Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Meets baseline Medicare standards with room for improvement. A tour and talking to current residents' families is the best next step.
based on 43 Google reviews
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What this means for your family
While the facility receives praise for its therapy team and some compassionate staff, there is a recurring pattern of administrative unresponsiveness and concerns regarding basic care standards. If you choose this facility, ensure you have a plan for frequent, in-person advocacy to monitor your loved one's care and communication with staff.
Google Reviews
Google Reviews
43 reviews on Google“Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Center presents a highly polarized experience for families, with recent reviews oscillating between praise for compassionate staff and severe allegations of neglect. While some families report excellent communication and professional therapy services, others describe critical failures including unresponsiveness to call bells, poor hygiene, and administrative avoidance. Potential residents should be aware of significant inconsistencies in care quality and food standards.”
Quality Themes
Tap a score for detailsStrengths
- Professional and effective physical/occupational therapy
- Compassionate and attentive nursing staff (noted by multiple families)
- Clean and well-maintained facility environment
- Helpful administrative support during admissions
Concerns
- Poor communication and unreturned phone calls from administration (mentioned by 7 reviewers)
- Poor quality and unappealing food (mentioned by 5 reviewers)
- Staff unresponsiveness to call bells and patient needs (mentioned by 4 reviewers)
- Loss of personal belongings and clothing (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
Rating Trends
Tap a year to see what changed
Distribution · 44 analyzed
How They Respond to Reviews
Questions for Your Tour
- 1We've heard wonderful things about the physical and occupational therapy teams here; how do you tailor those programs to a resident's specific recovery goals?
- 2How does the nursing team ensure that call bells are answered promptly and that residents' immediate needs are met throughout the shift?
- 3What steps are in place to ensure medication management is handled accurately and consistently for every resident?
- 4Could you tell us a bit about the dining experience and how the menu is planned to ensure meals are both nutritious and appetizing?
- 5What is the best way for family members to stay in regular contact with the administration and nursing staff regarding updates on a loved one?
- 6How do you manage the tracking of personal belongings and clothing to ensure nothing gets lost during transitions or laundry cycles?
Personalized based on this facility's data
Key Review Excerpts
“The staff treated him with genuine kindness, patience, and respect, and that meant everything to our family. Every nurse, aide, and therapist went above and beyond to make sure he felt safe, comfortable, and encouraged during his recovery.”
“Do not let any of your family members go to this place. Disgusting , dirty, no one returns phone calls, all her clothes and shoes came up missing. They ignored her. She got lice and they never treated her so the hospital had to shave her head.”
“The "acting" administration is a heartless woman who spoke over me versus listening, dismissed my major concerns and questions about the situation that lead to my father's current ICU admission, on a ventilator, after being found unresponsive, unattended in their courtyard area.”
Staffing
Staffing Hours
per resident/day · Medicare 2026Both RN and total nursing hours are below national benchmarks. This can mean less clinical attention per resident, so ask about their staffing plan.
Quality Measures
Quality Measures
Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 17 measures
11
measures
4
measures
2
measures
Residents with depression symptoms
Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.
Residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Residents on antipsychotic medication
Residents whose walking got worse
Residents needing more daily help over time
Residents on anti-anxiety or sleep medication
Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu
Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia
Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics
US average from Medicare published data
Inspection History
Medicare Inspection History
3-year lookback · Medicare 2026
Families filed complaints that led to deficiencies regarding abuse reporting and family notification requirements. The facility has persistent issues with fire safety systems, nursing staffing, and resident care assistance that recur across multiple surveys from 2021 to 2025. While all deficiencies show correction dates, the repeated nature of fire safety and care problems suggests ongoing challenges with maintaining compliance standards.
May 16, 2025Routine9
Smoke Deficiencies
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
Smoke Deficiencies
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
Smoke Deficiencies
Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Have restrictions on the use of portable space heaters.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Try different approaches before using a bed rail. If a bed rail is needed, the facility must (1) assess a resident for safety risk; (2) review these risks and benefits with the resident/representative; (3) get informed consent; and (4) Correctly install and maintain the bed rail.
Jul 25, 2023Routine19
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Egress Deficiencies
Add doors in an exit area that do not require the use of a key from the exit side unless in case of special locking arrangements.
Construction Deficiencies
Meet other general requirements.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Egress Deficiencies
Install proper backup exit lighting.
Smoke Deficiencies
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
Smoke Deficiencies
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
Smoke Deficiencies
Properly provide smoke detection systems in areas open to corridors.
Smoke Deficiencies
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
Smoke Deficiencies
Properly select, install, inspect, or maintain portable fire extinguishes.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Provide a written emergency evacuation plan.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide for the safe, appropriate administration of IV fluids for a resident when needed.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Provide the appropriate treatment and services to a resident who displays or is diagnosed with mental disorder or psychosocial adjustment difficulty, or who has a history of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
Services Deficiencies
Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Jul 25, 2023Complaint3
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Resident Rights Deficiencies
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Jun 17, 2021Routine5
Smoke Deficiencies
Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
Miscellaneous Deficiencies
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Smoke Deficiencies
Install an approved automatic sprinkler system.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies
Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas.
Federal Penalties
Fine
Jul 25, 2023
$61,162
Ownership & Operations
Who Operates This Facility
Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
for profit
Chain Affiliation
Personal Healthcare Management
21 facilities nationwide
Ownership & Management
Owners
Gornc Holdings LLC
Owner · Organization
Zagelbaum, Ephraim
Individual is an Owner, Partner or Trustee of Any Adp of the Snf
Key personnel
Contact
Get in Touch
Contact this facility directly and verify the details that matter most to your family.
References & Resources
Medicare Care Compare
Official Medicare quality ratings, inspections & staffing data
Google Maps
Photos, directions & neighborhood info
Google Reviews
43 reviews from families & visitors
Official Website
Visit gowandarnc.com
Medicare data downloads
Original nursing home datasets
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