St Josephs Home in Ogdensburg has been around since 1886, and you'll find that the focus here is taking care of older adults and people who need help, offering 82 certified beds for skilled nursing and rehabilitation all inside a large, two-story building they finished renovating in 2006, with 70,000 square feet sitting on about 7.6 landscaped acres. The place is run by a non-profit group, and you'll see strong Catholic roots, with a large, central chapel built for regular liturgies and spiritual support, and pastoral care offered as a regular part of life for anyone, regardless of what they believe. St Josephs Home's history stretches farther back than most, starting as a children's home and hospital for orphans, actually tracing roots to 1808 when Nathan Ford started it all, with the Grey Nuns playing a big role for many years and even once caring for thousands of children over the generations, though now it's all about seniors.
These days, the home has earned a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and most residents use the skilled nursing beds, though you can also find assisted living and respite care, where they keep two specific beds for short stays from five to thirty days, to help families who need a break from caregiving now and then. Residents usually stay in studio rooms, and there are both personalized care plans and group activities meant to help both their bodies and minds. The staff gives an average of 3.03 nurse hours per resident per day, though about 31% of nurses left their jobs over the last year, and recent inspection reports, including a full one done March 29, 2024, point out some problems, like seven deficiencies, with one involving infection control, others about things like food service standards and making sure medication errors don't happen, plus issues checking bed rail safety. Yet, most families seem happy, with a community rating of 9.1 out of 10.
The home also has a strong board overseeing things, including names like Mrs. Colleen Steele, who's served as administrator since 2010, and Bishop Terry LaValley on the Board of Managers, ensuring both medical and spiritual care standards. St Josephs is licensed by the New York State Department of Health and certified by Medicare, offering modern technology and cost-effective systems, with renovations to keep up standards. The mission is all about treating everyone fairly and kindly, supporting people no matter how much money they have or what they believe, and really focusing on making sure the dignity and value of every life is honored through skilled nursing, personal care, activities, and a strong sense of community, with funding partly supported by a foundation for gifts and planned contributions. Care at St Josephs Home includes physical, psychological, and spiritual needs, keeping pastoral care and spiritual values at the forefront, and while the place isn't perfect, it tries to offer steady, compassionate, and respectful help for seniors of Ogdensburg and beyond.
