Nursing home safety in Washington
Washington has 167 Medicare-certified nursing homes. They average 3.23 out of 5 CMS stars (0.25 better than the national average), carry 50.9 health-inspection citations each, and 13 are flagged in the records analyzed by CMS for abuse. Federal penalties total $9,133,603. Every flagged and top-rated home is named below.
Source: CMS Care Compare records in Haven’s directory, which may lag CMS updates. Free to cite with attribution to Haven.
Staffing in Washington averages 4.4 nurse hours per resident per day (0.51 better than the national average). Citations average 50.9 per home (20.5 worse than the national average)— though citation counts reflect how aggressively a state's survey agency inspects, so they compare poorly across state lines.
Washington homes CMS currently flags for abuse
CMS applies this icon when a facility was cited for abuse-related deficiencies on a recent inspection. It is a serious signal, not a verdict — read the specific citations, which are on each facility's page, and ask the administrator directly.
- Auburn Post Acute — Auburn · 1★
- Colville Health and Rehabilitation of Cascadia — Colville · 1★
- Orchard Park Health Care & Rehab Center — Tacoma · 1★
- Linden Grove Health Care Center — Puyallup · 1★
- Life Care Center of Mount Vernon — Mount Vernon · 1★
- Seattle Medical Post Acute Care — Seattle · 2★
- Gig Harbor Health and Rehabilitation — Gig Harbor · 2★
- Alderwood Post Acute & Rehabilitation — Lynnwood · 2★
- North Cascades Health and Rehabilitation — Bellingham · 2★
- Soundview Rehabilitation and Health Care INC — Anacortes · 2★
- Lakeland Village Nursing Facility — Medical Lake · 3★
- Life Care Center of Kennewick — Kennewick · 3★
- Yakima Valley School — Selah · 3★
Special Focus Facilities in Washington
CMS's own list of homes with a persistent record of poor care. They are inspected about twice as often as other facilities and can be terminated from Medicare and Medicaid if they do not improve.
- Auburn Post Acute — Auburn · SFF Candidate
- Spokane Health & Rehabilitation — Spokane · SFF Candidate
- Colville Health and Rehabilitation of Cascadia — Colville · SFF Candidate
- Bremerton Trails Post Acute — Bremerton · SFF Candidate
- Woodard Creek Health & Rehabilitation — Olympia · SFF Candidate
- Crystal Cove Post Acute — Lacey · SFF
Highest-rated nursing homes in Washington
Four and five-star homes with no abuse flag and no Special Focus status, ordered by Haven's Scout Score (federal ratings, staffing, and inspection history). Rankings cannot be purchased.
| Community | City | CMS stars | Nurse hrs/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heron's Key | Gig Harbor | 5 | 5.74586 |
| Bainbridge Island Health & Rehab Center | Bainbridge Island | 5 | 3.91131 |
| Mt Baker Care Center | Bellingham | 5 | 5.00317 |
| Park Manor Rehabilitation Ctr | Walla Walla | 5 | 4.3255 |
| Queen Anne Healthcare | Seattle | 5 | 4.84404 |
| Covenant Shores Health Center | Mercer Island | 5 | 4.41483 |
| Briarwood at Timber Ridge | Issaquah | 5 | 4.64024 |
| Spokane Veterans Home | Spokane | 5 | 4.01747 |
| Panorama City Conv & Rehab Ctr | Lacey | 5 | 5.07119 |
| The Oaks at Lakewood | Tacoma | 5 | 4.07645 |
Largest federal penalties in Washington
Civil monetary penalties follow serious deficiencies. A large fine history is a question to raise, not an automatic disqualification — some homes correct course, and the citations tell you which.
- Heartwood Extended Healthcare · Tacoma$382,661
- Everett Center · Everett$378,252
- Auburn Post Acute · Auburn$376,629
- North Cascades Health and Rehabilitation · Bellingham$295,969
- Landmark Care and Rehabilitation · Yakima$277,867
- Renton Health & Rehabilitation · Renton$256,725
- Crescent Health Care · Yakima$245,834
- Park Rose Care Center · Tacoma$241,815
- Crystal Cove Post Acute · Lacey$235,475
- Life Care Center of Mount Vernon · Mount Vernon$206,734
Browse Washington by area
Washington nursing homes: common questions
How many nursing homes in Washington have been flagged for abuse?
13 of 167 CMS-certified nursing homes in Washington (7.8%) carry the federal abuse icon in the records analyzed, which CMS applies when a facility has been cited for abuse-related deficiencies on a recent inspection. The national rate is 9.9%. Every flagged home is named on this page.
What is the average nursing home rating in Washington?
Washington nursing homes average 3.23 out of 5 on the CMS overall star rating, across 166 rated facilities. The national average is 2.98. Staffing averages 4.4 total nurse hours per resident per day versus 3.89 nationally.
Which nursing homes in Washington are on the Special Focus list?
6 Washington facilities are designated a Special Focus Facility or candidate — CMS's list of homes with a persistent record of poor care, which face roughly double the normal inspection frequency and possible termination from Medicare and Medicaid. They are listed by name on this page.
How much have Washington nursing homes been fined?
Federal civil monetary penalties against Washington nursing homes total $9,133,603 in the current CMS release. Fines follow serious deficiencies, so a large penalty history is worth asking a facility about directly — they are required to discuss their inspection record with you.
Worried about a specific home in Washington?
Every facility page shows that home's own inspection record — what inspectors found, how severe, and when — alongside staffing and pricing. If you need help sorting real options fast, a Haven advisor is free to your family.