How do I check whether a Buffalo or Niagara-area facility has any open violations or inspection findings?
Short answer: Use NYS Health Profiles at profiles.health.ny.gov/acf, which is the state's free public search tool for Adult Care Facility licensing status and survey/inspection history. For nursing homes, cross-check Medicare Care Compare at medicare.gov/care-compare for federal 5-star ratings.
These are two different tools measuring two different things, and it's worth using both rather than just one. The NYS Health Profiles ACF tool is New York's own regulator record — it shows a facility's current certification/license status and any survey or complaint history logged by the state. Medicare Care Compare is a federal tool specific to nursing homes (not assisted living or adult care facilities), scoring facilities on a 1-to-5 star scale across health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. A facility can look great on a glossy tour and still have open findings in one or both of these systems, so it's worth a five-minute check before you schedule a visit, not after you've already fallen in love with the building.
