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

In-Home Care vs. Assisted Living

New York's $35/hour CareScout median for in-home care, and the crossover point where assisted living becomes the cheaper option.

HomeComparisonsIn-Home Care vs. Assisted Living
Short answer

CareScout's 2025 survey puts New York's non-medical caregiver median at $35/hour. At 44 hours a week that is roughly $6,673/month -- close to, but still under, the $7,110/month New York assisted living median. Past roughly 50 hours a week, in-home care in New York typically costs more than a licensed assisted living community.

The crossover math

Hours/weekApprox. monthly cost at $35/hr
10$1,517
20$3,033
40$6,067
44 (full-time)$6,673
60$9,100
168 (round-the-clock)$25,480

Once a parent needs more than roughly 45-50 hours of paid help a week, run the math directly against New York's $7,110/month assisted living median before assuming home is the cheaper option -- it frequently is not, once overnight or round-the-clock coverage is needed.

When home usually wins

Below about 20-25 hours a week, or when a spouse or family member covers unpaid hours, staying home is usually the lower-cost path, and it avoids a move entirely.

Questions families ask

Is there a Long Island-specific senior care cost figure, or only a statewide number?

Only a statewide figure is published. CareScout confirms that its publicly downloadable National and State Data Tables report, the source for the cost figures cited throughout this site, provides state-level and national medians only. CareScout's underlying survey does collect metro-area (MSA-level) data that feeds its separate interactive online cost calculator, but that breakout is not included in the downloadable state tables.

Who is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Suffolk County, and what do they do?

Suffolk County's regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Coordinator is Elizabeth Maxim, sponsored by Family Service League (FSL), 1444 Fifth Ave., Bay Shore, NY 11706, phone 631-470-6755. The Ombudsman Program advocates for residents in Suffolk County skilled nursing homes, assisted living, adult homes, and family-type homes for adults, and operates as part of the statewide Long Term Care Ombudsman Program housed within the NY State Office for the Aging.

Who is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Nassau County?

Nassau County's regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Coordinator is Mary Clare Campion, sponsored by Family and Children's Association, located at 377 Oak Street, Fifth Floor, Garden City, NY 11530, phone 516-466-9718. Like Suffolk's coordinator, this office is part of the statewide Long Term Care Ombudsman Program administered under the NY State Office for the Aging.

What's the statewide hotline if I don't know who my local Long-Term Care Ombudsman is?

New York's statewide Long Term Care Ombudsman hotline is 1-855-582-6769. It connects callers to the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman, an independent office housed within the NY State Office for the Aging, which supervises Regional Ombudsman Coordinators, including Suffolk's and Nassau's, across the state.

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