Free senior care guidance for Nassau and Suffolk County families. No cost to you, ever.
Call (934) 200-2603
Long Island Senior Advisor

Senior care on Long Island, explained by people who know the buildings

Free guidance for families across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Compare licensed assisted living, memory care, nursing and in-home care -- and find out what New York actually pays for.

40 verified communities
19 cities covered
Free to your family
Quick answer

Long Island Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral service. We help you compare licensed communities, verify licensing through NYSDOH, and understand what New York Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits actually cover.

Free to families — paid by communities, not by you
Local advisors who know these communities
Every license verified against state health department records
No obligation and no pressure to tour

Long Island senior care is split across two counties, each with its own Office for the Aging, its own Long-Term Care Ombudsman region, and its own Adult Protective Services line. New York layers its assisted living licensing (Adult Home, then ALR, then EALR or SNALR) rather than issuing one flat license, and costs run above the national median once a real care-level assessment is added to the base rent.

That is what this site is for. We publish what New York's regulators actually require, what the published CareScout cost data actually says, and which communities across Nassau and Suffolk we have verified — then a local advisor helps you narrow it down. The service is free to your family because communities pay us when a family moves in. You should know that going in, which is why we say it here rather than in the footer.

Short answer

Long Island Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral service for families across Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York. We help you compare licensed assisted living, memory care, nursing and in-home care options, verify licensing through NYSDOH, and understand what New York Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits will and will not pay for.

What senior care costs. New York's CareScout median is $7,110/month for assisted living and $16,729/month for a private nursing home room. Read the full explanation →
How New York licenses assisted living. New York layers Adult Care Facility, ALR, EALR and SNALR certifications rather than issuing one flat license. Read the full explanation →

Types of senior care

Cities we cover

Questions families ask

Who regulates assisted living facilities on Long Island?

New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) licenses and regulates assisted living as part of its Adult Care Facility (ACF) program, which covers Adult Homes, Enriched Housing Programs, and Assisted Living Residences (ALR). Long Island facilities are overseen locally through NYSDOH's Metropolitan Area Regional Office - Long Island (MARO-LI) in Central Islip. Nursing homes are licensed separately by NYSDOH under a different set of regulations (10 NYCRR Part 415).

What's the difference between an Adult Home, Enriched Housing Program, and Assisted Living Residence in NY?

Adult Homes and Enriched Housing Programs (EHP) are New York's two base licensed categories providing room, board, housekeeping, and personal care to five or more unrelated adults, with EHP generally serving residents 65+ in more independent, apartment-style settings. An Assisted Living Residence (ALR) is an additional certification layered on top of an existing Adult Home or EHP license - it cannot exist as a standalone building type. Adult Homes and EHPs are regulated under 18 NYCRR Parts 487 and 488; ALRs are regulated under 10 NYCRR Part 1001.

How do I check if a Long Island assisted living facility has a clean inspection record?

New York State publishes licensing status and inspection history for every Adult Care Facility, including Assisted Living Residences, on the NYS Health Profiles website (profiles.health.ny.gov/acf), searchable by county, name, or facility type. Each facility's profile page includes an Inspections tab showing survey results. NYSDOH also publishes a statewide Consumer Information Guide: Assisted Living Residence that explains how to read these records.

Is memory care a licensed category in New York, or just a marketing term?

New York does not have a separate memory care license. Dementia and cognitive-impairment care is addressed through the Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) certification, an additional certification layered onto an existing Assisted Living Residence license under 10 NYCRR Part 1001. Families should verify a facility's actual SNALR certification on NYS Health Profiles rather than relying on a memory care sign or brochure.

What state regulations govern nursing homes on Long Island?

Nursing homes in New York are licensed and regulated by NYSDOH under 10 NYCRR Part 415, Nursing Homes - Minimum Standards, a completely separate rule set from the Adult Care Facility regulations that govern assisted living. Families can search and compare Nassau and Suffolk nursing homes through the NYS Health Profiles Nursing Home Profiles tool. Note that as of mid-2025, CMS's migration to a new federal inspection database (iQIES) temporarily affected how current some posted inspection data is, so it's worth confirming a record's date.

What is an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) and when would my parent need one?

An Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) is an additional certification an Assisted Living Residence can obtain to let residents age in place despite higher physical needs, specifically those who chronically need physical help walking or using stairs, depend on medical equipment requiring frequent professional assistance, or have chronic, unmanaged bowel or bladder incontinence. EALR care is delivered per an Individualized Service Plan and is regulated under the same 10 NYCRR Part 1001 rules as standard ALR and SNALR certifications.

Is there a local New York State office that oversees senior care facilities specifically on Long Island?

Yes. Long Island Adult Care Facilities fall under NYSDOH's Metropolitan Area Regional Office - Long Island (MARO-LI), located at 320 Carleton Avenue, Suite 5000, Central Islip, NY 11722, phone 631-851-3098. This regional office handles licensing oversight and inspections for Nassau and Suffolk County facilities rather than families needing to go through a statewide-only office.

Do I have to enroll in an MLTC plan for home care in Nassau or Suffolk County?

Yes - Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) enrollment is mandatory in both Nassau and Suffolk counties for dual-eligible Medicaid recipients age 21 and older who need community-based long-term care services for more than 120 days. NYSDOH extended mandatory MLTC enrollment to Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties beginning in the 2013 transition period, and that mandatory enrollment structure remains in effect. MLTC plans coordinate home care, adult day care, nursing home care, and related services through a single managed care plan rather than fee-for-service Medicaid.

Not sure where to start?

Answer five questions and a local advisor will come back with senior care options in your area that actually fit your situation and budget. It is free, and there is no obligation.

Find care options
Find senior care — free