Ridge View Manor Nursing Home in Buffalo, NY

Pros

• The staff obviously cares and is doing their best.
• Safire Rehabilitation at Southtowns is clean and safe, with caring, friendly staff.
• The staff are doing God’s work with smiles on their faces and empathy in their hearts.
• The facility is nice and quiet, and very clean, with attentive, professional care.
• The nurses and nursing assistants are very professional and accommodating.
• The remodel is beautiful, and the front desk staff are friendly and helpful.
• Doctors and assistants listen and provide pleasant, efficient visits.

Cons

• The reviews describe the care as barbaric and neglectful.
• The food is almost always cold and terrible.
• Rooms are never cleaned and personal items go missing.
• Patients wait for hours for assistance, including days for Band-Aids or wound care.
• Residents are treated like less than human, as if they were cattle.
• The facility is dirty, with strong odors and poor sanitation.
• There is a chronic lack of staffing and no air conditioning, making conditions worse.
• There are serious accusations of abuse and neglect, with calls for investigations and shutdowns.

Review

Ridge View Manor Nursing Home in Buffalo, NY, is best suited for families who must place a loved one quickly in a facility with limited options and who are prepared to supervise relentlessly. This community should not be treated as a first-choice steady-home; it functions as a temporary, stopgap option when timelines and budgets drive the decision. For residents with complex medical needs or for families seeking consistently reliable staffing, sanitary conditions, and proactive care plans, alternatives deserve serious consideration. The reviews consistently frame this as a last-resort option rather than a trusted long-term home, and the prudent path is to view Ridge View Manor as a place to buy time while evaluating stronger options.

There are pockets of strength in Ridge View Manor when staffing levels permit thorough attention and when individual caregivers bring steadiness to difficult days. Several accounts highlight staff members who are courteous, responsive, and capable of delivering essential care, and a number of reviewers note moments of genuine empathy and professionalism from nurses and aides. In certain sections, the facility has appeared cleaner and more orderly, suggesting that maintenance and sanitation can improve with focused effort and oversight. For families that are able to engage actively, these bright spots show what the operation can achieve under favorable conditions, particularly in rehab-focused scenarios where dedicated therapists and attentive aides can still make a difference.

Yet the most glaring reality across the bulk of reviews is systemic under-staffing and inconsistent accountability, which repeatedly translate into unsafe, unsanitary, and unresponsive conditions. Families report prolonged wait times for help, delayed wound care, and frequent gaps in basic hygiene and nourishment. Instances of rooms left dirty, clothing misplaced or stolen, and meals served cold underscore a pattern where operational chaos eclipses patient comfort. The most disturbing notes describe neglect on serious medical needs, with calls going unanswered, patients being left on the floor, and even allegations of abuse and fraud raised by family members. Heat and lack of air conditioning compound the danger, turning a vulnerable environment into a draining, uncomfortable one, especially for frail residents.

That gap between occasional positives and chronic negatives cannot be erased by a few caring staff or a remodel. The pros occasionally demonstrate what a well-run shift can deliver, but they do not erase the persistent, serious flaws that color most experiences. The frequency and severity of failures, missed medications, untreated pain, unaddressed wounds, and a frequent inability to secure essential items or communicate with families, tip the balance toward risk. In practical terms, any potential benefits from compassionate caregivers or a cleaner facility are eclipsed by the recurring safety and quality failures and by reports that the same problems reappear across multiple units and shifts. This is not a facility where confidence can be built on anecdotal good days alone.

For families weighing alternatives, Ridge View Manor is most defensible only if other viable options are exhausted and if rigorous, daily oversight can be sustained without interruption. Comparisons to facilities with sturdier staffing, transparent care plans, and consistently clean environments matter. In the Buffalo area, Safire Rehabilitation at Southtowns, for example, earns consistently more favorable impressions for cleanliness, staff reliability, and responsive care, with several family members reporting real improvements in rehab outcomes and daily living quality. When a loved one requires rehab, wound care, or ongoing medical attention, the difference between a facility with a track record of reliable service and Ridge View Manor’s pattern of instability is substantial. The prudent move is to prioritize proven stability and ongoing communication, rather than accept episodic care as the norm.

If choosing Ridge View Manor becomes unavoidable, a disciplined, proactive approach is essential. Conduct unannounced visits and speak directly with the director, the DON, and frontline staff to gauge real-time conditions. Request a current, written care plan with daily goals, weight and intake logs, medication schedules, and a clear rehab timetable, then verify it daily. Inspect rooms for cleanliness, odor, and safety hazards; verify that clothing, personal items, and meals are handled with care; and insist on prompt attention to wounds, pain, and assistance with mobility. Demand adherence to established protocols on patient dignity, infection control, and timely responses to calls for help. If substantial concerns persist, begin the process of evaluating alternatives and arranging a gradual transition, rather than waiting for a crisis to force action. Ridge View Manor can function, in the right circumstances, but the safer choice for most families lies in exploring sturdier options and maintaining uncompromising oversight until a consistently reliable environment is demonstrated.

This area of Buffalo, New York, offers a convenient and diverse array of amenities for seniors considering living here. With multiple pharmacies within close proximity, accessing necessary medications and health supplies is easily manageable. Additionally, there are several cafes nearby for enjoyable outings and socializing with friends. The presence of hospitals and physicians in the vicinity ensures that medical needs can be promptly addressed. The variety of restaurants provides options for dining out or enjoying meals at home. Nearby parks offer opportunities for recreation and relaxation in natural settings. With theaters and transportation options available as well, this neighborhood provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking to settle in a vibrant community with access to necessary services and entertainment venues.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.4 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.6 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.9 miles)
• Wegmans (1.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.6 miles)

Cafes

• Tim Hortons (0.5 miles)
• Wegmans Food Markets (1.3 miles)
• Tim Hortons (2.8 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.9 miles)
• Tim Hortons (5.4 miles)
• Tim Hortons (5.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Mercy Hospital Operating Room (1 miles)
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute (5.3 miles)
• John R Oishei Children's Hospital (5.5 miles)
• Erie County Medical Center (6.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Queen of Angels (1.6 miles)
• Queen of Heaven Church Rectory Office (3.2 miles)
• Saint John Gualbert Catholic Church & Diocesan Shrine (5.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Apollo Family Restaurant (1.9 miles)
• Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant & Banquet Facility (2.7 miles)
• McDonald's (2.8 miles)
• Charlie's Boat Yard (3 miles)
• Rusty Nickel Brewing Company (3.4 miles)
• Duff's Famous Wings (3.6 miles)
• Swan Street Diner (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Western New York Ear Nose and Throat (2.1 miles)
• OB GYN Associates of WNY (3.6 miles)
• DENT Neurological Center (3.7 miles)
• Dr Kathleen K Budzinski, MD (4.7 miles)
• Orchard Park Pediatrics (4.7 miles)
• Buffalo Medical Group PC (5 miles)
• The Evergreen Exchange (5.3 miles)

Parks

• Centennial Park (2.7 miles)
• Woodlawn Beach State Park (3.1 miles)
• Volunteer Firemans Park (4 miles)
• Wilkeson Pointe (4.4 miles)
• Delaware Park Marcy Casino (5 miles)
• Green Lake Park (5.9 miles)

Theaters

• Quaker Crossing STM 18 (3.1 miles)
• Regal Walden Galleria 4Dx & RPX (6.2 miles)

Transportation

• Amtrak - Buffalo, NY Depew Station (BUF) (6.7 miles)