Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz
Nursing home in Santa Cruz, California, CMS certification number 055109
675 24th Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 · Santa Cruz County
- CMS overall rating
- 3 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 92
- Certified for
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- December 12, 2025
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 9
- Fines in 3 years
- No fines
Does Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz take Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes to both. Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz is certified for Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare can pay for a short skilled stay after a qualifying hospital stay; Medicaid can pay for long-term care once you qualify.
Certification isn't a promise of an open bed. Ask how many Medicaid beds it has free and whether it keeps residents who move from Medicare to Medicaid. Our guide explains what Medicare pays for.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every certified nursing home from 1 to 5 stars. The overall rating starts from health inspections, then moves up or down for staffing and quality. These come from the CMS Provider Information, October 2026 release.
| Measure | CMS stars |
|---|---|
| Overall | 3 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 2 of 5 |
| Staffing | 4 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 5 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 5 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | 4 of 5 |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz reported to CMS, split across residents and days. More hours per resident usually means more hands at the bedside.
- Total nurse hours per resident per day
- 4.05
- Registered nurse hours
- 0.69
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.68
- Nurse aide hours
- 2.68
- Weekend total hours
- 3.73
- Nursing staff turnover
- 43.8%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 41.7%
- Administrators who left
- 1
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on December 12, 2025 and cited 9 deficiencies, plus 3 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on June 24, 2024, found 25.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS lists no fines for Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz in the past 3 years.
Beds and residents
On an average day 83.6 residents live here, about 91% of its 92 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 92
- Average residents per day
- 83.6
- Certified since
- June 1, 1969
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz
- Legal business name
- Driftwood Santa Cruz Operating Company LP
- Ownership type
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Chain
- 17 homes nationally under Mariner Health Care, 3.5-star chain average
Other nursing homes near Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz Post Acute1115 Capitola Road, Santa Cruz 95062
- Pacific Coast Manor1935 Wharf Road, Capitola 95010
- Redwood Grove Post Acute2990 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz 95062
- Watsonville Nursing Center535 Auto Center Drive, Watsonville 95076
- Watsonville Post Acute Center525 Auto Center Drive, Watsonville 95076
Who inspects nursing homes in California
California's state survey agency licenses nursing homes and carries out the federal inspections for CMS. A home must keep its state licence and meet the federal rules to take Medicare or Medicaid.
Compare all nursing homes in California, or see how assisted living and nursing homes differ.
Is this your facility?
If you run Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz, email contact@assistedlivingaccess.com from your work address. We can add your own rates, photos and contact details next to the state record, or take the listing down.
Questions about Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz
What is the CMS star rating of Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz?
3 out of 5 stars overall.
Does Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz?
9 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz?
Driftwood Santa Cruz Operating Company LP, for profit - limited liability company.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.