Shields Nursing Center
3230 CARLSON BOULEVARD, El Cerrito, CA 94530
El Cerrito, California · CMS verdict
On the federal five-star scale, Shields Nursing Center carries a 3 of 5 CMS overall rating, average quality that runs in line with California's state average of 3.1.
The rating and the PlainElderCare Index below summarize federal inspection, staffing, and outcome data, they measure specific, documented dimensions of this facility, not a holistic verdict on the care your family member would receive. Visit in person, talk with staff and current residents' families, and weigh your family member's specific needs before choosing.
Shields Nursing Center in El Cerrito, California holds a CMS overall rating of 3 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 61 of 100 (grade D). The 45-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in California runs a median of $12,167 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index
A transparent composite of this facility's CMS Care Compare sub-ratings and its federal inspection record. It complements, and does not replace, the official CMS overall rating of 3 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 61 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 61.
Weights: health inspections 30%, staffing 25%, quality measures 25%, inspection record 20%; any dimension CMS has not published drops out and its weight redistributes (no silent deflation). Inspection record is benchmarked against all rated US nursing homes. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Data insights
Quality ratings
Shields Nursing Center holds a CMS overall quality rating of 3 out of 5 stars, based on the most recent Care Compare release (data as of April 2026). CMS breaks this into three sub-ratings: health inspection (3/5), staffing (4/5), and quality measures (4/5).
What each sub-rating measures
The health inspection rating reflects on-site surveyor findings from the last three cycles. The staffing rating compares case-mix-adjusted nurse hours per resident day to national benchmarks, and quality measures aggregate 15 clinical indicators including pressure ulcers, falls with injury, and long-stay antipsychotic use.
Size and setting
Located in El Cerrito, California, this facility operates 45 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 34 residents - an occupancy rate of about 76%. The facility is classified under for profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 76% occupancy, this facility has meaningful open capacity relative to its certified bed count.
Same-ownership peers
Within California, Shields Nursing Center is one of 291 for profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 3-star overall rating sits below the for profit - corporation-segment average of 3.4 stars, ahead of roughly 30% of same-ownership peers in the state. This ownership-segment comparison controls for business-model differences, so what's left mostly reflects how this facility runs relative to similar operators, not the type of operator it is.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented multiple deficiencies at this facility (27 total). CMS has levied no enforcement penalties over the equivalent window. This is a high deficiency count relative to most facilities; requesting the full survey report directly is the only way to see whether these are concentrated in one area or spread across the facility's operations.
Where these figures come from
The figures above come directly from the U.S. Centers for Medicare \& Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare dataset for federal quality ratings, combined with the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey of more than 15,000 elder-care providers nationwide and U.S. Census American Community Survey income data. Cost figures are monthly medians, refreshed annually with each new CareScout release; quality ratings are refreshed quarterly from the CMS Provider Information File. Read these state and county medians as benchmarks, then verify current rates with individual providers and consult care managers before making placement decisions. See our methodology for source vintage.
How Shields Nursing Center compares to California
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the California facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = California state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Shields Nursing Center ranks in California
Among the 1,154 CMS-rated nursing homes in California, Shields Nursing Center’s 3-star overall rating is higher than 37% of them. The bars show how all California homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
231 California homes share this 3-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 45 |
| Residents | 34 |
| Ownership | For profit - Corporation |
| County | Contra Costa |
| Penalties | 0 |
| Deficiencies | 27 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Shields Nursing Center? ▾
3 out of 5 stars is Shields Nursing Center's current CMS overall rating, built from a health inspection rating of 3/5, a staffing rating of 4/5, and a quality measures rating of 4/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in California? ▾
In California, a semi-private nursing home room runs a median $12,167/month ($146,000/year) per the CareScout 2025 survey; private rooms average $15,178/month.
What services does Shields Nursing Center offer? ▾
Shields Nursing Center operates as a skilled nursing facility (45 beds with approximately 34 current residents) under for profit - corporation ownership. CMS inspections have recorded 27 deficiencies and 0 penalties there.
Does Shields Nursing Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Shields Nursing Center has multiple deficiencies (27 total) and 0 penalties recorded by CMS. A count this high is above what most facilities post; ask the facility directly for its plan of correction on the largest findings.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in California? ▾
In California, alternatives include assisted living ($7,000/mo), home health aides ($7,627/mo), and adult day care ($2,037/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the California elder-care overview, or see how facilities rank nationwide in our highest-rated states ranking.
Weigh nursing care against assisted living, home health, and adult day care, with national median costs, on our care types comparison, and learn how to fund it in our paying for elder care guide.
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Provider ID: 555364.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.