Strong quality scores don't cancel out that history.
Nurse staffing here runs 5.67 hours per resident day, about 47% above the national average of 3.86, which is a real point in its favor, and turnover at 40% is slightly better than the 45.8% norm. But weekends dip roughly 12% below the home's own weekday coverage, so the care you see on a Tuesday isn't guaranteed on a Sunday. The inspection record is the problem: 56 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus an $89,206 fine, against a 1-out-of-5 health inspection rating. The last inspection was May 2026. Strong staffing can't offset that pattern on its own.