10 Best Nursing Homes in Brooklyn, NY

The median cost of a nursing home in the NYC metro is about $12,471 per month.^[01] Since Brooklyn is a borough of New York City, this nursing home cost reflects the entire metropolitan area. Fortunately, we highlight hyperlocal costs on Brooklyn-specific senior care options within our network below.

If your loved one doesn’t require 24-hour medical supervision, they may benefit from senior care facilities like assisted living or memory care. Below are the average costs of both senior care options in Brooklyn, according to A Place for Mom’s 2022-2023 proprietary data on what actual families paid:^[02]

• About $4,364 per month for assisted living
• About $4,447 per month for memory care

These senior care facilities include several services in their monthly cost. For instance, seniors can expect to receive assistance with the following:

• Activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Meals and snacks
• Housekeeping
• Access to on-site amenities and activities

How Brooklyn senior care costs compare to other boroughs

Brooklyn is the most affordable borough for both assisted living and memory care. Seniors save nearly $2,000 per month compared to the second most affordable borough of Queens. Here are our 2022-2023 proprietary estimates to give you a monthly cost comparison of the boroughs:

Queens
$6,300 for assisted living
$6,700 for memory care

The Bronx
$7,000 for assisted living
$7,900 for memory care

Staten Island
$6,700 for assisted living
$6,700 for memory care

Manhattan
$12,000 for assisted living
$13,100 for memory care

Seniors and their families often use various private pay options, including savings accounts, Social Security benefits, retirement pensions, and investment returns to pay for nursing homes and senior care facilities in Brooklyn. Depending on your circumstances, the following private pay options may be a way to offset senior care costs:

• Selling a home
• Taking out a reverse mortgage
• Borrowing from a life insurance policy
• Using funds from a health savings accounts (HSA)
• Using long-term care insurance

Families can also turn to public payment methods like VA benefits, Medicare, and Medicaid to cover some assisted living expenses in Brooklyn. You’ll find an overview of the three options below. For a detailed exploration of these payment options, you can check out the payment section on our NYC page or view our guide to paying for long-term care.

VA benefits

Around 31,000 veterans live in Brooklyn and more than half are age 65 or older.^[03] To accommodate this substantial veteran population, Brooklyn and New York City offer resources to help veterans and their spouses cover living and senior care costs. Veteran seniors should reach out to local veterans service organizations (VSOs) in Brooklyn to receive benefits counseling and learn about their available benefits.

The NYC Department of Veterans’ Services recommends the following offices to seniors searching for veterans service organizations (VSOs) in Brooklyn:

New York State Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS)
250 Schermerhorn St., Room 211
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Phone: 718-613-3735

Email: dvsinfo@veterans.ny.gov

Brooklyn Veteran Resource Center
25 Chapel St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

These organizations can connect you with VSOs like the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). They help Brooklyn veterans receive and maximize their entitled benefits by putting them in contact with applicable VSOs.

Medicare and Medicaid for nursing homes in Brooklyn

Medicare in Brooklyn

Medicare provides health care insurance to seniors 65+ and is federally funded. It can cover a limited stay at a skilled nursing facility or nursing home. All expenses are fully covered by Medicare for 20 days and a limited amount is covered for up to 100 days. After the 100-day limit, Medicare is no longer responsible for payments.^[04]

Medicare doesn’t cover room and board costs for assisted living in Brooklyn. However, it can cover medical costs — like doctors’ visits, prescriptions, and more — associated with long-term care. Seniors can visit New York State’s consumer guide to community-based long term care to learn more about Medicare Savings Programs< and the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program.

To access Medicare services in Brooklyn, you can contact your nearest Social Security Administration (SSA) office by using this Social Security Office Locator. Find a local office by typing in the ZIP code and clicking on “I Need Other Services.”

Medicaid in Brooklyn

Medicaid is federally- and state-funded. The state’s program is called New York Medicaid. It can cover nursing home costs — including room and board, nursing services, and more — for seniors who qualify for the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) program. To qualify, a senior must meet the following requirements:^[05]

• Be eligible for community-based Medicaid
• Require a nursing home level of care
• Be at least 65 years of age

New York Medicaid doesn’t cover room and board costs within an assisted living or memory care facility, but it can cover some assisted living expenses for seniors who apply and qualify for the New York Assisted Living Program (ALP). Your loved one doesn’t need to be on Medicaid to qualify for this program, but recipients must require a nursing home level of care.

The Assisted Living Program covers long-term care in assisted living facilities. Covered care services include the following:

• Adult day health care
• Case management services for registered professional nurses
• Emergency response services
• Home health aides and services
• Housekeeping
• Medical supplies and equipment
• Nursing and supervision
• Personal care
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapies
• Room and board

To access Medicaid benefits in Brooklyn, seniors can reach out to the following offices:

Coney Island
1912 Mermaid Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11224

Phone: 929-221-3790

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

East New York
404 Pine St., 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11208

Phone: 929-221-8204

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kings County Hospital
441 Clarkson Ave., “T” Building, Nurses’ Residence, First Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11203

Phone: 718-221-2300. Extension #2301

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Brooklyn South
785 Atlantic Ave., First Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Phone: 929-221-3502

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Note: Some of these offices offer online appointments, while others may be temporarily closed. Be sure to call before your visit.

Brooklyn offers a range of nursing homes and senior care facilities to accommodate the long-term care needs of its growing senior population. Our partnering facilities can be found throughout the borough, with some overlooking the breathtaking bay, while others are located in Brooklyn’s happening neighborhoods.

The borough boasts charming, brownstone-lined streets and offers more of a relaxing atmosphere than Manhattan’s posh feel. Brooklyn also offers NYC residents easy access to waterfront activities and scenic beaches. Residents typically enjoy the attractions found at Coney Island and the historic boardwalk filled with shops, restaurants, and much more.

Nursing homes for serious medical conditions

Even though A Place for Mom doesn’t partner with skilled nursing facilities, seniors still have a few great options to receive skilled nursing in Brooklyn. Nursing homes are the best option for seniors who require 24-hour medical supervision and care for chronic and serious medical conditions.

Skilled nursing facilities in Brooklyn typically offer the following services:

• Short- and long-term nursing services (wound care, dialysis services, respiratory care)
• Rehabilitative therapies (physical, occupational, speech)
• Hospice and palliative care
• Medication management and injection administration
• Housekeeping and laundry services
• Some social activities and a shared space

Assisted living and memory care for daily care needs

Within A Place for Mom’s network of senior care facilities in New York’s five boroughs, Brooklyn has the most senior care facilities. Multiple Brooklyn communities also offer both assisted living and memory care. Here’s a breakdown of care services offered at our partner Brooklyn senior care facilities:^[02]

• Approximately 75% of senior care facilities offer both assisted living and memory care.
• Approximately 25% of senior care facilities only offer assisted living.

Assisted living or memory care is often more suitable for seniors who don’t require 24-hour nursing care, but still need assistance with daily activities. These communities offer personalized care services to accommodate each resident’s personal care needs, and some light nursing services to manage common conditions like diabetes or arthritis.

Seniors can expect to find the following on-site amenities and services at our Brooklyn senior care partners:

• Assistance with bathing, grooming, and dressing
• Three meals and snacks daily
• Housekeeping and laundry services
• Medication reminders
• Transportation services
• On-site activities (fitness classes, crafts classes, group games)
• On-site amenities (shared lounges, game rooms, fitness centers)

Our partnering senior care facilities typically offer some of the following services to accommodate common conditions and needs:

• Diabetic care
• Hospice or palliative care
• Visiting podiatrists and dentists
• Visiting rehabilitative therapists

Our memory care partners offer all of the services and amenities listed above while being a bit more personalized to accommodate the unique needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Some specialized memory care accommodations include required memory care classes for staff, reminiscent activities, navigational signs, thoughtful layouts, and more.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) licenses and regulates all long-term care facilities — including skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care —  in Brooklyn and New York. In this section, you’ll find an overview of licensure requirements for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and memory care facilities.

Nursing home regulations in New York

For nursing homes, the Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators (BENHA) at the NYSDOH oversees the licensure process. The board has 13 members who are qualified to represent New York’s health care system and the general public. During a review, the board will check for a nursing facility’s ability to provide residents with the following services upon admission:^[06]

• Daily, weekly, or monthly rate
• A well-maintained residential unit
• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Activities and programs
• Sufficient staffing

New York nursing homes must protect resident rights and provide the following medical and nursing services to residents:^[06]

• Diet prescribed by a doctor
• 24-hour nursing care
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Dental, optician, and optometrist services
• Pharmacy services
• Diagnostic services
• Rehabilitative therapies

Assisted living and memory care regulations in New York

The NYSDOH refers to assisted living and memory care facilities as adult care facilities that provide housing to five or more adults at a time. Both facilities must receive an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) license to care for residents. To provide memory care services, an adult care facility must obtain a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) license in addition to an ALR.^[07]

In New York, assisted living and memory care facilities must provide the following to residents:^[07]

• Housing
• Daily meals and snacks
• 24-hour on-site monitoring
• Personal care and/or home care services
• Case management services
• Individualized care plans

Inspections for nursing homes and senior care facilities in New York

For assisted living and memory care facilities, the NYDOH’s Adult Care Facilities division performs inspections on a yearly basis to help ensure quality and resident safety. You can access inspection reports for nursing homes using this NYS nursing home profiles search tool. For assisted living and memory care, you can access inspection reports using this adult care facilities search tool.

Inspection reports include details on the following and more:^[08]

• Inspection dates
• Violations found
• Status of corrections for any violations
• Enforcement actions taken against the facility

Brooklyn has a few accessible medical centers to accommodate the health care needs of its aging population. Learn about what the borough’s top-rated hospitals have to offer below.^[09]

• NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. This hospital is ranked No. 9 in New York and is nationally ranked in five specialties — cardiology, diabetes and endocrinology, neurology, urology, and geriatrics.
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. This hospital is home to a world-renowned Level 1 trauma center. It’s known for its diabetes care, heart failure treatment, stroke care, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care.
• University Hospital at Downstate. This hospital ranks well in four specialties — heart failure treatment, diabetes care, stroke care, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care.

Most of our assisted living and senior care community partners in Brooklyn offer complimentary or at-cost transportation services. Many communities have a concierge or transportation director who schedules rides and helps seniors get around Brooklyn and the greater NYC area with ease. Some communities may limit rides to medical appointments or essential errands.

Visiting loved ones can use the local subways, buses, and more. Seniors 65+ can ride with their loved ones and receive a discount on NYC transportation. To obtain a Reduced Fare Metro Card from the New York City Department of Aging, seniors can show their Medicare card or call 3-1-1. You can learn more about local senior transportation options in Brooklyn on the NYC311 website.

Known for its rich culture and endless entertainment, Brooklyn offers an abundance of fun activities for all ages and abilities — even seniors with varying levels of mobility. Some of our partner senior care facilities take seniors on outings to Brooklyn’s fun attractions and events. Seniors may also explore Brooklyn on their own or with visiting loved ones.

Below, we’ve highlighted a few senior-friendly activities to give you a sense of what Brooklyn has to offer:

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This lively 52-acre garden allows seniors to immerse themselves in nature for a day. Roam through astonishing gardens like the Japanese garden, rock garden, herb garden, fragrance garden, and more. The garden offers a senior discount and is easily accessible to individuals with disabilities. It offers guided tours and wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Brooklyn Museum. As one of the largest, most enchanting museums in New York City, this museum displays over 500,000 artworks in a variety of mediums. From contemporary and American art to indigenous artworks and photography, visitors get a unique experience every time they visit. It’s also accessible for seniors with disabilities. The museum offers a senior discount, wheelchairs for free, ASL tours for those with hearing impairments, and verbal description tours for those with visual impairments.
• Prospect Park. This gorgeous, expansive park spans over 585 acres and offers a world of activities. Seniors can join guided walking tours, enjoy a picnic, birdwatch, or fish in Prospect Park Lake. Seniors can also enjoy an afternoon at the Prospect Park Zoo, Lefferts Historic House, or attend seasonal events.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). BAM is a multi-arts center offering all types of performances including theater, dance, music, opera, film, and much more. It’s been in Brooklyn for over a century and half and has become a prime spot for the performing arts. BAM even goes the extra mile for seniors 65+ by offering senior-specific, accessible events.