Nursing home in Far Rockaway, Queens County
Rockaway Care Center
353 Beach 48th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 · (718) 471-5000
1 federal penalty on record · $135,193 in fines
1 immediate jeopardy citation
Located in the Rockaway Beach, Arverne and Edgemere area of Queens, Rockaway Care Center is a for-profit nursing home with 228 certified beds. It is one of 56 certified nursing homes in Queens County. Medicare rates it 1 out of 5 stars overall (1 for health inspections, 2 for staffing and 3 for quality measures). That overall rating is below the Queens County average of 3.3 stars. Inspectors issued 32 health citations across 5 inspections in the current federal reporting period, including 1 at the immediate jeopardy level. Federal regulators have imposed 1 fine totaling $135,193 in the past three years. Residents receive about 3.1 hours of total nursing care per day on average, and nursing staff turnover is 45%.
Medicare star ratings
Overall Medicare rating
1 / 5
Medicare's summary rating combining inspections, staffing and quality measures.
Health inspection rating
1 / 5
Based on findings from state health inspections and complaint investigations.
Staffing rating
2 / 5
Based on reported nurse and aide staffing hours per resident.
Quality measures rating
3 / 5
Based on resident outcomes such as falls, pressure ulcers and hospitalizations.
Staffing
- Total nurse hours per resident per day
- 3.14
- RN hours per resident per day
- 0.77
- Nursing staff turnover
- 45.1%
- RN turnover
- 53.8%
Staffing hours are self-reported payroll data published by CMS. Ask the facility about current staffing, including weekends.
Facility facts
- Address
- 353 Beach 48th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
- County
- Queens
- Phone
- (718) 471-5000
- Certified beds
- 228
- Average residents per day
- 211
- Ownership type
- For profit - Individual
- Legal business name
- Rockaway Care Center LLC
- Chain affiliation
- None reported
- In Medicare/Medicaid since
- 1976
- CMS Certification Number (CCN)
- 335571
- Most recent standard inspection
- December 10, 2025
Location and getting there
Rockaway Care Center is located at 353 Beach 48th Street, in the Rockaway Beach, Arverne and Edgemere area of Queens (ZIP 11691). The closest subway station is Beach 44 St (A), about 0.2 miles away. The nearest hospital is St Johns Episcopal Hospital So Shore, about 1.4 miles away. Distances are straight-line estimates; confirm travel routes before visiting.
Open in Google MapsInspection record
- Inspections on record
- 5
- Total health citations
- 32
- Serious citations (harm or immediate jeopardy)
- 2
- Immediate jeopardy citations
- 1
Serious citations
Citations where inspectors found actual harm to a resident or immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety; most recent December 11, 2025.
| Date | Federal tag | What inspectors cited | Severity | Complaint? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 11, 2025 | F0689 | Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents | Actual harm (isolated) | Yes |
| April 25, 2025 | F0742 | Provide the appropriate treatment and services to a resident who displays or is diagnosed with mental disorder or psychosocial adjustment difficulty, or who has a history of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder | Immediate jeopardy (isolated) | Yes |
Inspection history
| Inspection date | Type | Citations | Most serious finding | Official report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 11, 2025 | Complaint investigation | 1 | Actual harm (isolated) | View CMS report |
| December 10, 2025 | Standard health inspection | 16 | Potential for harm (widespread) | View CMS report |
| April 25, 2025 | Complaint investigation | 3 | Immediate jeopardy (isolated) | View CMS report |
| July 27, 2023 | Standard health inspection | 7 | Potential for harm (isolated) | View CMS report |
| July 12, 2021 | Standard health inspection | 5 | Potential for harm (isolated) | View CMS report |
Understanding these citations
Inspectors cited this facility for serious deficiencies involving accident hazards, supervision or falls. These guides from Leitner Warywoda PLLC, the New York law firm that sponsors this site, explain what these problems look like and what families can do:
Federal penalties
- Federal penalties
- 1
- Fines
- 1
- Total fines
- $135,193
- Payment denials
- 0
- Most recent penalty
- April 25, 2025
| Date | Penalty | Amount / Duration |
|---|---|---|
| April 25, 2025 | Civil money penalty | $135,193 |
Penalty data last updated September 1, 2026.
Complaints to the New York State Department of Health
- Complaints received
- 149
- Complaints per 100 beds
- 72.5
- Statewide average per 100 beds
- 57.1
- On-site complaint inspections
- 10
NYS DOH complaint data through July 31, 2026.
Owners and managers reported to CMS
| Name | Role reported to CMS |
|---|---|
| Michael Melnicke | Direct owner (5% or greater) — 100% (since 06/24/2008) |
| Rosalie Jaffa | Managing employee (since 02/11/2018) |
| Avrom Sirkis | Corporate officer (since 07/30/2018) |
| Avrom Sirkis | Operational/managerial control (since 07/30/2018) |
Official reports and records
These links open official and independent records for CCN 335571. Read several inspections, not only the most recent, to see whether problems repeat.