11,400 New Yorkers languished on wait lists for home, community based care. See where

David Robinson, New York State Team
·2 min read
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Nearly 11,400 New Yorkers languished on wait lists for home and community based services that are crucial for sustaining the health and well-being of the state's aging population, state records show.

The aging services backlog details emerged recently during ongoing budget debates in Albany, as advocates urged Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration to sustain or increase spending on home and community based services, according to elder advocate AARP New York. The wait list reflected backlogs in September, the group noted.

From meal deliveries and nutrition help to medical transportation and in-home care, many of these services aimed to keep New Yorkers in their homes as long as possible. It is a key part of efforts to reduce the need for costly nursing homes, which would help rein in the roughly $32 billion spent per year on long-term services and support, the largest segment of New York's budget, advocates noted.

Aging services backlog details emerged recently during ongoing budget debates in Albany, as advocates urged Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration to sustain or increase spending on home and community based services.
Aging services backlog details emerged recently during ongoing budget debates in Albany, as advocates urged Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration to sustain or increase spending on home and community based services.

How many on aging services wait list in Monroe, Westchester?

As of September 2023, the number of residents on aging services wait lists in Westchester and Monroe counties stood at 134 and 133, respectively, according to the data released by the state Department of Aging.

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The aging services backlog, AARP noted, included:

  • 1,762 total residents in the Mid-Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland).

  • Rochester-Finger Lakes (Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, Livingston, Geneseo) had 575 total residents on wait lists.

  • Wait lists in Broome and Tioga counties totaled 925 residents, while Oneida, Madison and Herkimer counties had 375 people waiting for access to services.

Members of the New York Assembly debate in the Assembly Chamber at the New York State Capitol in Albany, N.Y.
Members of the New York Assembly debate in the Assembly Chamber at the New York State Capitol in Albany, N.Y.

The highest demand for care was among 80-year-old women with low income. They need help with bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, house cleaning, and laundry, as well as well meal preparation, among other services, AARP noted, citing state records.

Some health care worker groups and elder advocates have been lobbying Hochul to reverse course on her budget proposal that cut more than $1 billion from various health and home care programs.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Home care in NY: 11,400 New Yorkers on wait lists. See where