How to check an RCFE's license and inspection reports

Find the home on the Care Facility Search

The Community Care Licensing Division runs a public website called the Care Facility Search. Start with just one or a few search terms, such as the facility type and city. If a name search finds nothing, check the spelling, or search by city or street instead of county. Names can appear shortened.

Select view next to a home to open its detail page. It lists the facility number, capacity, facility type, and the regional licensing office that oversees the home, with its phone number. Tabs on the page show all visits, citations, inspections, complaints, other visits, and reports.

You can sign up for email updates about a home with the Stay Updated button on its detail page. The state will email you when the home's profile changes.

What the license status means

The license status is the first thing to check. These are the terms you are likely to see:

• Licensed: the home holds a license, the state's basic permit to operate.
• Pending: the state is processing an application. The home is not yet licensed.
• Provisional license: a temporary license of up to 12 months, which may be issued on an initial application when there are no life safety risks and the home is in substantial compliance.
• Probation: the home must meet specific terms and conditions to avoid losing its license. If it meets them, probation is lifted after a set date.
• Revocation action pending: the state has filed a legal action to revoke the license. The home may stay open while this is decided.
• License suspended: the state has closed the home because of an imminent risk of harm. It stays closed until a judge makes a final decision.
• Closed: the license on this record is no longer active.

Visits and inspection reports

The site counts three kinds of visits. Inspections check whether the home follows the law and regulations. Complaint visits investigate an allegation. Other visits include follow-ups on a plan of correction and case management visits.

Inspection visits are written up in a Facility Evaluation Report by a Licensing Program Analyst. The report shows the type of visit, whether it was announced or unannounced, who the analyst met with, the date and time, and a narrative of what was found. Read the narrative. It tells you far more than a count.

Complaints and what the findings mean

Anyone can file a licensing complaint, including residents, family, neighbors, and health care workers. Licensing starts its investigation with an unannounced visit, generally within ten days. A Complaint Investigation Report records each allegation, the date the complaint was received, the findings, and the outcome.

• Substantiated: there was enough evidence to show the violation occurred.
• Unsubstantiated: there was not enough evidence to prove the violation occurred. Older reports may say inconclusive, which means the same thing.
• Unfounded: the allegation was false, could not have happened, or had no reasonable basis.

Citations

When licensing finds a violation, it can issue a citation. A Type A citation is for the most serious problems, where there is an immediate risk to residents' health, safety, or personal rights. A Type B citation is for a problem that could become an immediate risk if it is not corrected. Our guide to Type A and Type B citations explains how to weigh them.

If a complaint shows as substantiated but no citation is listed, the state says it may be a data error or a citation that was successfully appealed. Call the regional office to ask.

How far back the records go

The website shows reports from the most recent 60 months, and completed reports are uploaded weekly. Older reports are kept at the home and at the regional licensing office. You can ask the regional office to review a home's public file, which includes citations, civil penalties, and any administrative actions.

The state calls the website a starting point for learning about a home's licensing history. It does not promise that the records are complete or free of errors, so call the regional office if something is unclear.

What to ask the home, and where to get help

A finding on a report does not automatically rule a home out. What matters is what happened and what the home did about it. Ask directly, and listen for clear, specific answers.

If a loved one already lives in a home and you have concerns, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman can help. Ombudsman services are free and confidential, and the statewide hotline, 1-800-231-4024, is open 24 hours a day. To report a licensing problem, call the CDSS complaint line at 1-844-538-8766 or email letusno@dss.ca.gov. You can stay anonymous.

• What happened, and was any resident harmed?
• What did you change so it will not happen again?
• Was the plan of correction completed?
• Has the same kind of problem come up before?
• May I see your most recent licensing report?