FYI Safety Score™
Two assisted living facilities can have clean websites, friendly staff on the phone, and prices in the same range. Their state inspection records can be very different. The FYI Safety Score makes that record readable at a glance.
It is a 1.0 to 9.9 rating built from a facility's public state inspection history over roughly the last five years. No facility can pay to improve their score. It is calculated the same way for every facility, from records anyone can verify, with a formula anyone can check: the complete method is published on this page.
The highest score is 9.9, not 10. No inspection record can guarantee the future, and we don't publish numbers that imply one can.
Current coverage: California. The score covers licensed assisted living facilities in California, using data from the California Community Care Licensing Division. The framework below applies universally; state-specific notes are called out where they matter.
What goes into the score
The score is built from three kinds of state inspection findings. Each one is something the state, not us, decided was significant enough to record.
Serious violations
Findings the state classifies as an immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of residents. Examples: unlicensed staff administering medication, inadequate supervision after a fall, failure to report abuse.
Substantiated complaints
Complaints filed by families or others where state investigators verified the concern. Confirmed findings, not unsubstantiated allegations.
Minor violations
Less severe findings that don't pose an immediate threat but could become serious if uncorrected. Examples: record-keeping gaps, expired training certifications, minor maintenance issues.
In California: serious violations are CCLD Type A citations; minor are Type B. CCLD's own narrative wording confirms the severity. Every Type A inspection report ends with "poses an immediate risk", every Type B with "a potential risk." We aggregate the regulator's own classification. We do not invent our own.
The formula, published
Most rating sites keep their formula secret. We publish ours, so anyone can check our work. Here is how the score works. The exact math is in the appendix at the bottom of this page.
Serious problems lower the score more than minor ones.
A serious violation lowers the score 5 times more than a minor violation. A complaint the state confirmed counts almost as much as a serious violation.
Recent problems count more than old ones.
A finding from a year and a half ago counts half as much as one from today. A finding from three years ago counts a quarter. This happens automatically and works the same way for every facility, so a facility that fixed its problems sees its score improve as time passes.
Facilities are compared to facilities of the same size.
A 6-bed home is measured against what is normal for 6-bed homes. A 200-bed community is measured against what is normal for communities that size.
The score changes gradually.
One finding never moves a facility from the top of the range to the bottom. The score goes down step by step as problems add up, and back up step by step as clean time passes.
Recent serious problems limit how high the score can go.
A new serious violation or confirmed complaint puts a limit on the score: 8.9 for one, 7.9 for two. The limit loosens a little with every clean month and is fully gone after 18 clean months. The top scores, 9.8 and 9.9, are only possible for facilities with no problems on record.
A clean record scores higher when there have been more inspections.
A facility with no problems after 4 inspections gets a strong score. A facility with no problems after 20 inspections over five years gets a higher one, because its record has been checked more times. And a facility with findings always scores below a clean facility whose record has been checked as many times or more: findings always lower a score, never raise it.
The five-year window
The state publishes roughly the last five years of inspection history, and the score is bounded by that window. This is the most important limitation to understand. A facility licensed in 2009 with a 9.6 has a strong record in the visible window. That is not the same claim as a verified 17-year history, and we will never present it as one.
Every facility page states the window its record covers, and findings older than the window are invisible to us, to the score, and to anyone using the state's public search.
When we don't score
Some facilities don't have enough public record to score fairly. Instead of guessing, we show no score in two situations:
- Insufficient record. Fewer than 3 state inspections in the window. Facilities with 3 or 4 inspections are scored but labeled "limited inspection history."
- Too new to rate. Licensed under 2 years with a clean record so far. A short clean stretch is not yet evidence of anything.
One important exception: a new facility that already has findings on its record is always scored, no matter how new it is. We never hide documented problems behind a "too new" label.
What the scores mean
Zero findings across a deep inspection history, or nothing beyond isolated minor findings. 9.8 and 9.9 are reserved for facilities with no findings at all.
A light record for a facility of its size: minor history, or an isolated serious event with meaningful clean time since.
A typical-to-elevated record for a facility of its size, or recent findings still weighing on the score. Worth asking specific questions during a tour.
A record meaningfully heavier than facilities of its size, or serious findings that are recent. Read the state record before touring.
A heavy, usually recent pattern of serious findings in the state record. The facility page lists them; read them.
Versioning and changes
This page describes methodology v3.1, in effect since October 2026. Scores recompute monthly against the state's latest published data, as of the refresh date shown on every facility page. Data refreshes never change the formula.
When the methodology itself changes, every score recomputes under the new version on the same day, with a public changelog entry. No facility keeps an old score under a new formula, and no facility's score is ever adjusted individually outside the published rules.
Changelog
v3.1 (October 2026). We found and fixed a flaw in v3.0: a facility with findings could score higher than a clean facility with the same inspection history, which broke a promise of this methodology. Under v3.1, a facility with findings always scores at least one step below what a clean record with its inspection history would earn. About 830 facilities moved down as a result, and a small number moved up after we stopped counting complaints that the state's own official totals do not show. We also corrected the size-band table on this page, which briefly showed an outdated calibration; the scorer itself was always using the frozen values printed below, and a new automated check now keeps this page and the scorer in exact agreement.
v3.0 (October 2026). First fully published methodology: the complete formula, frozen calibration constants, the 9.9 ceiling, honest gray states for thin records, and the rule that one incident is never counted twice.
Disputes and corrections
If you operate a facility and believe your score reflects a data error, report it and we commit to reviewing within 14 days. Two outcomes are possible. If the data is wrong, we correct it and recompute your score. If the methodology was applied correctly to accurate data, the score stands, and you may add a public response to your listing.
When the state corrects or removes a finding in its public record, the score updates at the next monthly refresh. No dispute ever changes one facility's score outside the published rules. Every facility is scored the same way, with no exceptions.
Where the data comes from
All findings come from the state agency that licenses and inspects residential care facilities. The data is public record, and any facility's history can be verified directly on the state regulator's website. Every facility page links to that facility's own state record, so you can check our numbers against theirs any time.
In California: the regulator is the California Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). CCLD's public transparency system shows inspection history going back roughly five years.
What the score doesn't tell you
The FYI Safety Score™ measures regulatory compliance: how a facility performs during state inspections. It does not measure:
- Quality of daily life or resident satisfaction.
- Staff friendliness or responsiveness.
- Food quality or activity programming.
- Aesthetics or cleanliness beyond what inspectors check.
- Whether the facility is the right fit for your specific needs.
The score is one important data point. The right way to use it: check it before you tour, then ask specific questions about the findings in person. Visit, talk to current residents and families, and trust your instincts. For more, the vibe check guide covers the in-person work, and the inspection report guide shows you how to read the raw records yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FYI Safety Score™?
The FYI Safety Score™ is a 1.0 to 9.9 rating that reflects how a residential care facility has performed in state safety inspections over roughly the last five years. It is built entirely on public records from the state agency that licenses, inspects, and regulates the facility. No facility can pay to improve their score, and the full formula is published, so anyone can reproduce any facility's score from the public record.
Why is there no perfect 10?
Because no inspection record can guarantee the future. The highest score we publish is 9.9, earned by facilities with zero findings across a deep, multi-year inspection history. A perfect score would imply a promise the data cannot make.
What's the difference between a serious and minor violation?
Serious violations are findings the state classifies as an immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of residents. Minor violations are less severe findings that don't pose an immediate threat but could become serious if uncorrected. In California, the regulator (CCLD) calls these Type A and Type B citations respectively. We use the state's classification, never our own.
How far back does the score look?
Roughly five years. That is the window of inspection history the state publishes, and the score is bounded by it. A facility licensed 15 years ago with a high score has a strong record in the visible window, which is not the same as a verified 15-year history. We say this plainly because the difference matters.
How does recency affect the score?
Recent problems count more than old ones. A finding from a year and a half ago counts half as much as one from today; a three-year-old finding counts a quarter. That fade is automatic and the same for every facility, so a facility that fixed its problems climbs back as clean time passes.
Why do some facilities show no score?
Three reasons, each shown on the facility's page. Insufficient record: fewer than 3 state inspections in the window, which is not enough public record to score fairly. Too new: licensed under 2 years with a clean record so far, which is not yet evidence of anything. Facilities with findings are always scored regardless of license age, because we never hide documented findings behind a gray badge.
Where does the safety data come from?
All findings come from the state agency that licenses and inspects residential care facilities. In California, that's the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). The data is public record, and every facility page links to the state's own record so you can verify ours against theirs.
What does the FYI Safety Score™ not measure?
The score measures regulatory compliance: how a facility performs during state inspections. It does not measure quality of daily life, resident satisfaction, staff friendliness, food, aesthetics, or whether the facility fits your specific needs. Check the score before you tour, then ask specific questions about the findings in person.
Can a facility dispute its score?
Yes. Any facility can report a suspected data error and we commit to reviewing it within 14 days. If the data is wrong, we correct it and recompute. If the methodology was applied correctly, the score stands, and the operator may add a public response to their listing. No dispute ever changes a single facility's score outside the published formula.
Manage a facility?
If you believe a score is inaccurate or does not reflect recent improvements, we want to hear from you. Facility operators can claim their listing to add context, respond to the record, and ensure their information is current.
and we'll look into it.
Appendix: the exact math
For analysts, journalists, and anyone who wants to check our work. With the state's public records and this section, you can reproduce any facility's score exactly. This is methodology v3.1.
Points. Serious violation = 10 × w. Substantiated complaint = 8 × w. Minor violation = 2 × w. The age weight w = 0.5^(age in years ÷ 1.5). When a substantiated complaint produced citations at the same state-recorded event, the allegations covered by those citations are not scored again (per event: scored allegations = substantiated minus citations issued, never below zero).
Normalization. P = sum of all points. load = P ÷ band expectation for the facility's size (table below).
Score. score = 9.9 × 0.5^(load ÷ 2.5), rounded to one decimal, floor 1.0. Ceilings: 9.4 with any serious violation or substantiated complaint in the window; 9.7 with only minor violations. Recent-finding cap: the two youngest significant findings (serious violations or substantiated complaint allegations, counted basis only) each impose a hold on the ceiling, 0.5 points for the youngest and 1.0 for the second, and each hold fades linearly to zero as the finding ages from 0 to 18 months. cap = 9.4 − 0.5 × fade(age₁) − 1.0 × fade(age₂), where fade(t) = max(0, 1 − t ÷ 1.5 years).
Evidence ceiling (new in v3.1). A facility with findings always scores at least 0.1 below what its own inspection history would earn with zero findings: score = min(score, zero-finding value for the same inspection span and visit count minus 0.1). Findings always subtract, visibly. This guarantees that no facility with findings ever ties or outranks a clean facility with an equal or deeper inspection record.
Zero-finding facilities. score = 8.5 + 1.4 × (0.5 × min(1, inspection span in years ÷ 4) + 0.5 × min(1, inspection visits ÷ 20)).
Not scored. Fewer than 3 inspections in the window, or licensed under 2 years with zero findings. Facilities with findings are always scored.
Size-band expectations (frozen since v3.0, calibrated October 2026)
The statewide median point total among facilities of each size that have findings. Monthly score refreshes never change these numbers; only a published methodology version bump can.
| Facility size | Band expectation |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 beds | 8.929 |
| 7 to 15 beds | 12.534 |
| 16 to 49 beds | 14.147 |
| 50 to 99 beds | 17.158 |
| 100+ beds | 16.945 |
Two worked examples
A 6-bed home with one serious violation 2 years ago, nothing since, inspected 9 times across 5 years. Points: 10 × 0.5^(2 ÷ 1.5) = 3.97. Load: 3.97 ÷ 8.929 = 0.44. Decay map: 9.9 × 0.5^(0.44 ÷ 2.5) = 8.8. Evidence ceiling: 8.5 + 1.4 × (0.5 × 1 + 0.5 × 9⁄20) = 9.5, minus 0.1 for having findings = 9.4, which is above 8.8, so it does not bind. Score: 8.8. The finding is real and the score says so; the two clean years since count in the facility's favor, at the published rate.
A clean facility inspected 4 times across 3 years. Zero findings, so the well-tested rule applies: 8.5 + 1.4 × (0.5 × 3⁄4 + 0.5 × 4⁄20) = 9.2. Clean, and scored to the depth of the evidence. The same clean record across 5 years and 20 visits would earn 9.9.
Disclaimer
The FYI Safety Score™ is provided by AssistedLiving.fyi for general informational purposes only. It is derived from publicly available data published by state regulators and may not reflect the most current inspection results, pending investigations, or recent corrective actions taken by a facility. It reflects approximately the last five years of published state records.
This score is not a guarantee, endorsement, or prediction of the safety, quality, or suitability of any facility. It should not be used as the sole basis for any care decision. AssistedLiving.fyi makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the score or underlying data.
We strongly recommend visiting facilities in person, speaking with staff and current residents, reviewing the full state inspection record, and consulting with healthcare professionals before making care decisions. If you believe a score contains an error, please .