Nursing homes across Essex County, New Jersey, graded on the federal inspection
record, nurse staffing and staff turnover. County rank is shown on each home's profile.
Forest Hills Center runs 3.38 nurse hours per resident day, about 12% under the national average, and weekend coverage dips roughly 5% below its own weekday pace. Turnover sits at 32%, which is actually better than the 45.8% national figure, so the home holds onto staff. The problem is the inspection record: 30 deficiencies, including one at the harm level, and a single $37,580 fine. Ownership is for-profit, through a limited liability company. Its last inspection was August 5, 2025.
Montclair Care Center is a 64-bed for-profit home in Essex County with a solid recent inspection record, 14 deficiencies on file, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent visit in November 2025. Where it slips is staffing: 3.83 nurse hours per resident day, just under the national average, and weekends run about 10% leaner than weekdays. What works in its favor is retention; turnover of 35.6% sits well below the national 45.8%, so the aides and nurses you'd meet are more likely to still be there next year. The tradeoff is real: steady hands but fewer of them on the floor, especially Saturdays and Sundays.
New Community Extended Care in Newark runs 180 certified beds as a nonprofit, and its staffing picture is mixed. Nurses provide 3.67 hours per resident day, roughly 5% under the national average, and weekends dip about 12% below the home's own weekday levels, so coverage thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Retention is a genuine strength: 37.3% turnover beats the 45.8% national figure. The trouble sits in inspections, where a single star and 22 deficiencies, one serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy, produced a $70,317 fine. That record, last reviewed in February 2025, is the main reason this home lands where it does.
Complete Care At West Caldwell is a 180-bed for-profit run by an LLC, and its staffing is the number worth watching: 3.44 nurse hours per resident day sits roughly 11% under the national average of 3.86, with weekends running about 9% lighter than weekdays. Turnover is 51.7%, above the 45.8% national figure, so aides and nurses keep cycling through. The 9 deficiencies on record include one abuse-related citation but nothing at harm or jeopardy level, and the most recent inspection was March 2025. Resident outcome measures look strong here even though the staffing side doesn't; if your family member needs consistent hands-on help, ask how the weekend shift is covered.
Brookhaven runs lean on nurse staffing, 3.27 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends dip about 13% below its own weekday coverage, so a Saturday shift may feel noticeably thinner than a Tuesday. What works in its favor: turnover sits at 28.2%, well under the 45.8% national figure, meaning the aides and nurses you meet are more likely to still be there next year. The 17 deficiencies on record include nothing tied to harm, jeopardy, or abuse, and the last inspection was recent, in August 2025. For-profit, LLC-owned, 122 beds. Steady hands, lighter coverage.
Alaris Health At St Marys runs 188 certified beds in Orange, and the staffing numbers are genuinely better than most: 4.14 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 7% above the national average, with a 4-out-of-5 staffing rating. But weekends drop about 9% below the home's own weekday level, and turnover sits at 47.3%, just above the national figure. The bigger concern is the inspection record, a 1-out-of-5 health inspection rating, 31 deficiencies including two at the harm level and one abuse-related, and a $124,800 fine. Quality measures score well at 4 out of 5, and the last inspection was January 2025.
Alliance Care Rehabilitation and Nursing Center runs 212 certified beds in Irvington under for-profit partnership ownership. Nurse staffing sits at 3.35 hours per resident day, roughly 13 percent under the national average, and weekends dip another 13 percent below the home's own weekday levels, so coverage thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Turnover is the brighter spot: 30.5 percent against a national 45.8 percent, which suggests a steadier crew than most places. The inspection record is the concern. Twenty-six deficiencies are open, including one at harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse, with the last inspection in October 2024.
St Catherine of Siena runs small, 30 beds, and its nurses give residents 1.93 hours of care per resident day, roughly half the national figure of 3.86. That thin coverage is the weakest number here, and weekends drop a little further below the home's own weekday levels. What stands out in the other direction is retention: 10% annual turnover against a national average near 46%, meaning the people on shift tend to stay. Its inspection record shows 18 deficiencies, none involving harm or abuse, with four fines totaling $16,171 and a survey as recent as January 2025. The trade-off is real: stable, familiar staff, but not many of them per resident.
Alaris Health at West Orange runs 120 certified beds under individual for-profit ownership, and its nurse staffing sits at 3.55 hours per resident day, roughly 8% under the national average of 3.86, with weekends about 11% thinner than weekdays. The inspection record is the bigger concern: 17 deficiencies, three at harm or jeopardy level and one abuse-related, plus two fines totaling $64,410, with the most recent inspection in December 2024. What keeps this home from landing lower is its quality measure rating, which is strong on paper, but that measure tracks clinical outcomes rather than the hands-on coverage and safety record families actually live with day to day.
Complete Care At Cedar Grove runs 190 beds under corporate ownership, and the staffing numbers are the first thing I'd flag. At 3.55 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 8% under the national average, and weekends dip roughly 4% below its own weekday level. That thin margin matters most when someone needs help on a Saturday. Turnover is the bigger concern: 67.2% annually against a national 45.8%, meaning nearly seven in ten staff left within the year. Inspections look steadier, 19 deficiencies on record, none involving harm or abuse, with the last visit in late 2024. Clinical quality measures score well, but those depend on consistent hands delivering the care.
Livingston Post Acute Care runs 124 beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and its staffing numbers sit slightly under the national mark, 3.73 nurse hours per resident day against 3.86 nationally, with weekends running about 5% thinner than weekdays. That gap matters more than it looks, because turnover is 55% against a national average of 45.8%, meaning the people covering those weekend shifts are often new. The inspection record shows 43 deficiencies, two tied to abuse, though none reached harm or jeopardy level, and the last survey was in January 2026. Quality measures score well, but staffing and inspections are where the trouble shows.
Sinai Post-Acute runs 430 beds in Newark, and its nursing hours come in at 2.79 per resident day, roughly 28% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends are thinner still, about 7% below its own weekday levels, so the coverage gap families notice on a Saturday isn't imagined. The inspection record is where the real trouble sits: 44 deficiencies, six of them serious enough to put residents in harm's way, two tied to abuse, and a single $329,910 fine. Last inspection was June 2025. Turnover at 33.6% is actually better than the 45.8% national figure, which tells you staff aren't fleeing, but with that many problems on the books, ask hard questions before choosing it.