The Meridian at Lake San Marcos

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

Is The Meridian at Lake San Marcos licensed?

Yes. The Meridian at Lake San Marcos holds an active California RCFE license (facility number 374603339) from the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division, status "Licensed", licensed for 170 residents and first licensed on March 14, 2014. The licensee of record is PACIFICA L 24 LLC; SAN MARCOS MGR LLC.

License and contact information for The Meridian at Lake San Marcos

What does the CCLD inspection record show for The Meridian at Lake San Marcos?

CCLD's public record for The Meridian at Lake San Marcos lists 17 visit dates since April 29, 2022: 5 inspections, 10 complaint visit dates and 2 other visits (case-management, follow-up and evaluation visits). The most recent inspection was on March 27, 2026.

Showing the 14 most recent of 17 distinct visit dates.

Each visit has a report on the CCLD record for The Meridian at Lake San Marcos (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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos, and what did CCLD find?

CCLD has closed 13 complaint investigations at The Meridian at Lake San Marcos in the current record window. Across them, 3 allegations were substantiated, 0 inconclusive and 17 unsubstantiated; 3 complaints included at least one substantiated allegation.

Showing the 12 most recent of 13 complaints.

Scale matters when reading this table: The Meridian at Lake San Marcos is licensed for 170 residents, about 7.6 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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos received CCLD citations?

Yes. The Meridian at Lake San Marcos' CCLD record shows 0 Type A citations and 3 Type B citations in the current public window: 0 A / 0 B from inspections, 0 A / 3 B from complaint investigations and 0 A / 0 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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos licensed to provide?

Per its CCLD record, The Meridian at Lake San Marcos is licensed for 170 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 10 bedridden residents.

The capacity note on the license reads: "170 non-ambulatory; of which 10 may be bedridden housed on 1st floor only. Hospice waiver with total care for 10; approved delayed egress. New management company, san marcos mgr llc, effective 1/24/2025."

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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos a good fit for, based on its license?

Based only on its CCLD record, The Meridian at Lake San Marcos 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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos compare with other licensed RCFEs in North County Inland?

With 170 licensed beds, The Meridian at Lake San Marcos ranks No. 8 by capacity among the 194 active RCFEs in North County Inland, where the median facility is licensed for 6 residents. Among the area's 23 RCFEs with 50 or more beds, its complaint count per licensed bed is above the middle on the current CCLD record.

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

Where is The Meridian at Lake San Marcos and what is nearby?

The Meridian at Lake San Marcos is at 1177 San Marino Dr Bldg 1 & 2, San Marcos, CA 92078, in San Diego County's North County Inland area. Hospitals serving the area include Palomar Medical Center Escondido, Kaiser Permanente San Marcos Medical Center, Palomar Health Pomerado Hospital; veterans are served by the VA San Diego Healthcare System's medical center in La Jolla.

North County Inland - Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Poway, Fallbrook and the backcountry towns - has the second-largest concentration of licensed RCFEs in the county, with Escondido alone home to dozens of six-bed board and care homes and several large memory care buildings.

How much does The Meridian at Lake San Marcos cost?

CCLD does not publish rates, so ask The Meridian at Lake San Marcos 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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos accepts either.

How should I evaluate The Meridian at Lake San Marcos?

Start with the public record, then test it in person. 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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos

• 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?
• Which care needs would require a move out, and how much notice do you give?
• 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?
• Can family visit unannounced, and how is a concern escalated past the caregiver?
• If dementia progresses, can my parent stay, and what does the secured area cost?
• How do you handle residents who need help evacuating in a wildfire or power outage?

What are the next steps if I am considering The Meridian at Lake San Marcos?

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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos at (760) 510-7500 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 Silvergate San Marcos Retirement Residence and Cypress Court Escondido.
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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos?

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 North County Inland

• Silvergate San Marcos Retirement Residence - San Marcos, 160 beds
• Cypress Court Escondido - Escondido, 293 beds
• Las Villas Del Norte - Escondido, 236 beds
• Westmont of Escondido - Escondido, 200 beds
• Oakmont of Escondido Hills - Escondido, 160 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 The Meridian at Lake San Marcos. San Diego Senior Advisor is not affiliated with the community.