Albany Senior Advisor
What does Albany Senior Advisor do?
Albany Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral and advisory service for families in Albany and the Capital Region, covering Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Warren, Washington, Columbia and Greene counties.
On this site we publish what New York's regulators require, what the cost data really shows, and every licensed residence and nursing home in the region straight from state and federal records, inspection histories included. An advisor such as Tammy then helps you narrow the list. When a family moves into a participating residence, that residence pays us, which is how the service stays free to you. We would rather you hear that from us first.
How many older adults and licensed care settings does the Capital Region have?
About 250,248 people aged 65 and older lived in the nine counties on July 1, 2025, by Census Bureau estimates, and the New York State Department of Health licenses 49 adult care facility buildings and 48 nursing homes there.
| County | Residents 65+ | Share 65+ | Licensed residences | with SNALR dementia beds | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County | 63,718 | 19.8% | 13 | 7 | 14 |
| Schenectady County | 31,193 | 19.2% | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| Rensselaer County | 32,036 | 20.0% | 5 | 1 | 11 |
| Saratoga County | 54,201 | 22.5% | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| Schoharie County | 7,761 | 25.7% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Warren County | 17,753 | 27.3% | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Washington County | 14,025 | 23.6% | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Columbia County | 17,512 | 29.1% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Greene County | 12,049 | 25.5% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025). Licenses: NYSDOH roster and capacity report, 2026 Q2.
How quickly is the Capital Region getting older?
The 65-and-older population of the nine counties grew from about 217,347 in the 2020 estimates base to 250,248 in 2025, up 15% in five years, while the region's total population barely moved.
Columbia County has the oldest population of the nine, with 29.1% of residents 65 or older, while Albany County has the most older residents by number. The fastest-growing group that needs daily help, people in their mid-80s and beyond, is what keeps memory care and home care waiting lists long.
How does New York license assisted living and memory care?
The Department of Health licenses adult homes and enriched housing programs; a building can then be certified for Assisted Living Residence (ALR), Enhanced ALR (EALR), Special Needs ALR (SNALR, for dementia) or Assisted Living Program (ALP, Medicaid) beds.
What does senior care cost in the Albany area?
CareScout's 2025 New York medians are about $7,110 a month for assisted living and $15,528 for a semi-private nursing home room, with home care at $35 an hour; Medicaid's 2026 nursing home figure for the Northeastern region, which covers all nine counties, is $14,783 a month.
No one publishes an Albany-only or a memory care median, and Medicaid does not pay rent in ordinary assisted living, so how you will pay matters as much as the price. See costs and paying for care.
Where should an Albany-area family begin?
Begin with what just happened rather than with a type of care: a discharge from Albany Med, St. Peter's or Ellis, a fall, a dementia diagnosis, a worn-out caregiver or shrinking savings each call for different first steps.
What we are, and what we are not
| Albany Senior Advisor is | Albany Senior Advisor is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to families | Free; participating residences pay a referral fee | Billed to you, now or later |
| Data | NYSDOH records and CMS Care Compare | Paid listings or aggregator copy |
| Ratings | CMS nursing home stars, labelled as CMS's | Scores we invented |
| Affiliation | An independent referral service | A county Office for the Aging or state agency |
