Overview
Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz has a Medicare overall rating of 3 out of 5, in line with the California average of 3.2. Among the 3 nursing homes in Santa Cruz, it ranks first. Its strongest area is quality of care (5 of 5), and its weakest is health inspections (2 of 5).
Residents receive about 4.1 hours of nursing care per day, fewer than at 70% of nursing homes in California (the state average is 4.5 hours). Of that, 0.7 hours come from registered nurses.
Its most recent standard inspection, on December 12, 2025, found 9 health deficiencies, fewer than the California average of 15.5. 3 of them came from complaint investigations. It has no fines on record for the past three years, while 39% of California nursing homes have been fined.
Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz is a for-profit facility with 92 certified beds, caring for about 84 residents on an average day. It accepts both Medicare and Medicaid and has participated since 1969.
Medicare ratings
- Health inspections
- Quality of care
- Staffing
Source: Medicare Care Compare, data as of October 1, 2026.
How it compares nearby
Ranked by Medicare overall rating, then quality, inspection and staffing ratings.
Top 34%
Top 57%
Top 47%
Family reviews
No reviews yet. If your family has experience with Driftwood Healthcare Center - Santa Cruz, your review helps others decide.
Inspections and penalties
- Most recent standard inspection
- December 12, 2025
- Health deficiencies cited
- 9
- Complaint-related deficiencies
- 3
- Fines in the last 3 years
- 0
- Payment denials
- 0
- Total penalties
- 0
Staffing
Average hours of care each resident receives per day.
- All nursing staff4.05 hrs
- Registered nurses (RN)0.69 hrs
- Licensed practical nurses (LPN)0.68 hrs
- Nurse aides2.68 hrs
- Physical therapists0.00 hrs
Facility details
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Certified beds
- 92
- Average residents per day
- 84
- Participates in
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Medicare/Medicaid since
- June 1, 1969
- Inside a hospital
- No
- Continuing care retirement community
- No
- Changed ownership in last 12 months
- No
- Resident or family council
- Resident
- Sprinklers in all required areas
- Yes