Hudson Valley Senior AdvisorWhat is the Assisted Living Program in New York?
The Assisted Living Program (ALP) is a Medicaid-funded package of personal care, home health and case management delivered inside an adult home or enriched housing program, for people who are medically eligible for a nursing home but can be served safely in a residential setting.
It is authorized by Social Services Law 461-l and 18 NYCRR Part 494. Medicaid pays the residence for the services, and the resident's room and board is typically covered by SSI or their own income, which is how a person with almost no savings can live in assisted living.
Which Dutchess and Orange residences have ALP beds?
The 2026 Q2 capacity report shows 9 of the 18 licensed residences in Dutchess and Orange holding Assisted Living Program beds, 931 of the 1,664 certified beds: Hedgewood Assisted Living (192), Promenade at Middletown (131), The Eliot at Erie Station ALP (120), The Sentinel of Port Jervis (109), Dutchess Care (92), Braemar Living at Wallkill (88), The Avalon Assisted Living and Wellness Center (75), Hyde Park Assisted Living Facility, Inc. (66), Promenade at Tuxedo Place (58).
That is a large share of the region's licensed capacity, and it explains why several of the biggest residences in Beacon, Middletown and Port Jervis mix private-pay residents with Medicaid residents under one roof. Openings still come and go, so families often join more than one waiting list.
Who qualifies for an ALP bed?
A person qualifies if they are financially eligible for Medicaid, need help that would justify nursing home placement, do not need continual nursing, and pass the residence's own assessment showing it can meet their needs.
The residence completes the assessment, and Medicaid eligibility runs through the county Department of Social Services. Many families start the Medicaid application while the parent is still private-pay, so the switch can happen without a move.
What does an ALP resident pay each month?
An ALP resident on SSI generally turns over most of the Congregate Care Level 3 benefit, $1,688 a month in 2026, keeping a $262 personal needs allowance, while Medicaid pays the residence for care services.
Residents with income above SSI levels contribute that income toward room and board under the program's budgeting rules. Ask the residence for a written explanation of what a Medicaid resident pays before you apply.
At a glance
| The Assisted Living Program is | The Assisted Living Program is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Funding | Medicaid payment for services | Medicaid payment of rent |
| Who | Nursing-home-eligible people who can live safely in a residence | Anyone on Medicaid |
| Where | Approved beds in licensed residences | Available in every building |
| Locally | Common in Dutchess and Orange | Easy to get without a waiting list |
Rules and dollar amounts on this page come from New York law and regulation (the Social Services Law, Public Health Law, 18 NYCRR and 10 NYCRR), Department of Health GIS messages and directories, CMS, the VA, CareScout or the county agencies named in the text. Our sourcing rules: editorial standards.
