I. What You Should Know About Home Care in Long Island, NY
Long Island’s vibrant, diverse culture makes it a great place to spend your retirement years, and home care can help you remain in the community you love by helping you manage day-to-day tasks such as housework, cooking and errands.
If you enjoy history and culture, you’ll love all the art galleries, museums and historical sites in the area. If you’d rather spend the afternoon cheering on your favorite sports team, you can catch the NHL’s New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the fall and winter months, and the beloved Long Island Ducks during baseball season. Of course, living in Long Island also means you have easy access to world-class health care at dozens of hospitals and clinics, including Stony Brook University Hospital, NYU Langone Hospital and Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
Right now, 12.9% of Long Island’s residents are aged 65 and older and the aging population is on the rise. To serve seniors, there are many community-based services that help older adults remain active and independent, such as meal delivery services, transportation programs and other supports.
II. What You Should Expect to Pay for Home Care in Long Island, NY
Genworth’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey shows that the average monthly cost of home care in Long Island is $4,957, and home health care costs are the same. These average monthly rates are based on 44 hours of care per week, which works out to just over six hours of service daily at $26 per hour. If you don’t need help every day, or if you require fewer than six hours of support each day, your actual home care costs will be well below the rates listed in Genworth’s Survey. For example, if you just need someone to help with meal prep and housekeeping for 10 hours a week, your monthly home care costs would be around $1,127.
The Cost of Home Care & Home Health Care in Nearby Cities
Home care rates in Long Island are slightly higher than the state and national averages, mainly due to the high cost of living in the New York area. Home care and home health care rates are identical in Poughkeepsie, while seniors in Bridgeport, CT pay $4,767 for home care, and $5,148 for home health care. South of Long Island, rates are also comparable in Trenton, New Jersey.
Note: Data for Long Island was unavailable, so data for the nearest city, New York, was used instead.
The Cost of Home Care Compared to Other Senior Living Options
In Long Island, average home care costs run $4,957 a month, which is $1,034 less than you can expect to pay for assisted living care. If you opt to remain in your own home and you need a day program, you’ll find that adult day care costs average $1,950 per month. Skilled nursing care is by far the costliest long-term care option, and rates for a semiprivate room in Long Island nursing homes average $11,771 per month.
III. How to Find Home Care in Long Island, NY
Finding a home care provider for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Below, we explain the process of how to find a home care provider in 5 simple steps. Use the infographic below to help guide your search for in-home care in Long Island, NY.
Remember that there’s not necessarily a right or wrong choice – it comes down to choosing a provider that you feel comfortable with and who’s capable of meeting your specific needs. No matter which provider you choose, you should always have a formal arrangement with your expectations and the payment rate in writing. Doing so will prevent confusion or potential disagreements down the line so that the focus remains on helping the person receiving care.
IV. Home Care Resources for Seniors in Long Island, NY
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
What You Should Know
Suffolk County Office for the Aging offers many programs for seniors aging in place at home, including The Home Energy Assistance Program, designed to help low-come seniors pay for heating costs during the winter months.
Who is Eligible?
If you’re a senior living in Suffolk County who’s aged 60 or older, and you’re unable to afford your home heating costs, you can apply for HEAP assistance. There is an income requirement that may change from year to year, so seniors should call for the latest requirements.
How to Get Started
To get started, call (631) 853-8326.
Nassau County Meals on Wheels
What You Should Know
Meals on Wheels of Nassau County can help you eat healthy if you’re unable to cook your own meals or get out to the grocery store. The program provides you with low-cost, nutritionally balanced meals delivered to your door by a team of volunteer drivers every weekday.
Meals include one protein serving, a vegetable, a starch, a slice of bread or a roll, a desert and milk. Noontime meals are delivered hot, and cold suppers and frozen meals are also available. When the driver drops off your meal, they’ll also take a moment to ask how you’re doing, and see if you need any additional assistance.
Who is Eligible?
If you’re a senior living in Nassau county who’s aged 60 or older and you’re unable to cook your own meals or shop for groceries due to a disability or ill health, or you have limited access to a kitchen, you can apply for Meals on Wheels service. There’s no income requirement, although you’re asked to contribute toward the cost of your meals if you can. If you can’t pay, you can still receive meals through the program.
How to Get Started
To get started, call the Senior Director of Senior & Nutritional Services at (516) 292-1300. If you live outside Nassau County, you’ll be referred to your local Meals on Wheels provider.
Nassau Suffolk Law Services Senior Citizen Law Project
What You Should Know
If you need legal advice or representation regarding a civil (noncriminal) matter, and you’re unable to afford the cost of a lawyer, you may be eligible for free services through the Senior Citizen Law Project. The Project helps seniors prepare wills and powers of attorney, resolve problems with Medicaid, and deal with consumer issues.
When you call, you’ll complete a telephone consultation, and if your case meets the project’s guidelines, your case may be accepted. If you’re homebound or hospitalized, someone from the Project can arrange to visit you in person.
Who is Eligible?
To qualify for free assistance through the Senior Citizen Law Project, you must be aged 60 or older and need help with a noncriminal legal issue that meets the Project’s priority guidelines.
How to Get Started
For more information, call (516) 292-8100.
Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program
What You Should Know
The EISEP is designed to help frail seniors in Nassau County safely remain in their own homes, rather than be placed in a residential or institutional setting. The program is administered by the Nassau County Office for the Aging, and includes care coordination, customized services and ongoing monitoring.
If you’re a senior living in Nassau County, and you struggle with day-to-day activities such as grocery shopping, housekeeping, doing your laundry and maintaining your personal hygiene, the services provided through EISEP may allow you to remain safely in your own home.
Who is Eligible?
To qualify for the EISEP, you need to be aged 60 or older, live in Nassau County, and have trouble managing day-to-day tasks. Also, you can’t be either a Medicaid recipient or eligible for Medicaid enrollment.
How to Get Started
To learn more about the EISEP, call (516) 227-8900.
Nassau County Veterans Service Agency
What You Should Know
The Veterans Service Agency works to support veterans, their dependents and survivors. Veteran Service Officers provide free information about county, state and federal programs for vets, and advocate on behalf of veterans and their families to help beneficiaries secure their maximum entitlements. VSOs can also arrange free transportation for vets to VA medical clinics, secure service records, and help with veterans’ tax exemption applications.
Who is Eligible?
If you’re a veteran living in Nassau County, or someone in your family is, you can contact the Veterans Service Agency to make sure you’re getting all the benefits you’re eligible for.
How to Get Started
To schedule an appointment with a VSO, call (516) 572-6565.
Congregate Meal Programs
What You Should Know
The Nassau County Office for the Aging sponsors a number of congregate meal sites where you can enjoy a low-cost meal in the company of other seniors. The programs also offer periodic preventative health screening clinics where you can get your blood pressure and blood sugar levels checked. Many of the meal sites also offer live entertainment and organized games before and after meals.
Who is Eligible?
If you’re a senior aged 55 or older, you can enjoy an affordable, nutritionally balanced hot meal at any of the congregate meal sites sponsored by the Nassau County Office for the Aging, regardless of your income. Most sites ask that you call ahead to reserve your meal.
How to Get Started
To find your nearest congregate meal site, you can call the Department of Human Services Office for the Aging at (516) 227-8900.