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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.

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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

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.

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