Albany Senior AdvisorIs assisted living licensed by the state in Albany?
Yes: the New York State Department of Health licenses every adult home, enriched housing program and Assisted Living Residence in Albany and the rest of the state.
No local government issues a separate license. The Capital District Regional Office oversees the area.
What is the difference between an ALR and an adult home?
An adult home is the base license; an ALR is an adult home or enriched housing program that has also been licensed as an Assisted Living Residence under Public Health Law Article 46-B.
Only ALRs may advertise as assisted living in New York. 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.
Do I need SNALR certification for memory care?
Yes: a residence must hold SNALR certification to admit and keep assisted living residents whose dementia requires a specialized setting.
The 2026 Q2 capacity report shows 17 of the region's 49 licensed residences with SNALR certification, 575 dementia beds in all, and 6 of them certified SNALR for every bed.
How often are adult homes inspected in New York?
At least once a year, unannounced, under Social Services Law 461-a, and up to every 18 months for facilities with the department's highest rating.
Complaint investigations happen in addition to that schedule.
Where can I see a residence's license and inspections?
On NYS Health Profiles, the Department of Health's public site, and on our facility pages, which reproduce the same records.
Search by name and confirm the operating certificate number.
Are nursing homes licensed differently from assisted living?
Yes: nursing homes are licensed under Public Health Law Article 28 and 10 NYCRR Part 415, and most are also certified and rated by CMS.
New York's roster lists 48 nursing homes in the nine counties with 7,072 beds; CMS rates 38 of them, and 9 hold four or five stars overall (Care Compare data as of October 1, 2026).
Side by side
| A New York license tells you | A New York license does not tell you | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Adult home, EHP or nursing home | How good the care is |
| Certifications | ALR, EALR, SNALR, ALP beds | Which beds are open |
| Inspections | Dates and violations | A rating |
Every answer here comes from New York law or regulation, a Department of Health publication, CMS, the VA, a county Office for the Aging or CareScout's 2025 cost survey. When a figure changes, we update the answer together with the reference page it links to, and where no published number exists we say so rather than estimate.
