Lantern Crest

Last verified: October 2026 against the CCLD Care Facility Search record

Is Lantern Crest licensed?

Yes. Lantern Crest holds an active California RCFE license (facility number 374603253) from the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division, status "Licensed", licensed for 180 residents and first licensed on May 30, 2012. The licensee of record is SANTEE SNR RET I LLC(OWNER)/LCM, LLC (MNGT).

License and contact information for Lantern Crest

What does the CCLD inspection record show for Lantern Crest?

CCLD's public record for Lantern Crest lists 14 visit dates since November 2, 2021: 4 inspections, 7 complaint visit dates and 4 other visits (case-management, follow-up and evaluation visits). The most recent inspection was on April 13, 2026.

Each visit has a report on the CCLD record for Lantern Crest (Reports tab). CCLD publishes roughly the last five years of visits, so an older community's earlier history is not shown.

Have there been complaints against Lantern Crest, and what did CCLD find?

CCLD has closed 8 complaint investigations at Lantern Crest in the current record window. Across them, 0 allegations were substantiated, 0 inconclusive and 10 unsubstantiated; 0 complaints included at least one substantiated allegation.

Scale matters when reading this table: Lantern Crest is licensed for 180 residents, about 4.4 complaints per 100 licensed beds over the window. Substantiated means CCLD found the allegation was more likely than not true and violated a regulation; unsubstantiated means it may have happened but could not be proven.

Has Lantern Crest received CCLD citations?

Yes. Lantern Crest's CCLD record shows 0 Type A citations and 1 Type B citation in the current public window: 0 A / 0 B from inspections, 0 A / 0 B from complaint investigations and 0 A / 1 B from other visits.

CCLD issues a Type A citation for a deficiency that poses an immediate risk to residents' health, safety or personal rights, and a Type B citation for one that could become a risk if not corrected (often records, training or physical-plant issues). Read the report behind each one before deciding what it means.

What care is Lantern Crest licensed to provide?

Per its CCLD record, Lantern Crest is licensed for 180 residents and it holds a dementia approval, so it may admit and keep residents with dementia under Title 22 dementia-care requirements; CCLD has approved delayed-egress doors and/or a secured perimeter for residents at risk of wandering; it has a hospice waiver, so a resident can receive hospice care there instead of moving; it may accept non-ambulatory residents (people who could not leave the building unaided in an emergency); the license allows up to 20 bedridden residents.

The capacity note on the license reads: "The facility serves 180 elderly residents; ages 60 and above; 90 of whom may be non-ambulatory; approved for 20 bedridden residents to be housed on the first floor; delayed egress approved for 1st and 2ndfloor; hospice waiver approved for 20 residents."

Even with these approvals, a California RCFE cannot keep a resident who needs 24-hour skilled nursing or has certain prohibited health conditions; that resident needs a skilled nursing facility.

Who is Lantern Crest a good fit for, based on its license?

Based only on its CCLD record, Lantern Crest fits families planning for dementia care who need a secured setting, since CCLD has approved delayed egress or a secured perimeter. It may also suit residents who want to stay in place at end of life, since it has a hospice waiver; people who use a wheelchair or could not evacuate unaided; people who want a mid-size community.

How does Lantern Crest compare with other licensed RCFEs in East County?

With 180 licensed beds, Lantern Crest ranks No. 5 by capacity among the 89 active RCFEs in East County, where the median facility is licensed for 6 residents. Among the area's 13 RCFEs with 50 or more beds, its complaint count per licensed bed is among the lowest on the current CCLD record.

Licensed RCFEs of similar size in East County, from the same CCLD records:

Where is Lantern Crest and what is nearby?

Lantern Crest is at 800 Lantern Crest Way, Santee, CA 92071, in San Diego County's East County area. Hospitals serving the area include Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center; veterans are served by the VA San Diego Healthcare System's medical center in La Jolla.

East County (La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove and Lakeside) mixes large, older assisted living campuses around Grossmont with many small residential homes. Summer heat runs well above the coast, so ask about air conditioning in every room.

How much does Lantern Crest cost?

CCLD does not publish rates, so ask Lantern Crest for its written rate sheet and any care-level or medication-management fees. For context, memory care in San Diego County typically runs $5,200-$8,500 a month in 2026.

Paying for it: Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) can cover care services (not room and board) at participating RCFEs in San Diego County, and VA Aid & Attendance can help eligible veterans and surviving spouses. Ask on the first call whether Lantern Crest accepts either.

How should I evaluate Lantern Crest?

Treat the CCLD file as your first reference check. Open the CCLD record, read the reports behind the most recent inspection and any substantiated complaint, then visit at a mealtime and again unannounced in the evening and ask how the dementia care area would handle a resident whose needs change.

Questions to ask on your tour of Lantern Crest

• How many caregivers are awake and on the floor overnight, and for how many residents?
• What did CCLD cite on its most recent visit, and what changed afterward?
• How long have the administrator and the care director been in their roles?
• Is the monthly rate all-inclusive, or tiered by care level? Ask for the written rate sheet.
• How often is the resident's needs-and-services plan reassessed, and are families invited?
• Do you accept residents on the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver or using VA Aid & Attendance?
• What happens after a fall at 2 a.m., and which hospital do you transfer to?
• Can family visit unannounced, and how is a concern escalated past the caregiver?
• How do you handle residents who need help evacuating in a wildfire or power outage?

What are the next steps if I am considering Lantern Crest?

Confirm availability, read the CCLD record and tour at least twice before signing. The order below keeps the state record in front of you before the sales conversation starts.

1. Call Lantern Crest at (619) 258-8886 and ask whether it has an opening at your parent's care level and in its dementia care area.
2. Before touring, open the CCLD record and read the last inspection report and any substantiated complaint.
3. Ask for the written rate sheet, the admission agreement and a blank needs-and-services plan.
4. Visit twice, once at a meal and once unannounced, and use the tour questions above.
5. Tour at least one comparison community; nearby licensed options of similar size include Grossmont Gardens Senior Living and The Montera.
6. Talk to us before you sign. We will go over the agreement and the state record with you at no cost.

Who can help if there is a problem at Lantern Crest?

Start with the administrator. If that fails, file a complaint with CCLD (complaint hotline 1-844-538-8766, or the San Diego Regional Office at 619-767-2300), and contact the San Diego County Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 800-640-4661, who advocates for RCFE residents for free. Report suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services through Aging & Independence Services at 800-339-4661.

Other licensed RCFEs in East County

• Grossmont Gardens Senior Living - La Mesa, 425 beds
• The Montera - La Mesa, 225 beds
• Monte Vista Village Senior Living - Lemon Grove, 219 beds
• La Vida Real - El Cajon, 177 beds
• Westmont of La Mesa - La Mesa, 164 beds

See every licensed memory care facility in San Diego County →

This profile uses only public CDSS/CCLD records and does not rate, rank or endorse Lantern Crest. San Diego Senior Advisor is not affiliated with the community.