Official Starting Points for Finding Home Care Information in NYC

The right starting point depends mostly on one fact: whether the person who needs care has Medicaid. If they have Medicaid and want personal care for the first time, the New York Independent Assessor (NYIA) line is the usual entry point. If they are 60 or older and do not have Medicaid, start with Aging Connect. If nobody is sure, call NY Connects, which serves all ages and income levels and gives free information.

CaringNYC is an information site. We do not provide home care, employ aides, or decide who qualifies. The offices below do that work, and their answers are the ones that count.

Official starting points at a glance

Phone numbers and hours below were checked against the linked official pages on November 5, 2026. Offices can change these details, so use the linked page if a number does not work.

Office	Question it answers	Who and where	Contact
NY Connects	What long-term services exist, and which ones should we apply for?	All ages and income levels; one office per borough	800-342-9871; Bronx 347-862-5200; Brooklyn 718-671-6200; Manhattan 212-966-9852; Queens 718-559-4400; Staten Island 718-489-3954; NY Relay 711
Aging Connect (NYC Aging)	Can a local case management agency review an older adult for City-funded in-home help?	NYC residents 60 and older; City-funded home care is not open to Medicaid recipients	212-244-6469, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-5:30 PM
New York Independent Assessor	How do we schedule the assessment for Medicaid home care?	People seeking Medicaid home care; ask the Medicaid office first if coverage is not yet active	855-222-8350, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-8 PM, Sat 10 AM-6 PM
Medicaid application (HRA and NY State of Health)	How do we apply for Medicaid itself?	New York residents who meet program rules	65+, Medicare without minor children, disability or blindness: HRA 888-692-6116 or 347-396-4705. Adults under 65, pregnant people and children: 855-355-5777, TTY 800-662-1220
New York Medicaid Choice	Which managed care plans can we choose from?	The state’s managed care enrollment program	Long-term care line 888-401-6582; TTY 888-329-1541; Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-8 PM, Sat 10 AM-6 PM
NYS Home Care Profiles	Is this agency regulated, and what type is it?	Regulated home care agencies statewide	Online search by name, type, or county
ICAN	Who can help with a Medicaid long-term care plan problem?	New Yorkers with Medicaid who need long-term care or behavioral health services	844-614-8800, TTY 711

If you cannot tell which office fits, you can also call 311 and ask for NY Connects Long Term Care, as ACCESS NYC advises.

Which route fits your situation

The person already has Medicaid

The NYC 311 home care page explains that a Medicaid Specialist decides Medicaid eligibility, then NYIA decides service eligibility and refers the person to a managed care plan or to the City’s CASA program. The Department of Health’s NYIA FAQ describes a Community Health Assessment and a clinical appointment. Having Medicaid does not by itself establish eligibility for home care. Ask NYIA, the Medicaid plan or HRA which current minimum needs requirements and any legacy protections apply to the case.

A Medicaid application is still pending

Ask the Medicaid office about the application status first, and ask what can happen while it is pending. If care is urgent, say so. The state’s NYIA FAQ points people with an urgent need to their Medicaid plan or, if they are not in a plan, to the local social services office, which is HRA in New York City.

The person is 60 or older and does not have Medicaid

Call Aging Connect. According to NYC Aging, a contracted local agency does a phone intake, and a case manager visits the home to determine eligibility and coordinate services. Case managers do not charge for their time, though some services may carry a fee or suggested contribution based on income.

This program supplements family care and has limits. The 311 complaint page says an attendant usually visits no more than 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, generally with no weekend service. If you expect to need more, say so on the first call. The State Office for the Aging describes the same program, EISEP, and says cost sharing begins at 150% of the poverty level.

Care follows a hospital stay or a skilled need

Medicare may cover part-time or intermittent skilled care for a homebound person through a Medicare-certified agency, but Medicare does not cover 24-hour care at home, or personal care when that is the only care needed. Ask the hospital discharge planner or the doctor’s office which agency will receive the order.

The person has HIV or AIDS

HRA has a separate home care line for people living with HIV or AIDS: 718-557-1399, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. The 311 page says help is available in most languages. Ask that office which current requirements apply to the case.

The family plans to pay privately

You can go straight to agencies, but check each one first. State health officials say an organization must be licensed or certified to provide or arrange home care services in New York. Search the agency’s exact name in the state profiles before you sign anything.

Where to take a complaint

The correct office depends on who pays. This routing comes from the NYC 311 home care complaint page.

Type of care	Where to complain
Privately paid or Medicare home care	NYS Home Health Hotline, 800-628-5972, Mon-Fri 10 AM-4 PM
Managed Long Term Care plan	NYS MLTC Complaint Hotline, 866-712-7197, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
HRA CASA Medicaid home care	311 or 212-639-9675
NYC Aging home care (EISEP)	311 or 212-639-9675

Call 911 to report theft or physical abuse.

Your next step

Write down three facts before you dial: the person’s borough, their current coverage, and the main kind of help they need. Then call one office from the table and record the name of the person you spoke to and the date. For background on service types, see our Home Care Services overview. Related pages cover CDPAP, Medicaid and caregiver support, and the wider Home Care & Senior Services section lists more topics.

Sources

Checked November 5, 2026. The two Department of Health pages could not be opened directly on that date, so they were confirmed only through the state’s search listings.