All states › California › Santa Monica › Santa Monica Health Care Center
1320 20th Street Santa Monica, CA 90404 · Los Angeles County
All 12 nursing homes in Santa Monica, CA (10 take Medicaid)
CMS certification number 055540 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is Santa Monica Health Care Center a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record
There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for Santa Monica Health Care Center as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall, above the California average of 3.2.
Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 4.91 hours per resident per day at Santa Monica Health Care Center, above the California median of 4.27 (US median: 3.72). About 0.71 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 4.20 hours, 14% below its all-week average. 41% of nursing staff left within a year (California median 36%).
About this nursing home
Paying for care at Santa Monica Health Care Center: Medicare and Medicaid
Santa Monica Health Care Center is certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare Part A can cover a short skilled-nursing or rehab stay here after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient days (observation days don't count), for up to 100 days per benefit period. Medicaid can pay for long-term care for residents who meet California's income and asset rules. Being certified doesn't guarantee a Medicaid bed is open, so ask whether the home accepts residents whose Medicaid application is still pending.
In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on July 17, 2026 and found 9 deficiencies, plus 3 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 37 citations in the last three years.
Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
What the inspections found
Over the last three years, inspectors issued 37 citations at Santa Monica Health Care Center across 13 inspection dates, 14 of them from complaint investigations. 2 were at the immediate-jeopardy level (J–L), CMS's most serious category, most recently on May 31, 2025 (complaint inspection). The most common areas cited were quality of life and care (11) and resident rights (8). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "provide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives" (tag F0678, level J, May 31, 2025).
July 17, 2026 · 9 citations
FProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
EEnsure 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.
DImmediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
DGive residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered.
DAssure that each resident’s assessment is updated at least once every 3 months.
DEncode each resident’s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment.
DDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
DEnsure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
DProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
May 7, 2026 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
January 23, 2026 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
EAllow resident to participate in the development and implementation of his or her person-centered plan of care.
December 31, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DEnsure each resident must receive and the facility must provide necessary behavioral health care and services.
September 2, 2025 · 3 citations · includes complaint inspection
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
DProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
May 31, 2025 · 2 citations, includes immediate jeopardy · includes complaint inspection
JProvide basic life support, including CPR, prior to the arrival of emergency medical personnel , subject to physician orders and the resident’s advance directives.
JProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
April 30, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DImmediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
April 13, 2025 · 6 citations
EImplement 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.
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
DEncode each resident’s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment.
DCreate and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted
DDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
DProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
March 29, 2024 · 8 citations
EThe resident has the right to receive notices in a format and a language he or she understands.
EEnsure 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.
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
DHonor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
DHonor the resident's right to be treated with respect and dignity and to retain and use personal possessions.
DHonor 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.
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
DProvide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services.
March 20, 2024 · 2 citations · includes complaint inspection
EDevelop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
March 19, 2024 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
December 28, 2023 · 1 citation, includes actual harm · includes complaint inspection
GEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
October 17, 2023 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Questions to ask on a tour of Santa Monica Health Care Center
- Inspectors cited the home at the immediate-jeopardy level on May 31, 2025 under the rule on quality of life and care. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
- When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?
Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.
Fines and payment denials
1 penalty in the last three years.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 2023 | Payment Denial | 3 days of payments denied |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| August 2026 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near Santa Monica Health Care Center
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
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0.1 mi
Saint John's Health Center Santa MonicaEmergency room ★★★★☆ Medicare overall 4 of 5Median ER visit 3h 5m for patients treated and sent home
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0.4 mi
Santa Monica - UCLA Med Ctr & Orthopaedic Hospital Santa MonicaEmergency room ★★★★★ Medicare overall 5 of 5Median ER visit 3h 44m for patients treated and sent home
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2.2 mi
VA Greater los Angeles Healthcare System Los AngelesEmergency room ★★★☆☆ Medicare overall 3 of 5Median ER visit 2h 1m for patients treated and sent home
Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Nearby nursing homes
More nursing homes near Santa Monica Health Care Center › All nursing homes in Santa Monica ›
Compare Santa Monica Health Care Center with the 3 closest homes side by side ›
Higher-rated nursing homes within 10 miles
- Pacific Post Acute · Santa Monica · 5 stars · 0.2 mi
- Marycrest Manor · Culver City · 5 stars · 6.1 mi
- West Pico Terrace Healthcare & Wellness Centre · Los Angeles · 5 stars · 6.5 mi
- West Hollywood Healthcare & Wellness Centre · Los Angeles · 5 stars · 7.9 mi
Other Mariner Health Care nursing homes in California
- Palm Springs Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center · Palm Springs · 5 stars
- La Crescenta Healthcare Center · La Crescenta · 5 stars
- Almaden Health and Rehabilitation Center · San Jose · 5 stars
- Fruitvale Healthcare Center · Oakland · 5 stars
- Pine Ridge Care Center · San Rafael · 4 stars
- Fremont Healthcare Center · Fremont · 4 stars
Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 17 Mariner Health Care nursing homes ›
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.