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Types of senior care in your area

Six categories, and your state's specific licensing approach changes how families should compare them.

Quick answer

New York licenses assisted living and memory care through NYSDOH's Adult Care Facility / Assisted Living Residence system, and nursing homes separately under 10 NYCRR Part 415.

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Home›Types of senior care in your area
Short answer

New York regulates senior care across six broad categories, with assisted living and memory care licensed through NYSDOH's layered Adult Care Facility / Assisted Living Residence system, and nursing homes licensed separately under 10 NYCRR Part 415.

Assisted Living

Help with daily activities in a New York State Adult Care Facility with Assisted Living Residence (ALR) certification, with meals, housekeeping and medication assistance included.

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Memory Care

Secured, dementia-specific care delivered through a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) certification -- New York's add-on certification for memory care, layered onto an ALR license.

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Nursing Homes

Skilled nursing facilities licensed under 10 NYCRR Part 415, a separate rule chapter from assisted living, providing 24-hour licensed nursing care and short-term rehabilitation.

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In-Home Care

Caregivers and skilled clinicians who come to the home, from a few hours a week to around-the-clock support.

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Independent Living

Age-restricted apartments and campuses with dining, activities and light services, for adults who do not need daily hands-on care.

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Hospice Care

Comfort-focused care for a life-limiting illness, delivered at home, in a facility, or in a dedicated inpatient unit.

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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 →
Memory care regulation in New York. New York requires SNALR certification, an add-on to an ALR license, for dementia-specific memory care. Read the full explanation →

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.

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