10 Best Nursing Homes Facilities in New York City

There are many ways to pay for nursing homes in New York City. Since there are many private and public assistance options, you’ll want to look at all of your loved one’s resources. While they may have ways to pay privately, your loved one may also qualify for public aid to help cover the expensive costs of skilled nursing care. This section covers some of the private and public ways seniors tend to pay for senior care in New York City.

Nursing homes are federally regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (or CMS). This is so nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities can be Medicare- and/or Medicaid-certified. CMS conducts nursing home reports with the help of a state surveyor who visits the nursing homes to complete a Life Safety Code and standard survey.

Besides the federal regulations, New York and New Jersey have their own state guidelines, regulations, and licensing requirements for nursing homes and senior living facilities.

New York senior living licensing requirements

Administrators of nursing homes in New York must have a nursing home administrator’s license.^[07] However, other senior living facilities that provide residential care services must have an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) License issued by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).

A senior care facility must also have an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) Certification if they go beyond the normal assisted living services. Here are some of the services that go beyond the normal assisted living services:

• A continuum of care (or multiple care types on one campus)
• Licensed nurses on staff
• Access to hire a third-party home health care agency

Assisted living facilities that offer memory care services must also become certified as Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR).

New Jersey senior living licensing requirements

New Jersey nursing home administrators are required to have a nursing home administrator’s license.{{citation: 8}} However, assisted living facilities are licensed differently. Assisted living communities and programs must have a certificate of need from the New Jersey Department of Health to be licensed. Licensed assisted living facilities can also offer memory care services if they meet provisions established for that care type.

Staffing requirements

New York: Nursing homes must provide an average of 3.5 hours of care per resident daily. Within those hours, a specific amount of care time must be provided by certified nurse aids, registered nurses, and practical nurses. Below are specific requirements for who needs to provide a certain amount of allotted time:

• At least 2.2 hours of care must be provided by a certified nurse aid.
• At least 1.1 hours must be provided by a registered nurse or practical nurse.^[07]

New Jersey: Nursing facilities in New Jersey must provide 2.5 hours of care per resident daily, and it must be provided by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aids. The amount of time increases for every specialty service offered. Specialty services may include but are not limited to the following:

• Wound care
• Tube feeing
• Oxygen therapy
• Orthopedic care
• Intravenous therapy

In addition to nursing requirements, nursing facilities are required to staff a New Jersey licensed physician who acts as the facility’s medical director.^[09]

Care planning

New York: Residents must undergo a personalized care assessment within the first 14 days of their stay. This care plan is then updated every three months.^[07]

New Jersey: Residents must undergo an initial comprehensive assessment within the first 14 days of their stay to help develop their care plan.^[09]

Quality of life

New York: Nursing homes in New York are required to provide residents the necessary care to meet complete well-being. This includes meeting their needs in the following areas:

• Assistance with activities of daily living (or ADLs)
• Vision
• Hearing
• Pressure sores
• Incontinence
• Range of motion
• Mental and psychosocial functioning
• Feeding tubes
• Hydration
• Special needs^[07]

New Jersey: Additional services that have specific regulations to follow include but are not limited to the following:

• Rehabilitative services
• Dental services
• Podiatry services
• Chiropractic services
• Vision care services
• Laboratory and other diagnostic services
• Transportation services
• Housekeeping and maintenance services

Required inspections

New York: Nursing homes in New York undergo regular certification surveys and post-survey revisits conducted by a team of professionals like nurses, pharmacists, and life safety inspectors. Some of the required investigations include interviews with family members, residents, and staff members in addition to observing all aspects of the facility, including but not limited to the following:

• Fire protection
• Resident care
• Staff and resident interactions
• Medical records^[10]

New Jersey: Licensed and certified health care facilities in New Jersey undergo inspections or surveys conducted by the Department of Health. These inspections assess compliance of New Jersey and federal standards, which includes evaluating the following:

• Resident care and access to care
• Procedures and practices
• Access to care
• Resident rights
• Staffing
• Dietary services
• Housekeeping^[11]

Learn more about New Jersey nursing home laws and regulations.

Learn more about New York nursing home laws and regulations.

New York State Department of Health contact information

Assisted Living Facilities and Adult Homes
Phone: 866-893-6772
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Request a facility’s inspection survey results: NYS Department of Health Records

New Jersey Department of Health contact information

Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing
Find inspection reports
Phone: 609-633-9706

COVID-19 regulations for New York City

While COVID-19 still poses a threat to seniors, many regulations have relaxed through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Currently, New York City does not have any specific COVID-19 regulations. However, in December 2022, the New York City Department of Health issued a COVID-19 advisory, where masks are strongly recommended in crowded public transportation systems or outdoor places, and in indoor spaces.

While masks are not required by the city or state, private businesses can require masks and proof of vaccination. For seniors aged 65 and older, the advisory recommends taking extra precautions due to the increased risk of contracting COVID-19:

• Wearing a mask
• Limiting the amount of people allowed at indoor gatherings
• Having people around them wear masks
• Asking visitors to take a COVID-19 test before they visit^[12]

COVID-19 regulations for New York nursing homes

While there are no definitive regulations for the city itself, New York nursing homes follow strict COVID-19 regulations to help protect all resident seniors. Nursing homes typically follow COVID-19 safety guidelines set forth by the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition to these regulations, the state of New York implemented the following guidelines for nursing homes:

• Vaccinations. Nursing home staff members must have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Within the first 14 days of admission to the nursing home, a resident must be given a chance to receive the first or next dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Masking. Nursing home staff and visitors are required to wear masks.^[13]

COVID-19 regulations for New Jersey nursing homes

Other than following CDC and CMS COVID-19 regulations, New Jersey also has their own state guidelines for nursing homes:

• Vaccinations. Long-term care facilities are required to provide COVID-19 vaccination information to staff members. The facility must also report the staff member’s vaccination status. Staff members who are not fully vaccinated must take a COVID-19 test once or twice a week until they become fully vaccinated.
• Testing. Staff members and residents who experience symptoms of COVID-19 must be tested. If a staff member or resident tests positive for COVID-19, all residents and staff members must be tested. All staff members are routinely tested at least once or twice a week.
• Staff safety. Facilities must follow the Respiratory Protection Program (RPP), which follows Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.^[14]

Learn more about CDC COVID-19 regulations.

Learn more about CMS COVID-19 regulations.

Learn more about New York City COVID-19 regulations.

Read all of the COVID-19 regulations for New York nursing homes.

Read all of the COVID-19 regulations for New Jersey nursing homes.

Whether your loved one is in need of 24-hour medical assistance or on-site nursing services, New York City offers a variety of senior care options. To help you further understand your loved one’s options, below is a breakdown of three senior living care types that may be applicable to your loved one’s needs.

Skilled nursing in New York City

Skilled nursing provides the highest level of care to seniors in need of 24-hour medical assistance. Additionally, most skilled nursing facilities have on-site rehabilitative services like physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Depending on your loved one’s needs, skilled nursing can be a short-term or long-term service. Choosing between rehab or a skilled nursing center can be difficult, but seniors experiencing one of the following may benefit more from a skilled nursing home:

• The senior is bedbound.
• The senior requires feeding assistance.
• The senior frequently falls.
• The senior has a complex and chronic medical condition.
• The senior requires 24-hour medical care and oversight.
• The senior is recovering from a hospital stay, illness, or injury.

A Place for Mom does not partner with stand-alone skilled nursing facilities. However, some of our assisted living and memory care facilities have a skilled nursing facility located on the same campus, or they offer access to on-site nursing care services to their current residents.

Assisted living in New York City

All of A Place for Mom’s assisted living partners in New York City have a 24-hour awake staff. Therefore, if your loved one prefers round-the-clock supervision but does not require 24-hour nursing care, assisted living in New York City may be a more affordable option. Additionally, our New York City assisted living partners also provide on-site nursing care services to current residents. On-site nursing care can mean any of the following:

• The facility has nurses on staff.
• The facility has a third-party skilled nursing agency available.
• The facility offers hospice care.
• The facility offers rehabilitative care.

A handful of assisted living communities have a skilled nursing facility available on the same campus. However, assisted living communities will not take seniors who already need 24-hour skilled nursing care. But if a senior ends up needing skilled nursing care during their stay at an assisted living facility, they will not be evicted but will instead have access to the facility’s nursing care services.

Memory care in New York City

If your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia and they do not require 24-hour medical assistance, they may benefit from a memory care facility. A Place for Mom’s memory care partners in New York City offer 24-hour awake staff and on-site nursing services. These services could be round-the-clock nursing supervision, hospice care, rehabilitative care, or access to a third-party skilled nursing agency. Memory care facilities will not accept a senior who needs 24-hour skilled nursing care. However, a senior will not be evicted if they need those services later on and will instead gain access to those on-site nursing services.

A few of our memory care partners in New York City offer multiple care types — including independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing — on the same campus.

Health care for seniors in New York City

Your loved one will have access to quality care thanks to New York’s reputable hospitals. Multiple hospitals in New York have received national recognition in different adult specialties. Below are some of the highly ranked hospitals near the New York City region:

Transportation for seniors in New York City

Approximately 82% of our assisted living partners in New York City offer on-site transportation services, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data.^[02] This may be safer for seniors, since it’s typically a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and is provided on-site with a staff chaperone. However, if your loved one or their visitor needs additional transportation, the large metropolitan area of New York City has plenty of options. Since the area offers easy access to buses, subways, rail roads, and taxis, many New York City residents don’t own a vehicle.

Seniors aged 65 and older with a disability can apply for a Reduced-Fare MetroCard. This can be used at any time for subways and local buses. However, there are limited hours for express buses, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North. If you’re unable to use the local buses or subway due to a disability, you may qualify to use Access-A-Ride. This is a paratransit service located in all five boroughs and is available any time of day year-round.

Visit the local Office of Aging’s Transportation page to learn more about senior-friendly transportation near your loved one’s area.