California assisted living that accepts Medi-Cal, ranked by safety
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One of our California safety cluster pieces. See the California Assisted Living Safety Report for broader statewide context, or read the methodology behind the FYI Safety Score.
California's Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) is a Medi-Cal program that pays for assisted living and memory care for residents who meet income and care-need eligibility. Roughly 1,077 California assisted living facilities currently participate, which is about 14% of the state's licensed inventory. For families researching care for a parent on Medi-Cal, this is the universe of options.
The safest ALW-participating facility in California is currently Right Choice Senior Living LLC - La Mesa, a 6-bed small care home that holds a Perfect 10 FYI Safety Score. It is one of only 7 California facilities currently rated Perfect 10. The second-ranked is Crofton Manor Inn in Long Beach, a 213-bed community with a 42-year clean record.
Below are the 20 ALW-participating California facilities with the strongest current safety records. The data was pulled from California state inspection records in May 2026.
The 20 safest Medi-Cal (ALW) participating facilities in California
The ranking is the FYI Safety Score on a 1.0 to 10.0 scale, computed from the public state inspection record. The Findings column is the cleanest summary of the record: Type A citations, then Type B citations, then substantiated complaints. All 20 facilities below read zero or near-zero across the board.
| # | Facility | Score | State visits | Years licensed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right Choice Senior Living LLC - La Mesa (6 beds) | 10.0 | 9 | 4 |
| 2 | Crofton Manor Inn (213 beds) | 9.9 | 24 | 42 |
| 3 | Rowntree Gardens (280 beds) | 9.9 | 21 | 43 |
| 4 | Villa Sorrento (145 beds) | 9.8 | 17 | 36 |
| 5 | Carroll's Residential Care (144 beds) | 9.8 | 20 | 2 |
| 6 | Caring Families-bv2 (6 beds) | 9.7 | 9 | 24 |
| 7 | Casa Mia (20 beds) | 9.7 | 10 | 21 |
| 8 | Desert Cottage III (6 beds) | 9.7 | 11 | 11 |
| 9 | Fresno Guest Home #12 (6 beds) | 9.7 | 9 | 6 |
| 10 | Sunflower Living (6 beds) | 9.7 | 8 | 20 |
| 11 | Young at Heart RCFE No.3 INC (6 beds) | 9.7 | 11 | 3 |
| 12 | Care Ayesha (6 beds) | 9.7 | 10 | 5 |
| 13 | Alalik Care Home (6 beds) | 9.7 | 9 | 6 |
| 14 | Nvm Comfort Homes (6 beds) | 9.7 | 11 | 4 |
| 15 | Copper River Retirement Group/shea (6 beds) | 9.7 | 12 | 11 |
| 16 | Dani's Helping Hands, Inc. (6 beds) | 9.7 | 10 | 4 |
| 17 | Young at Heart RCFE No.5 INC (6 beds) | 9.7 | 10 | 3 |
| 18 | Joy and Love Home Care, LLC (18 beds) | 9.7 | 13 | 2 |
| 19 | Palms Court I (6 beds) | 9.7 | 9 | 6 |
| 20 | Cottages at the Colony of Valley Glen #4 (6 beds) | 9.7 | 9 | 3 |
Scores reflect citation history, complaint patterns, and recency — see our methodology. Linked facility names open the full inspection record.
Two things worth noticing.
First, the geographic spread is wide. The top 20 ALW facilities pull from across California: La Mesa, Long Beach, Stanton, Torrance, El Cajon, Elk Grove, Mira Loma, Indio, Fresno, Garden Grove. Strong Medi-Cal options exist in most regions, though not every city has a top-ranked facility in the local market.
Second, the top of the Medi-Cal list includes some genuinely large communities (Crofton Manor at 213 beds, Rowntree Gardens at 280 beds with 43 years of licensing). Medi-Cal-accepting facilities are not all small homes. Several large communities have built strong long-term records while accepting ALW residents.
How ALW assisted living compares to private-pay
The average FYI Safety Score across ALW-participating facilities is 7.64. The average across all California assisted living is 7.88. ALW facilities run slightly below the overall average, but the difference is small compared to the variation between specific facilities.
The distribution of ALW facility safety scores statewide:
| Score band | ALW facilities | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0–9.9 Excellent | 378 | 35% |
| 8.0–8.9 Good | 209 | 19% |
| 6.0–7.9 Fair | 293 | 27% |
| 4.0–5.9 Poor | 103 | 10% |
| Below 4.0 Severe | 93 | 9% |
About 54% of ALW facilities score Good or Excellent. About 19% score Poor or Severe. Both extremes are well-represented; the per-facility detail matters more than any group average.
The takeaway: Medi-Cal participation does not predict safety. There are strong and weak facilities in both private-pay and ALW. Evaluate each specific facility on its own inspection record.
How to find Medi-Cal assisted living in your area
Three paths.
Filter on AssistedLiving.fyi. Every facility detail page marks whether the facility accepts Medi-Cal through ALW. The map search lets you filter by ALW acceptance and sort by safety score, which is the fastest way to find safe options near you.
Contact your local Area Agency on Aging. Each California county has one. They maintain lists of ALW-participating facilities and can help with the application process. They have no sales incentive and no referral fees.
Contact DHCS directly. The California Department of Health Care Services administers ALW. They can confirm eligibility criteria and point to care coordination agencies that handle placements.
A note on application timing
ALW has historically had a waiting list. Eligibility, placement, and waiting list status change; check the current state with DHCS or your county's Area Agency on Aging before assuming what's available. Some facilities will help with the application process; others assume the family will navigate it. Ask up front.
For the broader framework on evaluating any assisted living facility, see How to do a safety vibe check without trusting marketing. For the safety record reading workflow, see How to read a California assisted living inspection report.
Browse all California assisted living facilities by safety score on the AssistedLiving.fyi map. Filter by Medi-Cal acceptance to narrow.
Data: Computed from California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) inspection records, ingested into AssistedLiving.fyi as of May 2026. ALW participation status reflects current CCL data. The FYI Safety Score is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee or prediction of the safety, quality, or suitability of any facility. Always visit in person before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) in California?
The Assisted Living Waiver is a California Medi-Cal program that pays for assisted living and memory care for low-income residents who meet eligibility criteria. ALW covers the personal care, medication management, and supervision components of assisted living. Residents pay a small share of cost based on their income. Not all assisted living facilities participate in ALW; participating facilities are licensed to accept ALW residents and have a contract with the state.
Which California assisted living facilities accept Medi-Cal?
About 1,077 California assisted living facilities currently participate in the Assisted Living Waiver program. This is roughly 14% of all licensed facilities in the state. AssistedLiving.fyi marks ALW-participating facilities on every detail page and lets you filter by Medi-Cal acceptance. The full list is also available statewide via search.
Is Medi-Cal assisted living different from private-pay assisted living?
The level of care is the same. ALW-participating facilities must meet the same state licensing standards and safety requirements as any other licensed RCFE. The difference is in who pays: ALW residents are funded through Medi-Cal, while private-pay residents pay out of pocket. Most ALW-participating facilities also accept private-pay residents, often in the same building.
Are ALW (Medi-Cal) facilities as safe as private-pay facilities?
The average FYI Safety Score across the 1,077 ALW-participating California facilities is 7.64, close to the statewide average of 7.88 across all licensed facilities. There are strong and weak facilities in both groups; ALW participation by itself doesn't predict safety either way. The right approach is to evaluate each specific facility on its inspection record, the same way you would any other facility.
How do I apply for Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver?
Eligibility is determined through California's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Applicants must be 21 or older, eligible for Medi-Cal, and require a nursing-facility-level of care that can be safely provided in an assisted living setting. The application process is administered through DHCS and individual care coordination agencies. ALW has had a waiting list historically; check current status with DHCS.
About the author
Steve Selzer is the founder of AssistedLiving.fyi. He started this work while searching for assisted living for his mom, who has dementia, after running into the same opaque pricing, sales calls, and impossible-to-read inspection records that every family in the same situation runs into. The site exists to make the information families actually need easier to find.