Albany Senior AdvisorWhich laws cover senior care facilities around Albany?
State law does: the Social Services Law with 18 NYCRR Parts 485-494 governs adult homes and enriched housing, Public Health Law Article 46-B with 10 NYCRR Part 1001 governs Assisted Living Residences, and Public Health Law Article 28 with 10 NYCRR Part 415 governs nursing homes, alongside federal CMS rules for certified homes.
Last verified: November 2026All of it is enforced by the New York State Department of Health, whose Capital District Regional Office sits on Central Avenue in Albany. Cities, towns and counties handle zoning and building codes but do not license care.
What makes New York's assisted living system unusual?
Rather than a single assisted living license, New York starts with an adult home or enriched housing license and lets each building add ALR, EALR, SNALR or Assisted Living Program beds, every one of them counted in a quarterly state report.
Across the nine Capital Region counties, the state roster counts 49 licensed adult care facility buildings holding 3,531 certified beds; 37 carry an adult home license, 12 an enriched housing license (some carry both), and 29 are certified Assisted Living Residences.
Who takes complaints from Capital Region families?
The Department of Health takes adult care facility complaints at 1-866-893-6772 and nursing home complaints and discharge appeals at 1-888-201-4563, county Adult Protective Services handles abuse of people living at home (Albany County: (518) 447-7177), and the long-term care ombudsman advocates for residents for free.
For seven of our nine counties the ombudsman is Catholic Charities' Long Term Care Ombudsman Program in Schenectady, (518) 372-5667; Columbia and Greene use the Hudson Valley Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, (845) 229-4680.
NY Rules: every guide
How assisted living is licensed in Albany and the Capital Region
How the New York State Department of Health licenses adult homes, enriched housing programs and Assisted Living Residences in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga, and what each license lets a building do.
Open the guide →ALR, EALR and SNALR for Capital Region families
What New York's Assisted Living Residence (ALR), Enhanced ALR (EALR) and Special Needs ALR (SNALR) certifications permit, and how to check them for any residence near Albany, Schenectady or Saratoga.
Open the guide →New York's memory care rules, applied to the Capital Region
How New York regulates dementia care in assisted living through SNALR certification, what an approved special needs plan covers, and how to check memory care residences around Albany.
Open the guide →Admission and discharge rules for Capital Region adult homes
New York rules on who an adult home, enriched housing program or Assisted Living Residence may admit and keep, and what notice and appeal rights residents have, for families around Albany.
Open the guide →Nursing home rules and staffing in the Capital Region
New York's nursing home standards (10 NYCRR Part 415), the 3.5-hour minimum staffing law, CMS ratings and discharge protections, explained for families comparing nursing homes around Albany, Troy and Schenectady.
Open the guide →How to check a facility's record in the Capital Region
Step-by-step: how to check a New York adult care facility or nursing home near Albany on NYS Health Profiles, the NYSDOH data portal and CMS Care Compare before you visit.
Open the guide →Complaints, abuse reports and the ombudsman in the Capital Region
Where to report problems in Albany-area adult homes, assisted living and nursing homes, how to reach Adult Protective Services in each county, and how the long-term care ombudsman helps residents.
Open the guide →Side by side
| New York's rules | New York's rules do not | |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living | Start from an adult home or enriched housing license | Create one generic assisted living license |
| Dementia | Require SNALR certification and an approved plan | Fix a statewide memory care staffing ratio |
| Inspections | Require unannounced visits at least yearly (18 months for top-rated) | Award star ratings to residences |
| Nursing homes | Set 3.5 nursing hours per resident per day | Allow discharge for switching to Medicaid |
