Nursing home
Orchards at Tulare
604 E. Merritt Ave., Tulare, CA 93274 · Map
For profit - Limited Liability company · 99 certified beds
Orchards at Tulare is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Tulare, California. CMS rates it 2 out of 5 stars overall (3/5 for staffing, 2/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 4.06 hours per resident per day, below the California average of 4.51. Its most recent inspection on May 8, 2025 cited 18 deficiencies.
- 2 fines totaling $132,586In CMS records: 3 total penalties, 1 Medicare payment denial.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Orchards at Tulare compares
This facility vs. the California and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | California avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 4.06 | 4.51 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.26 | 0.65 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.72 | 2.64 | 2.34 | above avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 48.5% | 38.1% | 46.4% | above avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 18.0 | 15.4 | 9.5 | above avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
Penalties in CMS records: 2 fines totaling $132,586, 3 total penalties, 1 Medicare payment denial.
What inspectors found at Orchards at Tulare
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Let each resident or the resident's legal representative access or purchase copies of all the resident's records.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Mar 9, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Mar 3, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Feb 26, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Nov 24, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides drinks consistent with resident needs and preferences and sufficient to maintain resident hydration.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · May 8, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 604 E. Merritt Ave.
Tulare, CA 93274 - CMS certification #
- 056261
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Certified beds
- 99
- Avg residents/day
- 92.8
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1974-01-17
- Setting
- Urban
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Orchards at Tulare using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Workplace safety 1 OSHA workplace safety inspection since 2023, 6 violations cited
Full public records, with dates and sources
Staff pay and workplace safety
Federal records about how the employer here treats its staff.
OSHA workplace safety inspections
OSHA inspects workplaces for staff safety, such as lifting, needles, chemicals and workplace violence. It does not inspect resident care.
- Jun 20, 2023: programmed (planned) inspection, complete (safety). Case closed Mar 4, 2024. 6 violations cited (1 serious, 5 other). Penalties: $19,865 proposed, $19,865 now. OSHA record. OSHA recorded the employer as Merritt Manor Convalescent Hospital. Matched by street address; the name OSHA recorded differs from the community's.
Details
- Other than serious: Cited rule 4300.40(a). Penalty $375 proposed, $375 now. To be fixed by Jan 12, 2024.
- Other than serious: Cited rule 2340.16(a). Penalty $185 proposed, $185 now. To be fixed by Jan 12, 2024.
- Other than serious: Cited rule 3203(A). Penalty $560 proposed, $560 now. To be fixed by Jan 12, 2024.
- Other than serious: Cited rule 3216(A). Penalty $185 proposed, $185 now. To be fixed by Jan 12, 2024.
- Other than serious: Cited rule 5194(E). Penalty $560 proposed, $560 now. To be fixed by Jan 12, 2024.
- Serious: Cited rule 5162(A). Penalty $18,000 proposed, $18,000 now. To be fixed by Dec 20, 2023.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, as of Oct 15, 2026, inspections since 2016. Penalties can change while a case is open or contested.
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Adventist Health Tulare, Tulare. 3.8 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 3 of 5 stars. Location approximate.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Tulare Healthcare & Wellness Center, LP, Tulare. 0.0 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- South Valley Home Health, Visalia. 7.5 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Rite Aid. 0.7 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 93274 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Tulare Dialysis, Tulare, 0.9 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars)
Ara Kaweah Dialysis Center, LLC, Visalia, 5.6 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 2 of 5 stars)
Kaweah Health Dialysis Center, Visalia, 6.8 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 3 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 33 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 93274.
Infinite Heart Hospice, office in Visalia, 7.4 miles away, straight line
American Qlh, office in Visalia, 7.4 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars)
Kaweah Health Hospice, office in Visalia, 7.8 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Permanente Medical Group Inc, Fresno. 49.3 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively high. By hazard: inland flooding relatively high, wildfire relatively low, tornado very low, heat wave relatively high, earthquake relatively high. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | See above |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here relatively low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Orchards at Tulare a good nursing home?
CMS gives Orchards at Tulare an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, including 3/5 for staffing and 2/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Orchards at Tulare staffed?
Orchards at Tulare reports 4.06 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the California average of 4.51.
Has Orchards at Tulare had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 18 deficiencies.
How many beds does Orchards at Tulare have?
Orchards at Tulare is certified for 99 beds.