Question 1

What state regulations govern nursing homes on Long Island?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

What is the NHTD Medicaid waiver and could it help my parent stay out of a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

The Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Medicaid Waiver is a federal 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services waiver administered by NYSDOH through Regional Resource Development Centers. It helps Medicaid-eligible people age 65 and older, and younger people with physical disabilities, who have been assessed as needing nursing-home-level care receive services in the community instead, either transitioning out of a nursing facility or diverting from being admitted to one in the first place.

Community	Care type	Address	County
Our Lady of Consolation Nursing & Rehabilitation	Nursing Home	111 Beach Drive West Islip, OH 11795	Suffolk
Catholic Health Home Care	Home Health & Home Care	110 Bi-County Blvd Suite 114 Farmingdale, OH 11735	Suffolk

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