Assisted Living in New York: A Family Guide

Facts checked September 28, 2026 against official New York sources

What assisted living is called in New York, what it costs, how Medicaid can help, how to check a community’s license and inspections, and who to call if something goes wrong. Every fact links to the official source.

Licensed by

New York State Department of Health¹

Licensed communities on Lilisity

517 assisted living, 204 with memory care

Medicaid help

Limited: Assisted Living Program (ALP)²

Typical cost

$7,110 a month (state median, CareScout 2025)

File a complaint

1-866-893-6772¹

What assisted living is called in New York

• Adult Home (AH)A home for five or more adults that gives room, meals, housekeeping, personal care, and supervision.³
• Enriched Housing Program (EHP)Apartment-style housing, mostly for people 65 and older, with meals, housekeeping, personal care, and supervision provided or arranged.³
• Residence for AdultsA home for five or more adults that gives room, meals, housekeeping, case management, activities, and supervision.³
• Assisted Living Residence (ALR)An extra license an adult care facility can get to operate as assisted living.³
• Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR)An ALR certified to keep residents as their needs grow, such as people who need hands-on help to walk or use stairs.³
• Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR)An ALR certified to serve people with special needs, including dementia.³
• Assisted Living Program (ALP)Services offered inside some adult homes and enriched housing for people who qualify for nursing home care but can live in a less medical setting.³

Memory care rules

Some assisted living residences are also certified as Special Needs Assisted Living Residences (SNALR) to serve people with special needs, such as Alzheimer's disease or other dementia. A SNALR has a plan for specialized services, environment, and staffing that the Department of Health approved.⁴

Questions to ask memory care about nights.

What assisted living costs in New York

The median cost of assisted living in New York is $7,110 a month, above the national median of $6,200 (CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, collected July to November 2025). Prices vary with the apartment, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet, including care-level fees.

If more care is needed later: nursing home costs in New York, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates New York nursing homes publish.

Plan with our free tools: how long will the money last? and home care or assisted living?

Paying for assisted living in New York

Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Families pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or benefits such as VA Aid and Attendance (estimate it). Who actually pays for long-term care.

Medicaid. Medicaid can pay for services through the Assisted Living Program (ALP), which is only for people who qualify for nursing home care. Medicaid recipients must have ALP services approved ahead of time by the local social services district. Program: Assisted Living Program (ALP).² Medicaid does not pay rent or meals in assisted living in any state, and not every community accepts it, so ask each one.

How to check a community in New York

Look up a license. Search adult care facilities by name, region or county, or type (adult home, enriched housing, ALR, EALR, SNALR, ALP) to find quality and safety information. Search New York’s records.⁵

Inspection reports. Each adult care facility must post its most recent inspection report in a public area of the facility. You can also request copies of inspection reports from the Department of Health through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request.⁶

Lilisity shows New York’s inspection record on each community’s page where the state publishes one: the state’s own records, dated and linked to the official source.

Always visit in person, at a mealtime or in the evening if you can. Bring the tour scorecard and the 8 tour questions.

If something goes wrong

Complaints about care or conditions. The Department of Health's Adult Care Facility Centralized Complaint Intake Program takes complaints about adult care facilities and Assisted Living Programs by online form or hotline, weekdays 8:30am to 4:45pm. You can stay anonymous. A separate form sends concerns to the ombudsman. Call 1-866-893-6772 or file online.¹

The long-term care ombudsman is a free advocate for residents of assisted living and nursing homes: they help resolve problems with a community, including move-out notices. find your local ombudsman.⁷

Find assisted living in New York

Assisted living by city

Memory care by city

Every community and county in New York · 4 with verified resident testimonials

Sources

1. Licensing agency, complaints (health.ny.gov)
2. Medicaid (health.ny.gov)
3. License types (health.ny.gov)
4. Memory care rules (health.ny.gov)
5. License lookup (profiles.health.ny.gov)
6. Inspection reports (profiles.health.ny.gov)
7. Ombudsman (aging.ny.gov)
8. CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (state medians)

Facts checked against these official sources on September 28, 2026. Rules and programs change; confirm with the agency before making a decision. General information, not legal or financial advice.