Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan in Norwalk: Inspection Record Review, Complaints and Abuse Reports (Updated October 30, 2026)

Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan at a glance: owner, beds and ratings

* California separately requires at least 3.5 direct care service hours per patient day, counted under state rules, so the two numbers are not measured the same way.

Records: Cal Health Find ↗ · Medicare Care Compare ↗

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Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan citations and inspection findings

Newest first. State citations come from CDPH; federal deficiencies come from the CMS-2567 inspection report CDPH writes for Medicare. Every row links to the government record.

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Complaints against Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan

Cal Health Find lists 170 complaint and facility-reported incident intakes for this facility from 2023 through October 30, 2026. CDPH substantiated at least one allegation in 55 of them. 44 intakes involved an allegation in CDPH’s abuse category, and 6 of those had an abuse allegation substantiated. An intake can contain several allegations; “unsubstantiated” means CDPH did not find enough evidence, not that nothing happened.

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Sexual abuse reports at Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan

Cal Health Find lists 1 intake for Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan from 2023 through October 30, 2026 that included an allegation CDPH classified as sexual abuse (0 from complaints and 1 reported by the facility itself). CDPH substantiated a sexual abuse allegation in 1 of them. Federal rules require a nursing home to report an abuse allegation to the state within two hours, so a facility-reported incident means staff raised the allegation, not that it was proven. “Unsubstantiated” means CDPH did not find enough evidence; it does not mean nothing happened.

Warning signs include bruising or bleeding in the genital area or inner thighs, a new genital infection, torn or stained underclothing, and a resident who suddenly fears a particular staff member or resists being bathed or changed. If you suspect sexual abuse, call 911 or local police first, ask that the resident not be bathed before a medical exam, and then report it to CDPH and the long-term care ombudsman. Sexual abuse reports at Los Angeles County nursing homes →

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Staffing at Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan

Payroll records Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan filed with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for April through June 2026 show an average of 9.77 nursing hours per resident per day, counting registered nurses (RNs), licensed vocational nurses and nurse aides. The California average CMS published for the same period is 4.54, and the Los Angeles County median is 4.32. RN time averaged 4.04 hours per resident per day (California average 0.68). Staffing averaged 8.93 hours on weekends and 10.10 on weekdays.

CMS reports nursing staff turnover of 27.7% at this facility (California average 36.6%) and RN turnover of 37.5% (California average 37.8%).

California requires most skilled nursing facilities to provide at least 3.5 direct care hours per patient day (Health and Safety Code section 1276.65). Counting the RN, LVN and nurse aide hours in the same payroll data, Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan was below 3.5 on 0 of 91 days. This is our calculation from CMS data, not a CDPH finding: CDPH counts some staff differently (for example psychiatric technicians in special treatment programs) and can grant waivers.

Compare staffing, profits and fines across Los Angeles County nursing homes →

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Federal fines and penalties: Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan

CMS lists Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan as a candidate for its Special Focus Facility program. CMS created the program for nursing homes with a history of serious quality problems; candidates are facilities whose inspection record qualifies them, and states choose which ones enter the program for closer oversight.

CMS lists 3 federal fines totaling $135,767 and 1 Medicare payment denial for Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan in the roughly three years its penalty file covers.

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What this record means for your family

California uses classes for state citations. Under Health and Safety Code section 1424 ↗, a Class AA citation is a Class A violation that CDPH determined was a direct proximate cause of a resident’s death. A Class A citation means CDPH found an imminent danger, or a substantial probability, that death or serious physical harm would result. Class B covers violations with a direct or immediate relationship to residents’ health, safety or security.

Federal deficiencies carry a letter from A to L. G, H and I mean inspectors found actual harm to residents; J, K and L mean immediate jeopardy, the most serious level. F600 is the federal rule that residents be free from abuse and neglect; F609 and F610 cover reporting and investigating allegations; F689 covers accidents and supervision; F686 covers pressure injuries.

Warning signs worth asking about: unexplained bruises or fractures, new bed sores, sudden weight loss or dehydration, a resident who becomes fearful or withdrawn around certain staff, and calls that go unanswered.

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What to do now

• If someone is in danger, call 911.
• File a complaint with CDPH about Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan: CDPH complaint form ↗
• Contact the long-term care ombudsman, the state-funded advocate for nursing home residents: California Long-Term Care Ombudsman ↗
• Ask the facility in writing for a copy of the resident’s chart, and write down dates, names of staff on shift, and photos of any injury.
• Talk to a Los Angeles nursing home abuse lawyer →

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Questions families ask

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Other nursing homes near Department of State Hospitals – Metropolitan

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Methodology and sources

We pulled this facility’s complaints, state enforcement actions and survey deficiencies from Cal Health Find for 2023 through October 30, 2026, downloaded the CDPH citation notices and CMS-2567 reports behind every Class AA or A citation and every federal deficiency at level G or higher, and wrote the summaries above from those documents. Facility details come from the CDPH licensing file and the CMS Provider Data Catalog. Residents are described only as the government documents describe them. See the methodology page to report an error; we review correction requests within five business days.

Important: This page reports findings from public records of the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. A citation or deficiency is a regulatory finding by a government agency; it is not a court judgment and not proof of civil or criminal liability. Criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Lawsuit allegations are claims, not findings. This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Beverly Law. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Data as of: October 30, 2026. Methodology and corrections.

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