Caring for an aging loved one is one of the hardest jobs there is — and you shouldn't have to do it alone. Below are 30 verified New York programs offering emotional support, respite, training, financial help, peer groups, and legal planning — most of them completely free.
Last updated July 2026
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NY Connects — No Wrong Door ADRC
One call connects New York family caregivers to free counseling, respite, training, and support groups through their local Area Agency on Aging.
NY Connects — No Wrong Door ADRC
Free
Statewide — through 59 Area Agencies on Aging in all 62 counties
New York's primary caregiver entry point. Free, objective, comprehensive information and assistance on long-term services and supports for people of all ages or any disability. Connects caregivers to all state programs, AAA services, and NYSOFA resources.
No wrong door — call 800-342-9871. NY has 4.1 million unpaid family caregivers. NY Connects is the gateway to all 59 AAA caregiver programs statewide
Statewide — five chapters: NYC, Northeastern NY, Central NY, Rochester/Finger Lakes, and Western NY
Around the clock emotional support, crisis assistance, and care consultations for dementia caregivers. Five chapters serve all 62 NY counties. 426,000+ New Yorkers living with Alzheimer's; 543,000 caregivers providing 879 million hours of unpaid care annually.
NYC: www.alz.org/nyc | Northeastern NY: alz.org/northeasternny | Central NY: alz.org/centralnewyork | Rochester/FL: alz.org/rochesterny | Western NY: alz.org/westernny
Free online caregiver training platform (Trualta) and ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Index available to all 4.1 million NY caregivers. Caregiver Intensity Index measures caregiver burden — more than 30% of NY caregivers score 'in the red.' Working Caregivers Initiative launched 2025.
Free to all NY caregivers — Trualta portal has 100+ modules on caregiving skills, dementia care, and self-care. ARCHANGELS CII: getarchangels.com/new-york
Free 24/7 confidential emotional support for caregivers experiencing burnout, distress, or crisis. Available by call or text. NY has significant caregiver mental health burden — half of NY's 4.1 million caregivers experience financial hardship.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — call or text
Free 24/7 connection to local health and human services including emotional support, crisis intervention, and caregiver resource referrals across all 62 New York counties and all five boroughs.
Call or text 211 anytime — also available online at 211nys.org. Available in multiple languages including Spanish, Chinese, and Russian
Federal NFCSP-funded respite care for caregivers of adults 60+ or any age with Alzheimer's through NY's 59 AAAs. In-home, adult day, and facility-based respite available. NY's 59 AAAs serve all 62 counties with tailored respite programs.
Contact NY Connects at 800-342-9871 to be connected to your local AAA respite program
State-funded non-Medicaid program providing home care and respite to adults 60+ who need assistance with daily activities but don't qualify for Medicaid. Sliding scale fees based on income. Provides caregivers meaningful daily relief.
Income-based sliding scale — contact NY Connects at 800-342-9871. EISEP fills gap for NY seniors above Medicaid income limits
Greater Rochester — Monroe County and surrounding region
Comprehensive caregiver respite and support programs in the Rochester metro area. Free volunteer respite, caregiver counseling, and adult day programs. One of NY's leading caregiver-focused nonprofit organizations.
Monroe County focus — contact your local AAA through NY Connects for equivalent programs across NY
At least 30 days annual respite for caregivers of eligible veterans. NY has VA facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Albany, Buffalo, Canandaigua, Northport, and other locations serving NY's large veteran population.
Must be caring for veteran enrolled in VA healthcare — Manhattan VAMC: 212-686-7500 | Brooklyn VAMC: 718-836-6600
Free education programs for dementia caregivers across all of New York. Five chapters offer ALZ Talks webinars, Savvy Caregiver workshops, care consultations, and in-person programs. Multilingual programs available in NYC including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian.
Virtual options available statewide — NYC chapter especially strong on multilingual programming. Call helpline for current schedule
Free 24/7 online caregiver training through Trualta platform. 100+ modules on personal care skills, dementia care, medication management, and caregiver self-care. Available in English and Spanish. NYSOFA launched November 2025.
Free to all NY caregivers — no registration required through NYSOFA. Particularly valuable for rural NY caregivers far from in-person programs
Statewide — Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in all 62 counties
Evidence-based caregiver education through Cornell University Cooperative Extension. Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Savvy Caregiver, and other programs available through county extension offices statewide.
Cornell Cooperative Extension in every NY county — reaching rural upstate communities where other resources are limited
Free peer-led online classes in caregiving, technology, health, wellness, and financial literacy for New Yorkers 60+. Available day and night. Partnership between NYSOFA and GetSetUp launched 2025. Community support groups for online connection.
Free exclusively for NY residents 60+ — hundreds of classes available around the clock including caregiver-specific content
Comprehensive caregiver education library including fact sheets, online programs, and New York-specific resource directory. Caregiving 101 and self-care programs available free.
No registration required for most online resources
Statewide — offices in NYC, Albany, and other locations
Free caregiver tools, guides, and education in English and Spanish. AARP NY active on Master Plan on Aging and caregiver tax credit legislation. 4.1 million NY caregivers spending average $7,200 out-of-pocket annually.
AARP membership not required — AARP NY a key partner in NY's Master Plan on Aging. Working Caregiver Guide available
NY Medicaid program allowing eligible individuals to hire and direct their own personal assistant including most family members (excluding spouse, designated rep, or parent of child under 21). Completed mandatory transition to PPL as statewide fiscal intermediary in early 2026. PA wage increase $0.55/hr effective January 2026.
Must be Medicaid-eligible — contact PPL at 833-247-5346 to register. Important: verify your caregiver's enrollment is active under new PPL system if previously enrolled
Up to 12 weeks paid leave at 67% of NY's average weekly wage (capped at $1,177.32/week in 2026) for NY workers caring for a seriously ill family member. One of the most comprehensive PFML programs nationally. Funded through employee payroll contributions.
Most NY employees covered — contact NYS Workers' Compensation Board at 844-337-6303. NY PFML covers broad definition of family members
New York matches the federal dependent care tax credit up to 110%, potentially providing an extra $1,320 per year in state tax savings for qualifying caregivers. Also: up to $3,000 tax credit per dependent, $6,000 for two or more dependents.
File with NY state income taxes — up to $3,000 for one dependent, $6,000 for two or more. Contact NY Department of Taxation at 518-457-5181
Monthly stipend for caregivers of eligible veterans with 70%+ service-connected disability. Also includes CHAMPVA health insurance. VA legacy cohort protected through September 2028.
Must be caring for veteran with 70%+ service-connected disability rating
Federal program providing information, counseling, training, respite, and supplemental services to family caregivers of adults 60+ or any age with Alzheimer's. Grandparent kinship caregiver services also available statewide.
Contact NY Connects — no income limits for Older Americans Act programs in New York
Free caregiver support groups throughout New York — from Manhattan to Buffalo to Albany to Syracuse. Five chapters provide multilingual groups including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Russian in NYC. ALZConnected online 24/7.
Call helpline or visit chapter website to find group by zip code — virtual options available statewide
Statewide — 59 Area Agencies on Aging in all 62 counties
Caregiver support groups through NY's 59 AAAs covering all 62 counties. Groups for general caregiving, Alzheimer's and dementia, and grandparent kinship caregivers. Contact NY Connects to find groups near you.
Contact NY Connects at 800-342-9871 — groups vary by AAA region. Virtual options expanding statewide
Peer support specifically for spouses and partners caring for a chronically ill or disabled partner. Active NYC and Long Island support groups. Peer mentoring, online forum, and respite weekends for spousal caregivers.
Active NY groups — particularly valuable since CDPAP excludes spouses from being paid caregivers. wellspouse.org to find NY group locations
Free online peer community of 25,000+ caregivers active 24/7. Especially valuable for NY caregivers in rural upstate regions far from in-person support groups.
AARP membership not required — virtual peer support 24/7
New York City — all five boroughs; statewide referrals
Free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers including elder law, advance directives, healthcare proxies, Medicaid planning, housing, and consumer protection. Elder Law Unit serves older adults and their caregivers.
Income eligibility requirements — NYC focus but provides statewide referrals. LawHelpNY.org provides statewide legal aid directory
NY HIICAP — Health Insurance Information Counseling
Free
Statewide — through 59 Area Agencies on Aging
New York's SHIP program (called HIICAP — not SHIP). Free, unbiased Medicare counseling for NY beneficiaries and caregivers. Certified counselors help navigate Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D. Also available through NY Connects.
Unbiased — not affiliated with insurance industry. NY calls it HIICAP not SHIP. Also accessible through NY Connects at 800-342-9871
Statewide — through NY State Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Free advocacy for caregivers with concerns about nursing home, assisted living, or adult care facility quality. Investigates complaints and protects residents' rights across all 62 NY counties. Statewide toll-free complaint line.
Complaint line: 855-582-6769. Also accessible through NY Connects at 800-342-9871. NY Ombudsman also covers adult homes and assisted living
Free legal advocacy for New Yorkers with disabilities and their caregivers. NY's federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency. Covers disability rights, public benefits, housing, CDPAP access, abuse and neglect investigations.
Toll-free: 800-993-8982. Free services for people with disabilities and their family caregivers. DRNY actively advocates on CDPAP transition issues affecting NY caregivers in 2025-2026
Free online legal information and connection to legal aid organizations across all 62 NY counties. Covers elder law, healthcare proxies, powers of attorney, Medicaid, housing, and more. Available in multiple languages.
Free 24/7 online access — available in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Haitian Creole, and other languages reflecting NY's diversity
Honest answers to what New York family caregivers ask most.
Most free caregiver help in New York flows through NY Connects — No Wrong Door ADRC, which works hand-in-hand with the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network. Call 800-342-9871 to be connected to your county's AAA or Aging and Disability Resource Center — they provide free caregiver counseling, support groups, respite vouchers, and caregiver education statewide. New York also runs Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) for non-Medicaid caregivers, which is worth asking about by name.
In many cases, yes. The primary pathway is Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). CDPAP is New York's signature program letting Medicaid members hire almost any family member — including adult children and, in some cases, a spouse — as a paid personal assistant. The care recipient must meet New York Medicaid's financial and functional eligibility rules. To apply or confirm what's currently available, call 800-342-9871 and ask specifically about Medicaid self-direction or consumer-directed personal-care services.
Free or low-cost respite in New York comes from three main places: (1) NY Connects — No Wrong Door ADRC and your local Area Agency on Aging, which can issue respite vouchers under the National Family Caregiver Support Program — call 800-342-9871; (2) the VA Caregiver Support Program (1-855-260-3274) for caregivers of enrolled veterans; and (3) the ARCH National Respite Locator at archrespite.org, which lists licensed New York respite providers by ZIP code.
New York veteran caregivers can access two main VA programs. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a monthly stipend of roughly $1,750–$3,200 for caregivers of post-9/11 and (now expanded) earlier-era veterans with a 70%+ service-connected disability who need help with daily activities. The Program of General Caregiver Support Services offers free training, peer mentoring, and REACH VA stress coaching for caregivers of any era veteran enrolled in VA healthcare. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 or visit caregiver.va.gov to apply.
Yes. The Alzheimer's Association New York Chapter runs in-person and virtual support groups across the state and operates a free 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900 in English and Spanish. Local Area Agencies on Aging also coordinate dementia-specific groups through New York's family caregiver support program — NY Connects — No Wrong Door ADRC can refer you. For broader caregiver support groups (not dementia-specific), the Family Caregiver Alliance and Well Spouse Association also serve New York families online.
Legal Services NYC / Empire Justice Center is the main free civil legal aid resource for income-eligible New York residents. They can help with advance directives, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, guardianship questions, Medicare and Medicaid appeals, and consumer or housing problems facing aging adults. New York State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program provides separate free advocacy specifically for residents (and their families) in New York nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care settings. Many New York bar associations also run lawyer-referral services with reduced rates for caregivers and seniors.
988 is the free, confidential 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline available to anyone in the U.S., including New York family caregivers who feel overwhelmed, isolated, hopeless, or in emotional distress. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. For non-crisis support — finding food, transportation, rent help, or caregiver respite — dial 211 to reach a New York-trained United Way navigator who can route you to local programs.
New York's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network is the single point of entry for county-level caregiver services. Call 800-342-9871 and you'll be routed to the ADRC or AAA serving your county. They handle benefits screening, options counseling, and direct connections to counseling, respite, training, transportation, and financial-help programs. New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) oversees the network statewide and can also help if a local office is hard to reach.
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Source: LTCareNav.com research, updated on July 2026. Programs, phone numbers, and eligibility rules change frequently — please verify contact information directly with each organization before referral. This page is informational and not legal, medical, or financial advice.