University Care Center
Strong Medicare quality ratings; families often praise exceptional physical and occupational therapy teams. Still worth an in-person visit.
based on 113 Google reviews
Watch University Care Center
Get an email when new inspections, ratings, or penalties are published for this facility.
We’ll only email you about this — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
What this means for your family
This facility offers an exceptional physical therapy program that is highly effective for post-surgery recovery. However, families should be extremely vigilant regarding staffing levels and nursing responsiveness, as recent reports indicate significant issues with call button delays and staff turnover.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews
113 reviews on Google“University Care Center is highly regarded by many for its exceptional physical and occupational therapy teams and a compassionate nursing staff that many residents describe as 'family.' However, recent reviews have raised serious alarms regarding staffing shortages, issues with call button responsiveness, and concerns about facility temperature and maintenance.”
Quality Themes
Tap a score for detailsStrengths
- Exceptional physical and occupational therapy teams
- Compassionate and attentive nursing staff
- Clean and well-maintained facility
- Welcoming and professional administration
Concerns
- Slow response to call buttons/nursing requests (mentioned by 3 reviewers)
- Staffing shortages and high turnover (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
- Inadequate room temperature/cooling systems
Rating Trends
Tap a year to see what changed
Distribution · 116 analyzed
How They Respond to Reviews
The owner provides highly personalized responses to positive reviews by addressing reviewers by name and acknowledging specific details. For negative reviews, they use a consistent, professional template that avoids defensiveness and invites direct communication via a phone number.
Questions for Your Tour
- 1We've heard wonderful things about your therapy teams; how do the physical and occupational therapists work with residents to help them stay active?
- 2Since we want to ensure our loved one is always comfortable, how do you manage the temperature control in the resident rooms?
- 3What is the process for ensuring medication is administered accurately and on schedule every day?
- 4How does the nursing team prioritize responding to call buttons during busy shifts or overnight hours?
- 5We noticed the administration team is very professional; how do you involve families in the care planning process?
- 6What kind of daily activities or social outings are available to keep the residents engaged with one another?
Personalized based on this facility's data
Key Review Excerpts
“The staff was very genuine and took very good care of her. They ensured that she would be taken care of and made sure to get her back to life.”
“The nurses and the CNA’s were really good with me, the service that they gave me was excellent. The doctors are really good. Occupational therapy helped me improve even though I wasn’t as enthusiastic about working with them at first.”
“The nurses don’t come when they are requested (with call button) and when you finally get someone to listen to what you’re really asking for they say they’ll get someone else and no one shows up.”
Staffing
Staffing Hours
per resident/day · Medicare 2026Both RN and total nursing hours are below national benchmarks. This can mean less clinical attention per resident, so ask about their staffing plan.
Quality Measures
Quality Measures
Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 17 measures
10
measures
2
measures
5
measures
Residents whose bladder or bowel control got worse
Residents needing more daily help over time
Residents whose walking got worse
Residents with depression symptoms
Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.
Residents on anti-anxiety or sleep medication
Residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu
Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics
US average from Medicare published data
Inspection History
Medicare Inspection History
3-year lookback · Medicare 2026
University Care Center has significant care quality concerns, with families filing 15 complaint-triggered deficiencies indicating ongoing problems. The facility repeatedly struggles with care planning, medication management, and infection control across multiple years. Most troubling are recurring issues with resident assessment and care plan development, appearing in complaints as recently as 2024-2025, suggesting persistent problems with individualized care despite reported corrections.
Aug 4, 2025Complaint1
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
May 7, 2025Routine13
Emergency Preparedness Deficiencies
Conduct testing and exercise requirements.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Ensure receptacles at patient bed locations and where general anesthesia is administered, are tested after initial installation, replacement or servicing.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Meet requirements for operating features, such as evacuation plans, fire drills, smoking regulations, draperies, decorations and the inspection, testing and maintenance of fire doors.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Have posted "No-smoking" signs in areas where smoking is not permitted or ashtrays provided where smoking was allowed.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas.
Smoke Deficiencies
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
Environmental Deficiencies
Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Jan 28, 2025Complaint2
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
Nov 13, 2024Complaint2
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Jul 1, 2024Complaint1
Environmental Deficiencies
Make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
Jun 19, 2024Complaint1
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Ownership & Operations
Who Operates This Facility
University Care Center
for profit
Chain Affiliation
Pacs Group
279 facilities nationwide
Chain avg rating: 2.9/5 · Rank 4 of 260 (Best)
Ownership & Management
Key personnel
Contact
Get in Touch
Contact this facility directly and verify the details that matter most to your family.
References & Resources
Medicare Care Compare
Official Medicare quality ratings, inspections & staffing data
Google Maps
Photos, directions & neighborhood info
Google Reviews
113 reviews from families & visitors
Official Website
Visit universitycarecenter.com
Medicare data downloads
Original nursing home datasets
EveryPlace is a research directory. Facility information is compiled from public sources — Medicare.gov, state licensing portals, Google Places, and publicly available street-level imagery. Listings do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or advertisement, and we do not accept payment for placement. Families should verify all details directly with the facility and the original sources linked above before making any care decisions. See our Research Policy for our editorial standards, correction process, and image-removal policy.
Nearby Alternatives
Bella Vista Health Center
2.9 miNursing Home · Lemon Grove, CA
Parkway Hills Nursing & Rehabilitation
3.2 miNursing Home · La Mesa, CA
Lemon Grove Care and Rehabilitation Center
3.4 miNursing Home · Lemon Grove, CA
Golden Hill Post Acute
3.4 miNursing Home · San Diego, CA
Community Care Center
4.0 miNursing Home · La Mesa, CA
Brighton Place Spring Valley
4.2 miNursing Home · Spring Valley, CA