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Types of senior care in your area

Six categories, and New York's Adult Care Facility / ALR / SNALR licensing approach changes how families should compare them.

Quick answer

New York licenses assisted living as an Adult Care Facility with optional ALR certification, and memory care as the SNALR certification layered on top.

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Home›Types of senior care in your area
Short answer

New York licenses assisted living as an Adult Care Facility with optional Assisted Living Residence (ALR) certification, and memory care as the Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) certification layered on top of that. Nursing homes are licensed separately, under 10 NYCRR Part 415.

Assisted Living

Help with daily activities in a NYSDOH-licensed Adult Care Facility that also holds Assisted Living Residence (ALR) licensure, with meals, housekeeping and medication assistance included.

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Memory Care

Secured, dementia-specific care. In New York this is the Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) certification layered onto an ALR license -- not a separate license type.

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Nursing Homes

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

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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 licenses assisted living as an Adult Care Facility, with optional additional ALR/EALR/SNALR licensure layered on top -- not a single license type. Read the full explanation →
Memory care regulation in New York. New York memory care is the SNALR certification layered on an ALR license -- ask to see it by name, not just a marketing claim. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

What does NYSDOH actually license when a Staten Island community calls itself "assisted living"?

New York State Department of Health licenses a base Adult Care Facility (Adult Home, Enriched Housing Program, or Residence for Adults), then permits an optional Assisted Living Residence (ALR) certification under 10 NYCRR Part 1001 on top of that. A community can only market itself as assisted living if it actually holds the ALR certification, not just the base ACF license.

What is a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR), and does it matter for memory care?

SNALR is New York's actual memory-care certification -- a certification layered on an existing Assisted Living Residence (ALR) license under 10 NYCRR Part 1001, requiring an Individualized Service Plan for each resident with dementia or cognitive impairment. It matters because "memory care" itself is just a marketing phrase; SNALR is the regulated credential behind it.

How is a nursing home licensed differently from assisted living in New York?

Nursing homes are licensed under a completely separate rule chapter, 10 NYCRR Part 415, distinct from the Adult Care Facility and ALR/EALR/SNALR framework that governs assisted living and memory care. Nursing homes provide 24-hour licensed nursing care; assisted living provides personal care and supervision but not ongoing skilled nursing.

What is an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR), and why would it matter for aging in place?

EALR is an optional New York certification, layered on an existing ALR license under 10 NYCRR Part 1001, that allows a resident to age in place even after developing needs an ordinary ALR is not licensed to keep serving -- specifically physical assistance walking or using stairs, medical-equipment dependency, or chronic incontinence.

How do I check a Staten Island facility's inspection history myself?

NYS Health Profiles publishes free license status and inspection history for every Adult Care Facility at profiles.health.ny.gov/acf, and for every nursing home at profiles.health.ny.gov/nursing_home. Search by region, county, facility name, or service type; nursing home records also include the federal CMS star rating.

What's the difference between an Adult Home and an Enriched Housing Program in New York?

Both are base-level Adult Care Facility license types under NYSDOH, but Enriched Housing Programs are generally structured around apartment-style independent units with supportive services, while Adult Homes are typically more institutional in layout. Either can add ALR certification on top to become licensed for assisted-living-level care.

Does New York rate assisted living communities the way it rates nursing homes?

No. Federal CMS star ratings apply only to Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes, published at profiles.health.ny.gov/nursing_home and on CMS Care Compare. Assisted living and memory care communities in New York do not carry CMS star ratings -- the only public quality record for them is the NYS Health Profiles inspection history.

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