PONTIAC NURSING HOME
Within standard 12-15 month inspection cycle. Federal law requires annual inspections.
Pontiac Nursing Home has a Trust Grade of C, which means it is average and falls in the middle of the pack among similar facilities. It ranks #318 out of 594 in New York, placing it in the bottom half, but is #2 out of 4 in Oswego County, indicating that only one other local option is better. The facility is improving; it had 8 issues in 2024 and reduced that number to 1 in 2025. Staffing is a concern, with a rating of 2 out of 5 stars and a high turnover rate of 70%, significantly above the state average of 40%. Although it has no fines on record, which is good, the nursing home has less RN coverage than 86% of facilities in New York, meaning residents may not receive as much oversight from registered nurses. Some specific incidents raised during inspections indicate areas for improvement. For instance, the facility failed to ensure that food was prepared and served at safe temperatures, which could affect residents' safety and satisfaction. Additionally, there was a failure to submit important resident assessment data on time for all reviewed residents, and food was not served in an appetizing manner during multiple meals. Overall, while Pontiac Nursing Home has strengths such as no fines, it still faces significant challenges in staffing and food service that families should consider.
- Trust Score
- C
- In New York
- #318/594
- Safety Record
- Low Risk
- Inspections
- Getting Better
- Staff Stability ⚠ Watch
- 70% turnover. Very high, 22 points above average. Constant new faces learning your loved one's needs.
- Penalties ✓ Good
- No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most New York facilities.
- Skilled Nurses ⚠ Watch
- Each resident gets only 19 minutes of Registered Nurse (RN) attention daily — below average for New York. Fewer RN minutes means fewer trained eyes watching for problems.
- Violations ⚠ Watch
- 21 deficiencies on record. Higher than average. Multiple issues found across inspections.
The Good
-
5-Star Quality Measures · Strong clinical quality outcomes
-
Full Sprinkler Coverage · Fire safety systems throughout facility
-
No fines on record
Facility shows strength in quality measures, fire safety.
The Bad
Near New York average (3.1)
Meets federal standards, typical of most facilities
24pts above New York avg (46%)
Frequent staff changes - ask about care continuity
22 points above New York average of 48%
The Ugly 21 deficiencies on record
Sept 2025
1 deficiency
CONCERN
(F)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected most or all residents
Based on observations, record review, and interviews during the recertification and abbreviated survey (reference # 532839 [NY00357482]) conducted 9/8/2024 - 9/12/2024, the facility did not ensure foo...
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Feb 2024
8 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Investigate Abuse
(Tag F0610)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review, and interview during the recertification and abbreviated (NY00326851 and NY00327641) surveys conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024, the facility did not ensure all alleged...
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CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
ADL Care
(Tag F0677)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review, and interview during the recertification and abbreviated (NY00306949) surveys conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024, the facility did not ensure residents who were unable ...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0761
(Tag F0761)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, interview, and record review during the recertification survey conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024, the facility did not provide separately locked, permanently affixed compartments for...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review, and interview during the recertification survey conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024, the facility did not ensure food was stored, prepared, distributed, and served in ac...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Infection Control
(Tag F0880)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review, and interview during the recertification survey conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024 the facility did not establish and maintain an infection prevention and control progr...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0883
(Tag F0883)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record review and interview during the recertification survey conducted 2/12/2024 through 2/15/2024, the facility did n...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
MDS Data Transmission
(Tag F0640)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on record review and interview during the recertification survey conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024, the facility did not electronically submit encoded, accurate and complete Minimum Data Set assessm...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0804
(Tag F0804)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on record review, observation, and interview during the recertification survey conducted 2/12/2024-2/15/2024, the facility did not ensure each resident received and the facility provided food an...
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Oct 2021
6 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
ADL Care
(Tag F0677)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview during the recertification survey conducted 10/12-10/14/21, the facility failed to ensure residents who was unable to carry out activities of daily li...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Quality of Care
(Tag F0684)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview during the recertification survey conducted 10/12-10/14/21, the facility failed to ensure residents received treatment and care in accordance with pro...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0685
(Tag F0685)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview during the recertification survey conducted 10/12-10/14/21, the facility failed to ensure residents received proper treatment and assistive devices to...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0692
(Tag F0692)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview during the recertification survey conducted from 10/12/21 -10/14/21, the facility failed to maintain acceptable parameters of nutritional status, such...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0761
(Tag F0761)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation and interview during the recertification survey conducted 10/12/21-10/14/21, the facility failed to label drugs and biologicals in accordance with currently accepted professional ...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0836
(Tag F0836)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, interview, and record review during the recertification survey conducted from 10/12/21 - 10/13/21, the facility failed to provide carbon monoxide (CO) detection in compliance wit...
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Apr 2021
6 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Transfer Notice
(Tag F0623)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on record review and interview during the recertification survey, the facility did not notify the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman of a facility-initiated transfer for 1 of 1 residen...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
PASARR Coordination
(Tag F0644)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview during the recertification survey the facility did not incorporate the recommendations from the Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) Le...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Comprehensive Care Plan
(Tag F0656)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview, and record review during the recertification survey, the facility did not develop and implement...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Accident Prevention
(Tag F0689)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, record review and interview during the recertification survey, the facility did not ensure the resident environment remained free of accident hazards for 1 of 3 residents (Reside...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Report Alleged Abuse
(Tag F0609)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on interview and record review during the recertification and abbreviated surveys (NY00247227 and NY00274733), the facility did not ensure that all alleged violations involving abuse, neglect, e...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0761
(Tag F0761)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observation, interview and record review during the recertification survey, the facility did not ensure that all drugs and biologicals were stored in locked compartments under proper temperat...
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Understanding Severity Codes (click to expand)
Questions to Ask on Your Visit
- "Why is there high staff turnover? How do you retain staff?"
- "Can I speak with families of current residents?"
- "What's your RN coverage like on weekends and overnight?"
Our Honest Assessment
- • No major safety red flags. No abuse findings, life-threatening violations, or SFF status.
- • No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most New York facilities.
- • 21 deficiencies on record. Higher than average. Multiple issues found across inspections.
- • Grade C (50/100). Below average facility with significant concerns.
- • 70% turnover. Very high, 22 points above average. Constant new faces learning your loved one's needs.
About This Facility
What is Pontiac's CMS Rating?
CMS assigns PONTIAC NURSING HOME an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars, which is considered average nationally. Within New York, this rating places the facility higher than 0% of the state's 100 nursing homes. This mid-range rating indicates the facility meets federal standards but may have areas for improvement.
How is Pontiac Staffed?
CMS rates PONTIAC NURSING HOME's staffing level at 2 out of 5 stars, which is below average compared to other nursing homes. Staff turnover is 70%, which is 24 percentage points above the New York average of 46%. High turnover can affect care consistency as new staff learn residents' individual needs. RN turnover specifically is 62%, which is notably high. RNs provide skilled clinical oversight, so turnover in this role can affect medical care quality.
What Have Inspectors Found at Pontiac?
State health inspectors documented 21 deficiencies at PONTIAC NURSING HOME during 2021 to 2025. These included: 21 with potential for harm.
Who Owns and Operates Pontiac?
PONTIAC NURSING HOME is owned by a for-profit company. For-profit facilities operate as businesses with obligations to shareholders or private owners. The facility operates independently rather than as part of a larger chain. With 80 certified beds and approximately 57 residents (about 71% occupancy), it is a smaller facility located in OSWEGO, New York.
How Does Pontiac Compare to Other New York Nursing Homes?
Compared to the 100 nursing homes in New York, PONTIAC NURSING HOME's overall rating (3 stars) is below the state average of 3.1, staff turnover (70%) is significantly higher than the state average of 46%, and health inspection rating (2 stars) is below the national benchmark.
What Should Families Ask When Visiting Pontiac?
Based on this facility's data, families visiting should ask: "How do you ensure continuity of care given staff turnover, and what is your staff retention strategy?" "Can you walk me through typical staffing levels on day, evening, and night shifts?" "Can I visit during a mealtime to observe dining assistance and food quality?" "How do you handle medical emergencies, and what is your hospital transfer rate?" These questions are particularly relevant given the facility's high staff turnover rate and the below-average staffing rating.
Is Pontiac Safe?
Based on CMS inspection data, PONTIAC NURSING HOME has a clean safety record: no substantiated abuse findings (meaning no confirmed cases of resident harm), no Immediate Jeopardy citations (the most serious violation level indicating risk of serious injury or death), and is not on the Special Focus Facility watch list (a federal program monitoring the lowest-performing 1% of nursing homes). The facility has a 3-star overall rating and ranks #100 of 100 nursing homes in New York. While no facility is perfect, families should still ask about staff-to-resident ratios and recent inspection results during their visit.
Do Nurses at Pontiac Stick Around?
Staff turnover at PONTIAC NURSING HOME is high. At 70%, the facility is 24 percentage points above the New York average of 46%. Registered Nurse turnover is particularly concerning at 62%. RNs handle complex medical decisions and coordinate care — frequent RN changes can directly impact care quality. High turnover means new staff may not know residents' individual needs, medications, or preferences. It can also be disorienting for residents, especially those with dementia who rely on familiar faces. Families should ask: What is causing the turnover? What retention programs are in place? How do you ensure care continuity during staff transitions?
Was Pontiac Ever Fined?
PONTIAC NURSING HOME has no federal fines on record. CMS issues fines when nursing homes fail to meet care standards or don't correct problems found during inspections. The absence of fines suggests the facility has either maintained compliance or corrected any issues before penalties were assessed. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review recent inspection reports for the full picture.
Is Pontiac on Any Federal Watch List?
PONTIAC NURSING HOME is not on any federal watch list. The most significant is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program, which identifies the bottom 1% of nursing homes nationally based on persistent, serious quality problems. Not being on this list means the facility has avoided the pattern of deficiencies that triggers enhanced federal oversight. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review the facility's inspection history directly.