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F-tags by state · California
Most common nursing home citations in California
58,066 health citations were recorded at 1,162 of 1,154 rated nursing homes in California over the last three inspection cycles, about 50.3 per facility. Here is what surveyors cite most, how that compares with the rest of the country, and where the harm-level findings cluster.
Citations58,06650.3 per rated facility
Facilities cited1,162of 1,154 rated
Actual harm (G–I)1,1422% of citations
Immediate jeopardy (J–L)4371% of citations
Top 25 F-tags in California
"State share" is the percentage of rated California nursing homes cited at least once for the tag; "U.S. share" is the same figure nationally. A big gap shows a state-specific survey focus.
| # | Tag | Requirement | Category | Citations | State share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F880 | Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. | Infection control | 3,420 | 97% | 81% |
| 2 | F689 | Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. | Quality of life & care | 2,663 | 80% | 69% |
| 3 | F812 | Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. | Nutrition & dietary | 2,659 | 98% | 76% |
| 4 | F656 | Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. | Assessment & care planning | 2,658 | 84% | 58% |
| 5 | F755 | Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. | Pharmacy services | 2,013 | 80% | 38% |
| 6 | F761 | Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs. | Pharmacy services | 1,938 | 87% | 59% |
| 7 | F550 | Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. | Resident rights | 1,425 | 68% | 43% |
| 8 | F842 | Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. | Assessment & care planning | 1,403 | 59% | 35% |
| 9 | F658 | Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. | Assessment & care planning | 1,360 | 59% | 29% |
| 10 | F558 | Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident. | Resident rights | 1,107 | 52% | 23% |
| 11 | F609 | Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities. | Abuse, neglect & exploitation | 1,089 | 50% | 40% |
| 12 | F695 | Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed. | Quality of life & care | 1,052 | 56% | 46% |
| 13 | F686 | Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. | Quality of life & care | 1,008 | 50% | 39% |
| 14 | F600 | Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. | Abuse, neglect & exploitation | 995 | 40% | 35% |
| 15 | F584 | Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. | Resident rights | 976 | 53% | 39% |
| 16 | F758 | Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited. | Pharmacy services | 952 | 57% | 34% |
| 17 | F759 | Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater. | Pharmacy services | 895 | 56% | 26% |
| 18 | F657 | Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. | Assessment & care planning | 878 | 51% | 42% |
| 19 | F641 | Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment. | Assessment & care planning | 873 | 53% | 37% |
| 20 | F578 | Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. | Resident rights | 816 | 50% | 25% |
| 21 | F677 | Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. | Quality of life & care | 741 | 42% | 44% |
| 22 | F580 | Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. | Resident rights | 737 | 37% | 30% |
| 23 | F912 | Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms. | Environment & safety | 727 | 24% | 3% |
| 24 | F803 | Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident. | Nutrition & dietary | 653 | 44% | 17% |
| 25 | F726 | Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. | Nursing & physician services | 652 | 39% | 15% |
Citations by category
Citations by survey year
Partial years reflect the rolling three-cycle window.
Check a specific California nursing home
The report card lists every citation for one facility with the severity decoded, and ranks it against the other 1,154 rated facilities in the state.
How this works
Source and method
CMS Provider Data Catalog, Nursing Home Health Citations, current three inspection cycles for every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in California. Tags are matched to citations by CMS's standardized description. Tags with at least 50 national citations link to a detail page.
Counts describe survey findings, not a ranking of facilities. Facilities can dispute citations through CMS's IDR and IIDR processes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common nursing home citation in California?
F880 (Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.) is the most-cited F-tag in California, with 3,420 citations at 1,114 facilities, or 97% of the state's rated nursing homes, compared with 81% nationally.
How many nursing home citations are there in California?
58,066 health citations across 1,162 of 1,154 rated nursing homes in the last three inspection cycles, about 50.3 per facility. 1,142 involved actual harm and 437 were immediate jeopardy.
Why do citation patterns differ by state?
Each state survey agency inspects on behalf of CMS with its own staffing, training, and priorities, and state licensing rules layer on top of the federal requirements. Compare a facility with others in the same state rather than with the national average.
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