All 11 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Tacoma,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Park Rose runs 5.14 nurse hours per resident day, comfortably above the national average of 3.86, so the raw staffing number looks like a strength. The catch is consistency and stability: weekend coverage drops about 16% below weekdays, and turnover sits at 49.1% against a national 45.8%, meaning nearly half the staff leaves each year. Inspections tell the harder story, 76 deficiencies on record, including 4 at harm or jeopardy level and 7 tied to abuse, with three fines totaling $256,703. For-profit corporate ownership, a 2/5 inspection rating, and a July 2025 inspection date round out a record that asks more questions than the staffing hours alone answer.