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Long Island Senior Advisor

Questions families ask

50 questions, each answered directly and sourced.

Quick answer

This page answers 50 common questions about senior care on Long Island.

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Home›Questions families ask

These are the questions that come up on real calls, answered as briefly as the facts allow. Where a figure is disputed or unpublished, we say so rather than picking a number.

Short answer

This page answers 50 common questions about senior care on Long Island, covering New York's licensing, Medicaid programs (MLTC, ALP, NHTD), costs, the long-term care ombudsman, adult protective services, hospital discharge, and Nassau/Suffolk county resources.

Rules & licensing

Who regulates assisted living facilities on Long Island?What's the difference between an Adult Home, Enriched Housing Program, and Assisted Living Residence in NY?How do I check if a Long Island assisted living facility has a clean inspection record?Is memory care a licensed category in New York, or just a marketing term?What state regulations govern nursing homes on Long Island?What is an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) and when would my parent need one?Is there a local New York State office that oversees senior care facilities specifically on Long Island?

Medicaid & waivers

Do I have to enroll in an MLTC plan for home care in Nassau or Suffolk County?What is the NHTD Medicaid waiver and could it help my parent stay out of a nursing home?What is New York's Assisted Living Program (ALP) and how is it different from private-pay assisted living?My mom is 68 with a low income - does New York's ACA Medicaid expansion cover her nursing home or home care costs?How much money can my spouse keep if I go on Medicaid for nursing home care in New York in 2026?How much spending money is a Medicaid nursing home resident allowed to keep each month in New York?What is the MLTC special income standard for Long Island and why does it matter for Medicaid home care?

Costs & paying

How much does assisted living cost in New York State?What does a nursing home cost per day in New York?How much does hourly in-home caregiving cost in New York?What does adult day care cost in New York, and could it help delay a move to assisted living?Is there a separate published cost for memory care in New York?Is there a Long Island-specific senior care cost figure, or only a statewide number?

Ombudsman & advocacy

Who is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Suffolk County, and what do they do?Who is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for Nassau County?What's the statewide hotline if I don't know who my local Long-Term Care Ombudsman is?What kinds of problems should I bring to the Ombudsman versus reporting to Adult Protective Services?Is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program free, and does it cost anything to file a complaint?

Abuse & protective services

How do I report suspected elder abuse or neglect in Nassau County?How do I report suspected elder abuse or neglect in Suffolk County?Who actually investigates elder abuse reports in New York - a state agency or the county?What happens after I make an Adult Protective Services report in Suffolk County?Is there a statewide phone number for adult protective services if I'm not sure whether to call Nassau or Suffolk directly?

Hospital discharge

My parent is being discharged from a Northwell Health hospital on Long Island - who helps plan next steps?What's the difference between being under observation and being formally admitted to the hospital, and why does it matter afterward?Which Long Island hospital system likely serves my area - Northwell, Catholic Health, Stony Brook Medicine, or NYU Langone?If my parent is discharged from Huntington Hospital, what senior care options are nearby?What does Medicare's skilled nursing facility benefit actually require in terms of a prior hospital stay?Does NYU Langone have Long Island hospital locations, and what should I know about discharge planning there?

Common situations

My parent just fell and is in the hospital - what's the first call I should make?My father was just diagnosed with dementia - what should we be planning for on Long Island?I'm exhausted from caring for my spouse or parent - what support exists for caregivers on Long Island?We're running out of money to pay privately for my parent's care - what are our options?How do we know it's actually time to move my parent out of their home?

County-by-county

What is Nassau County's Area Agency on Aging, and how do I reach them?What is Suffolk County's Area Agency on Aging, and how do I reach them?Which has a bigger senior population - Nassau County or Suffolk County?What is NY Connects, and how does it relate to my county's Office for the Aging?Does Nassau County or Suffolk County have a bigger, more spread-out senior care market?

Comparisons

What's the difference between standard assisted living and memory care in New York?What's the difference between a nursing home and an assisted living residence in New York, regulation-wise?At what point does hourly in-home care cost more than assisted living in New York?What's the difference between a CCRC or Life Plan Community and a standalone assisted living or nursing facility on Long Island?

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