Orchard Heights

NYSDOH-licensed Adult Home in Orchard Park, Erie County — 200 certified beds, certificate 240-F-884.

License and inspection record

Is Orchard Heights licensed by New York State?

Yes. Orchard Heights holds New York State Department of Health operating certificate 240-F-884 as an Adult Home in Orchard Park, with 200 certified beds in the 2026 Q2 state report, and has been licensed since August 22, 1991 (about 35 years).

On top of that base license it holds Assisted Living Residence licensure for 200 beds, 200 of them Enhanced (EALR), and 22 Special Needs (SNALR) dementia beds. Those certifications are what make it “assisted living” in New York's legal sense, not just in its marketing.

What does Orchard Heights's NYSDOH inspection record show?

Between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2026, NYSDOH inspected Orchard Heights 16 times and cited 27 violations; 7 inspections found none. The most recent report on file is a complaint survey issued April 20, 2026.

2 of those visits were routine relicensure surveys and 12 were complaint investigations. A complaint survey does not mean a complaint was upheld — many close with no citation.

The regulation areas cited most often were resident services, food service, environmental standards. What matters is whether the same areas repeat survey after survey, and whether the plan of correction was approved.

8 earlier reports are on the state record linked in the table above.

Enforcement: NYSDOH lists a Stipulation & Order (#ACF-25-053) dated September 4, 2025. A stipulation and order is a formal agreement with the Department that settles cited violations, sometimes with a civil penalty. Ask the community what it covered and what changed afterward.

Does Orchard Heights offer memory care (SNALR) in Orchard Park?

Yes. Orchard Heights is certified as a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence for 22 of its 200 beds, which is New York's certification for dementia care.

That is 11% of the building. Ask whether the SNALR neighborhood is a separate secured floor or wing, how many SNALR beds are open now, and what happens if a resident's needs go beyond what SNALR covers.

Can a resident age in place at Orchard Heights?

Partly. Orchard Heights holds Enhanced Assisted Living Residence certification for 200 beds, which lets a resident stay when they need help walking, transferring or managing a chronic condition that would otherwise force a nursing-home move.

Medicaid: the state report shows no ALP beds here, so Orchard Heights is private pay. Families who expect to need Medicaid should read how Medicaid and assisted living fit together in New York before moving in.

The state record also lists 4 respite beds for short stays.

Where is Orchard Heights, and what is nearby in Orchard Park?

Orchard Heights is at 5200 Chestnut Ridge Rd in Orchard Park, Erie County.

0 other licensed adult care facilities sit within five miles, so families here may need to widen the search to compare options.

Orchard Park is a Southtowns suburb with several larger campus-style communities that combine independent living, assisted living and memory care.

From the operator's own published information: Operated by Hamister Group, LLC, offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care on one campus. The operator's own site states a long-standing partnership with Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo for end-of-life care coordination for residents who need it.

What does assisted living at Orchard Heights cost?

No state record publishes this community's prices, so we do not either. The CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts New York's statewide median for a private one-bedroom in assisted living at $7,110 a month; no Buffalo-specific figure is published.

What moves the bill at a specific community is the care level: EALR and SNALR care usually cost more than base assisted living, and this community holds both. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, including level-of-care charges and what triggers an increase. New York requires a written residency agreement before admission. Our cost guide walks through the numbers, and the CareScout survey is the source.

Who operates Orchard Heights?

NYSDOH lists Orchard Heights, Inc. as the operator of record (business corporation), licensed since August 22, 1991.

In the 2026 Q2 quarterly report the community counted 120 residents at quarter's end against 200 certified beds (about 60% full). A community near capacity may have a wait list for SNALR or ALP beds even when other rooms are open, so ask.

A license held for 35 years usually means an older building; ask what has been renovated and when, and whether rooms and bathrooms are set up for walkers and wheelchairs.

How does Orchard Heights's record compare with other Buffalo-area assisted living?

By size, Orchard Heights ranks 2 of 34 assisted living communities in Erie and Niagara counties. It was cited 13.5 violations per 100 certified beds over the four-year window, against a two-county median of 20.0.

That is below the regional median. A per-bed rate is a rough yardstick, not a grade: one complaint-heavy year can move it, and NYSDOH does not rank facilities. Read the dated reports above before drawing conclusions.

Which Erie County agencies help families with Orchard Heights?

Orchard Heights is in Erie County, so the Erie County Department of Senior Services ((716) 858-8526) is the local office for the aging and NY Connects contact, and suspected abuse or neglect of a resident goes to Erie County Department of Social Services, Adult Protective Services at (716) 858-6877.

A complaint about the facility itself (care, staffing, conditions) goes to NYSDOH through its Adult Care Facility complaint line, 1-866-893-6772. The free Long Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for residents of licensed adult care facilities; our ombudsman and complaints guide explains who to call for what, and the Erie County guide lists the local offices.

What should you ask when you tour Orchard Heights?

Bring questions tied to Orchard Heights's own state record and certifications, not a generic checklist; the 7 below come from what NYSDOH shows for this building.

1. Your recent NYSDOH citations included resident services. What did you change, and can I see the approved plan of correction?
2. What did stipulation and order #ACF-25-053 cover, and is anything from it still open?
3. Of your 22 SNALR beds, how many are open, and what is the overnight staffing on that unit?
4. Which conditions can you manage under EALR, and at what point would you require a move to a nursing home?
5. How is a change in care level decided, and how much notice do families get before the rate changes?
6. How do you handle a lake-effect storm that keeps staff from getting in?
7. Can I see the residency agreement New York requires before admission, and the list of extra fees?

How do you verify Orchard Heights's record yourself?

Open Orchard Heights's NYS Health Profiles page (linked in the license table), check that the operating certificate matches 240-F-884, then read the Inspections tab for every report since July 1, 2022.

Full survey reports can be requested from NYSDOH through its records request process. Our step-by-step guide to checking violations shows what each tab means.

Related questions

• How do I check a facility's violations or inspections?
• What is the difference between EALR and SNALR in New York?
• What is New York's Assisted Living Program (ALP)?
• Adult home vs. assisted living residence
• Senior care in Orchard Park

Last verified: October 2026 against NYSDOH records. We are not affiliated with Orchard Heights and do not represent it. Licensing details change — confirm with the state record.