Choosing care for a parent or spouse with dementia in New York City usually means three questions: which level of care, which facility, and who pays. This guide answers all three with public government data, not paid listings.
- 167 certified nursing homes
- 50 rated 5 stars
- 8 flagged for abuse or Special Focus
- 17 assisted living residences
- 14 licensed memory care residences
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Top 10 nursing homes in NYC
The ten best federal records in the five boroughs, each with a data review.
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Top 100 nursing homes
The full ranked table, with ratings, staffing, fines and phone numbers.
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Assisted living in NYC
All 17 licensed assisted living residences and the 39 that take Medicaid.
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Who pays: Medicare, Medicaid, insurance
What each payer covers for nursing homes, assisted living and memory care.
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Every memory care facility in NYC
All 14 licensed memory care residences plus all 167 nursing homes.
Which level of care is right?
Assisted living suits someone in the early stage who needs reminders, meals and some help with bathing or medication. Memory care (SNALR) suits someone in the middle stage who wanders, gets confused about time and place, or needs a secured, structured day. A nursing home suits someone who needs skilled nursing, such as help with transfers, feeding, wound care or complex medication. Not sure where your loved one is? Try our Dementia Stage Navigator.
The three best-rated NYC nursing homes right now
- Dr Susan Smith McKinney Nursing and Rehabilitation (Brooklyn), overall 5/5, inspections 5/5
- Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center (Manhattan), overall 5/5, inspections 5/5
- Hollis Park Manor Nursing Home (Queens), overall 5/5, inspections 5/5
See the full top 10 with data reviews.
What to check on a tour
- Ask for the most recent state inspection report, and read the deficiencies, not just the score.
- Visit at a mealtime and again in the evening, when staffing is thinnest.
- Ask what the staff turnover was last year, and who covers nights and weekends.
- For memory care, ask to see the SNALR certificate, and ask how the unit is secured against wandering.
- Ask what happens to a private-pay resident who runs out of money and needs Medicaid.
More help: Worried about moving a loved one to a nursing home · Caregiver Burnout Check · Support and next steps
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a nursing home, assisted living and memory care?
A nursing home gives 24-hour medical and nursing care and is federally rated by Medicare. Assisted living provides housing, meals and help with daily activities. In New York, memory care is a specially certified form of assisted living (a Special Needs ALR) for people with dementia who are still fairly mobile and do not need daily skilled nursing.
How many memory care facilities are there in New York City?
Based on the state licence directory, 14 assisted living residences in the five boroughs are certified as Special Needs ALRs for dementia care. All 167 Medicare-certified nursing homes in the city also care for residents with dementia.
How are these nursing homes ranked?
By Medicare’s overall star rating, then health inspections, then staffing, then fines and nursing hours per resident. Homes with an abuse citation or Special Focus status are excluded from the top lists.
Does Medicare pay for memory care?
No, not long-term. Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing after a qualifying hospital stay. Medicaid covers long-term nursing home care for eligible people. See the full breakdown.
Sources and method
Nursing home ratings, staffing, inspection and fine figures are from the CMS Care Compare Provider Information dataset (CMS processing date 2026-10-01). Assisted living and memory care licences are from the New York State Department of Health Adult Care Facility Directory. Ratings change monthly, so check each facility’s current Care Compare page before you decide. No facility paid to appear here, and the reviews are written from inspection data. They are not resident testimonials.