Largest nursing home in Santa Cruz County as of Q4 2023

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Santa Cruz Post Acute stood out as the largest nursing home in Santa Cruz County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 149 beds available, 51 more than the average in Santa Cruz County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 129.8 residents during that period.

Santa Cruz Post Acute had an overall rating of 3 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 3.2 recorded for nursing homes in California.

During the quarter, Hearts and Hands, Post Acute Care & Rehabilitation Center stood out as the second largest nursing home in Santa Cruz County, with 144 beds available. Pacific Coast Manor came in third place, with 99 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Santa Cruz Post Acute has spent a total of $8,520 in one fine and suffered one penalty.

In total, there were seven for-profit nursing homes in Santa Cruz County, California.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”