Tulare Times

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Westgate Gardens Care Center stood out as the second largest nursing home in Tulare County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 140 beds available, 43 more than the average in Tulare County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 132.7 residents during that period.

Westgate Gardens Care Center boasted an overall rating of 4 from the CMS, which is higher than the average of 3.2 recorded for nursing homes in California.

During the quarter, Visalia Post Acute stood out as the largest nursing home in Tulare County, with 176 beds available. Sierra Valley Rehabilitation Center came in third place, with 139 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Westgate Gardens Care Center has spent a total of $6,922 in one fine and suffered one penalty.

In total, there were 14 for-profit nursing homes in Tulare 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.”

Rank	Nursing Home	Overall Rating
1	Visalia Post Acute	1
2	Westgate Gardens Care Center	4
3	Sierra Valley Rehabilitation Center	4
4	Kaweah Manor Convalescent Hospital	2
4	Porterville Convalescent Hospital	3
4	Lindsay Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation	5
4	Sequoia Transitional Care	2
4	Twin Oaks Rehabilitation and Nursing Center	2
4	Merritt Manor Convalescent Hospital	1
10	Linwood Meadows Care Center	3
11	Dinuba Healthcare	4
11	Tulare Healthcare and Wellness Center, LP	2
13	Kaweah Health Skilled Nursing Center	5
14	Gateway Post Acute	4
15	Delta Healthcare and Wellness Center, LP	4
16	Sierra View Medical Center	4