Nursing homes across Pierce County, Washington, graded on the federal inspection
record, nurse staffing and staff turnover. County rank is shown on each home's profile.
Heron's Key sits in Gig Harbor with just 30 certified beds, and the staffing numbers are the first thing worth noting: 5.75 nurse hours per resident day, roughly half again the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips about 7% below its own weekday level, which is common but still worth asking about. Annual turnover of 29.6% runs well under the 45.8% national figure, so the people caring for residents tend to stay. Inspections tell a mixed story, 19 deficiencies on record, one serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and a single $15,015 fine. The last inspection was February 2026, so the picture is current.
Avamere Transitional Care of Puget Sound runs a 60-bed for-profit operation in Tacoma, and its staffing is the clearest strength: 5.17 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, with a 5-out-of-5 CMS staffing rating and turnover at 34.3%, well below the 45.8% national figure. Weekends do run about 16% leaner than weekdays, so coverage isn't perfectly even. The caution is the inspection record: 45 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus a $35,875 fine. Quality measures rate 4 out of 5, and the last inspection was recent, in November 2025. Strong hands-on care, but a paper trail worth reading closely.
The Oaks At Lakewood sits at 80 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and the numbers tell a fairly steady story. Nurse staffing runs 4.08 hours per resident day, about 6% above the national average, though weekends dip roughly 14% below the home's own weekday levels, worth asking about if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff turnover is 28.6%, well under the national 45.8%, which suggests people stay. The 28 deficiencies on record include two abuse-related citations, but none rose to harm or jeopardy level, and the most recent inspection was in January 2026.
Washington Soldiers Home runs on state government ownership, and the numbers show a facility that's mostly steady on care quality but carries some real inspection baggage. Nurse staffing sits at 4.27 hours per resident day, roughly 11% above the national average, though weekends run about 11% lighter than weekdays, worth asking about if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff turnover lands at 40.7%, a bit better than the 45.8% national figure, which suggests a relatively stable workforce. The concern is the inspection record: 31 deficiencies, including 2 at the harm level and 4 tied to abuse, with one fine of $10,358. The most recent inspection was August 2025, so the picture is current.
Cottesmore Of Life Care sits in Gig Harbor with 108 certified beds and a for-profit LLC owner. The nurse staffing number is the bright spot here: 4.32 hours per resident day, roughly 12% above the national average of 3.86, though weekends run about 18% thinner than weekdays. Turnover lands at 44.3%, slightly better than the 45.8% national figure. What pulls the record down is the inspection history, 38 deficiencies on the current record, including 2 at the harm or jeopardy level and 3 tied to abuse, with two fines totaling $29,595. The most recent inspection came on 2026-02-27. Strong staffing and a 5/5 quality measure score, but the deficiency count is what you'd want to ask about directly.
Eliseo runs 187 certified beds as a nonprofit corporation, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.33 hours per resident day, about 12% above the national average. But weekends drop roughly 10% below its own weekday levels, so coverage isn't evenly spread across the week. The record shows 53 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and five tied to abuse; the last inspection was May 2025. Staff turnover of 43.2% is slightly better than the 45.8% national figure, though that's a low bar. CMS rates the home 2 out of 5 on health inspections but 5 out of 5 on quality measures, which means the clinical numbers look strong even as the inspection history doesn't.
Life Care Center Of Puyallup runs a for-profit operation under a limited liability company, and its 102 beds are staffed at 4.47 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 16% above the national average, with a 4-out-of-5 staffing rating to match. Turnover sits at 35.5%, better than the 45.8% national figure, though weekend coverage drops about 15% below weekday levels. The trouble is on the health inspection side: a 2-out-of-5 rating, 37 deficiencies on record including one at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse. That inspection history, last updated April 2026, is what drags an otherwise solid staffing picture down.
Rainier Rehabilitation runs lean on trouble and heavy on staff. At 5.30 nurse hours per resident day, it's well above the national average, and its 21.1% turnover is less than half the national figure, a sign people tend to stay. Five deficiencies on record, none causing harm and none abuse-related, with an inspection as recent as August 2025. The catch is weekends, when staffing drops about 16% below the weekday level. That dip likely explains why CMS rates staffing only 3 out of 5 while inspection and quality measures both hit 5. If your family member needs steady weekday care, this home looks solid; ask specifically who's on the floor Saturday and Sunday.
Agility Health and Rehabilitation runs 120 certified beds in University Place under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing sits at 4.19 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 9% above the national average. Turnover lands at 42.3%, a touch better than the 45.8% norm, though weekend coverage drops about 16% below its own weekday level, so care can thin out when families visit most.
The inspection record is where things get harder to ignore: 41 deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and six tied to abuse. Its most recent inspection was June 9, 2026, so the picture is current, not stale. Quality measures score well, but that record is worth asking about directly.
Life Care Center of South Hill runs a hundred beds in Puyallup, and the staffing is genuinely its strong suit, 4.80 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, with turnover at 40.2% sitting below the 45.8% norm. The catch is weekends, when hours drop about 18% below the home's own weekday level. On inspections, CMS rated it 4 of 5 stars, though the record shows 29 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus a single fine of $17,388. The last inspection was November 2025, so the picture is recent.
Avamere at Pacific Ridge runs a 102-bed for-profit home in Tacoma, and the staffing numbers are genuinely better than most: 5.16 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a third above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only about 11% below weekdays. Turnover sits at 36%, below the 45.8% national figure, which matters for continuity of care.
The inspection record tells a different story. Sixty-nine deficiencies are on file, four of them at the harm or jeopardy level and four tied to abuse. Three fines total $57,783, and the two-star health inspection and quality ratings reflect that history, even though staffing earned four stars. The most recent inspection was April 24, 2026. Good coverage, but a documented pattern of serious problems worth asking about directly.
Avalon Healthcare - Tacoma runs 81 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing of 4.42 hours per resident day sits about 15% above the national average of 3.86, a real strength, though weekend coverage drops roughly 17% below its own weekday level. Staff turnover lands at 47.1%, slightly above the national 45.8%. What pulls this home down is its inspection record: a 1-out-of-5 health inspection rating, 82 total deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and two abuse-related, along with a single fine of $24,814. The most recent inspection was July 30, 2025. The numbers point to a home that staffs well on paper but has struggled to keep residents safe.
Tacoma Nursing and Rehabilitation Center runs 150 beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.89 hours per resident day, roughly 27% above the national average of 3.86. That's a real margin, though weekend coverage dips about 11% below its own weekday levels, so the weekday numbers carry the average. Turnover lands at 45.9%, essentially identical to the national 45.8%. The inspection record is where things get complicated: 19 deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and five tied to abuse, plus a $36,446 fine. The most recent inspection was June 2026, so the picture is current rather than stale. Strong staffing paired with a serious deficiency history is the tension worth weighing.
Puyallup Post Acute has 96 certified beds and a staffing rating of 1 out of 5, the weakest mark CMS gives, and the number that should worry you most if you're touring. Its inspection history shows 54 deficiencies on record, including one tied to abuse, though none rose to the level of actual harm or immediate jeopardy. The good news is the quality measure rating sits at 4 out of 5, which reflects how residents' conditions are tracked and managed, and the last inspection was recent, in September 2025. The split is real: clinical outcomes look decent here, but staffing and the sheer volume of past citations are the parts I'd ask hard questions about.
Birch Creek runs 124 certified beds in Tacoma under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing sits at 3.74 nurse hours per resident day, just under the national average of 3.86, with weekends roughly 11% leaner than weekdays. Turnover is the sharper problem: 51.7% of staff leave annually, against 45.8% nationally. The inspection record is what should give you pause. Seventy-five deficiencies are on file, three of them at harm or jeopardy level and ten tied to abuse. One fine totaling $30,240 has been levied, and the last inspection was March 13, 2026. A 1-out-of-5 health inspection rating captures that pattern better than any single number.
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.
Alaska Gardens runs a 123-bed for-profit home in Tacoma, and its nurse staffing sits right at the national average, 3.90 hours per resident day against 3.86. That number hides a wrinkle: weekends run about 9% leaner than weekdays, and half the nursing staff turns over each year, worse than the 45.8% national rate. Where the record really sours is inspections. Sixty-four deficiencies, seven serious enough to put residents in harm's way, five tied to abuse, and three fines totaling $196,648. The last inspection was May 2026. State surveyors have flagged this home repeatedly, and that history is what a family should weigh before touring.
Orchard Park runs 147 beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its inspection record is the part that should give you pause: 113 deficiencies on file, four of them serious enough to involve actual harm or jeopardy, plus ten tied to abuse. Fines total $136,055 across two penalties. Nurse staffing sits at 3.66 hours per resident day, about 5% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 11% below the home's own weekday coverage, so the thinnest shifts land when families visit least. Annual turnover of 45.6% is essentially the national norm, which tells you little either way. The most recent inspection was June 1, 2026.
Gig Harbor Health And Rehabilitation runs 120 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.94 hours per resident day, just above the national average of 3.86. That thin margin gets thinner on weekends, when coverage drops roughly 12% below the home's own weekday levels.
The bigger concern is the inspection record: 119 deficiencies, four at harm or jeopardy level, 14 tied to abuse, and two fines totaling $127,781. Annual turnover of 67.9% against a national 45.8% means caregivers are cycling through fast. A five-star quality measure score doesn't offset a one-star health inspection rating and that many serious findings. If you're considering this home, ask directly how they're addressing turnover and what's changed since the December 2025 inspection.
Linden Grove runs 130 beds in Puyallup under for-profit LLC ownership, and the inspection record is the first thing you should know about: 104 deficiencies on file, five of them serious enough to put residents in harm or jeopardy, plus eleven tied to abuse. Six fines add up to $193,178. Staffing sits at 3.64 nurse hours per resident day, about 6% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 12% below what the home itself provides on weekdays. Annual turnover is 60.2% against a 45.8% national figure, which means the aide who knows your mother's routine this month may be gone next quarter. The most recent inspection was January 14, 2026.