Questions about researching New York nursing homes

Search the directory by facility name, city or county. Each facility page lists contact details, bed count, ownership type, Medicare ratings and links to official inspection records.

Yes. Browse any New York county, including New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

New York City facilities are listed under Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens and Richmond (Staten Island) counties.

Depending on what government sources report, a facility page may include:

• Facility name, address and telephone number
• City and county
• Number of certified beds
• Ownership type
• Overall, health inspection and staffing ratings
• Most recent inspection date
• Links to health and fire safety inspection reports
• Federal fines and payment denials
• CMS Certification Number

Facility information is compiled from public data published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Government records change, so confirm important details with the facility and the agency.

Medicare's Five-Star Quality Rating System rates nursing homes on health inspections, staffing and quality measures. The overall rating summarizes those measures, but it should not be the only factor in choosing a facility.

Review the underlying inspection findings, staffing, ownership, services and any recent changes.

It reflects findings from government inspections and certain complaint investigations. A lower rating can indicate more serious or more numerous deficiencies than other facilities, but read the underlying reports for context.

It reflects reported nursing hours and related staffing information. Staffing changes, so ask the facility about its current registered nurse, licensed nurse and nursing assistant levels, weekend staffing and turnover.

Each facility page links to its health and fire safety inspection records on Medicare.gov. Review several inspections rather than only the most recent one.

Key items include:

• The date and type of inspection
• What each cited deficiency involved
• Its severity and scope
• Whether residents were harmed or put at risk
• Whether similar problems appeared before
• The facility's plan of correction
• Complaint and fire safety findings

Timing varies. Nursing homes undergo periodic surveys and may also be inspected after complaints or reported incidents. Each facility page shows the most recent inspection date we have.

A CMS Certification Number (CCN) is a federal identifier assigned to Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers. We use it to link each facility to its official records.

Ownership may be for-profit, nonprofit or government. It is one consideration but does not by itself show the quality of care. Look at inspections, staffing, management history and your own observations during a visit.