Nursing home · Top rated by CMS
The Sequoias
501 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 · Map
Non profit - Corporation · 43 certified beds
The Sequoias is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Portola Valley, California. CMS rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 5/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 4.96 hours per resident per day, above the California average of 4.51. Its most recent inspection on Aug 7, 2025 cited 5 deficiencies.
- 1 fine totaling $12,703In CMS records: 1 total penalty.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How The Sequoias 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) | 4.96 | 4.51 | 3.89 | above avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.75 | 0.65 | 0.68 | above avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.82 | 2.64 | 2.34 | above avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 16.1% | 38.1% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 5.0 | 15.4 | 9.5 | below 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.
- Every deficiency from the August 7, 2025 inspection was corrected by August 29, 2025
Penalties in CMS records: 1 fine totaling $12,703, 1 total penalty.
What inspectors found at The Sequoias
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
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Aug 7, 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 · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Aug 7, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- 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 24, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
Administration Deficiencies · May 24, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · May 24, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited.
Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · May 24, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · May 24, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · May 24, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Encode each resident’s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · May 24, 2024 · 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
- 501 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028 - CMS certification #
- 055466
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 43
- Avg residents/day
- 31.6
- Provider type
- Medicare
- First certified
- 1967-01-18
- Setting
- Urban
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around The Sequoias using Google Maps.
Other public records
Full public records, with dates and sources
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Stanford Health Care, Stanford. 4.0 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 5 of 5 stars. Location approximate.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Vi at Palo Alto, Palo Alto. 5.0 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Universal Home Health, LLC, Menlo Park. 5.5 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- CVS Pharmacy. 3.6 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 94028 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Lucile Packard Stanford Pediatric Dialysis, Palo Alto, 5.0 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 1 of 5 stars)
Davita Redwood City Dialysis, Redwood City, 7.8 miles away, straight line (has a shift starting after 5 pm; CMS rating 4 of 5 stars)
Shc Mountain View, Mountain View, 7.8 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 5 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 17 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 94028.
Pathways Home Health And Hospice, office in Sunnyvale, 10.1 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Mission Hospice & Home Care, Inc., office in San Mateo, 13.2 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Sutter Care At Home, office in San Mateo, 13.4 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Stanford Health Care, Stanford. 4.0 miles away, straight line. 4 geriatric medicine doctors 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)
- Wildfire risk to homes
- In Portola Valley, CA, risk to homes is greater than 43% of communities in California and 82% of communities nationwide. USDA rates the whole town or city, not this address. (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, April 2026)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively high. By hazard: inland flooding relatively high, wildfire relatively high, tornado very low, heat wave relatively low, earthquake very 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 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | See above |
| 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 |
| The community’s own website | Could not read the site |
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Frequently asked questions
Is The Sequoias a good nursing home?
CMS gives The Sequoias an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 for staffing and 5/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is The Sequoias staffed?
The Sequoias reports 4.96 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the California average of 4.51.
Has The Sequoias had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 5 deficiencies.
How many beds does The Sequoias have?
The Sequoias is certified for 43 beds.