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Memory Care: SNALR Certification in New York

New York requires a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) certification for dementia-specific care -- an add-on to an ALR license, not a separate disclosure requirement.

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Memory care in New York: SNALR, not a separate license

New York does not issue a wholly separate “memory care license.” Dementia-specific care is regulated through the Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) certification — an add-on certification layered onto an existing Assisted Living Residence (ALR) license, under 10 NYCRR Part 1001. A community can legally use the words “memory care” in its marketing without holding SNALR certification, so the certification itself is what to verify, not the marketing language.

What to actually ask for on a Long Island tour

Ask to see the SNALR certification specifically, by name — not a brochure that uses the words “memory care” or “memory neighborhood.” You can also independently verify SNALR status before the tour, free, by searching the community on NYS Health Profiles’ Adult Care Facilities tool (profiles.health.ny.gov/acf) and filtering by facility type.

Questions families ask

What is New York's Assisted Living Program (ALP) and how is it different from private-pay assisted living?

The Assisted Living Program (ALP) is New York's Medicaid-funded alternative to nursing home placement, operating inside licensed Adult Homes or Enriched Housing Programs rather than as a separate building type. It serves people who are medically eligible for nursing home care but can safely be served in a less medically intensive, lower-cost setting, covering personal care, room and board, housekeeping, home health aides, nursing, therapy, medical equipment, adult day health care, and RN case management. ALP is regulated under 18 NYCRR Part 494.

My mom is 68 with a low income - does New York's ACA Medicaid expansion cover her nursing home or home care costs?

No. New York's 2014 ACA Medicaid expansion covers a different population: adults ages 19-64 without dependent children, up to 138% of the federal poverty level, with no asset test. Long-term care Medicaid for seniors is a completely separate eligibility pathway - it is asset and resource-tested, applies to people 65 and older or those needing institutional-level care, and is what actually covers nursing home care, MLTC, the ALP, and NHTD waiver services.

How much money can my spouse keep if I go on Medicaid for nursing home care in New York in 2026?

For 2026, the community spouse may generally keep the greater of the state minimum Community Spouse Resource Allowance ($74,820) or half of the couple's countable resources, up to the federal maximum of $162,660. The community spouse is also entitled to a Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance of $4,066.50 per month from the institutionalized spouse's income. These figures come from NYSDOH's GIS 26 MA/03 guidance, effective January 1, 2026.

How much spending money is a Medicaid nursing home resident allowed to keep each month in New York?

New York's Nursing Home Resident Personal Needs Allowance is $50 per month - the amount a Medicaid-funded nursing home resident is permitted to keep from their own income for personal expenses, with the rest going toward the cost of their care. According to the NY State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), this figure has been unchanged since the 1980s, and NYSOFA notes that 33 other states currently pay a higher PNA, ranging from $52 to $200.

What is the MLTC special income standard for Long Island and why does it matter for Medicaid home care?

The special income standard for housing expenses, available to certain individuals enrolled in a Managed Long Term Care plan, varies by NYSDOH region - for the Long Island region specifically, it is $1,701.00. This regional figure is higher than most upstate regions (for comparison, the Central New York region's is $426 and the Western region's is $341), reflecting Long Island's higher housing costs, and remains in effect until updated federal poverty levels are published.

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