Key Takeaways
- Best care means the right fit. Check licensing, care tasks, staffing, costs, and how the agency handles schedule changes.
- New York licenses home care agencies. Use the state provider directory to confirm an agency’s type and records.
- HHA and PCA services support daily life. Skilled nursing and therapy are different services; ask which one your family needs.
- Costs and coverage depend on the care plan. The 2025 CareScout survey reports a $35 hourly median for non-medical home care in New York, not a quote from Cottage.
- Medicaid may help pay. New York may require a needs assessment and a plan authorization before covered personal care begins.
- Cottage is independently listed in New York. State provider records list Cottage Homecare Services as a licensed home care services agency; check the official registry before deciding.
The best home care in New York is care that fits your relative’s needs, your family’s schedule, and the way you plan to pay. A strong agency should be able to explain who will come to the home, what they can do, and what happens when the usual aide cannot make a visit.
If your mother needs help bathing before work, your father needs support after a hospital stay, or a relative needs help walking and preparing meals, start with those tasks. Then compare agencies using the same questions. You do not need to pick a company based on a “#1” headline or the lowest advertised price.
This New York guide explains how to check an agency’s license, understand HHA and PCA care, compare private-pay costs, and find the correct state route for Medicaid-funded help. It includes a short checklist you can use when calling providers.
In This Guide
What Makes Home Care the Right Fit in New York?
How to Check a New York Home Care Agency License
Cottage Home Care: New York License & Local FactsWhat HHA and PCA Caregivers Can Do
How Much Does Home Care Cost in New York?
Does New York Medicaid Pay for Home Care?
When Does Medicare Pay for Care at Home?
Nine Questions to Ask Any Home Care Agency
Where Cottage Serves New York Families
What to Prepare Before Starting Care
What Happens After You Contact Cottage?Frequently Asked Questions
Official Sources and Helpful Links
What Makes Home Care the Right Fit in New York?
Quick answer: Home care is often worth considering when someone wants to stay at home but needs help with bathing, dressing, meals, moving safely, or other regular tasks. The right amount and type of care depend on the person’s needs.
Before contacting an agency, list the daily tasks that need help. Note the time of day, how often help is needed, and whether a nurse or therapist is also required. If the person is leaving a hospital, ask the discharge team for written care instructions.
Some families need a few scheduled visits. Others need help across longer periods of the day. Ask how the agency covers evenings, weekends, changing needs, and caregiver absences. Do not assume every agency offers every schedule in every neighborhood.
How to Check a New York Home Care Agency License
Start with the official directory. The New York State Department of Health requires organizations that provide or arrange home care services to be licensed or certified as applicable. Look up the agency’s legal name and authorized service type before relying on ratings.
The state distinguishes Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), which commonly arrange personal care and home health aide support, from Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs), which provide Medicare-type skilled home health services when someone meets the program rules. A company name or a website label alone does not tell you which services it can provide.
- Ask the agency for its legal name and applicable state license or certification details.
- Search the New York State Home Care Agency Profiles directory. Confirm the address, agency type, and listed information.
- Ask who supervises the aide, who creates or updates the care plan, and where clinical questions are sent.
- Ask how you can report a care concern and whether the agency has a plan when your regular caregiver is unavailable.
A review score may help you form questions, but a star rating is not a substitute for checking licensing, service fit, and the care arrangement. The state also publishes a home care consumer guide.
Cottage Home Care: New York License & Local Facts
A provider you can look up: New York's public home care directory lists Cottage Homecare Services as a Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA). Cottage publishes the license numbers 2773L001 and 2773L002 for its New York operation. Confirm the current records and service type in the state directory.
This is one example of how to check an agency. A company website can describe its services, but a state listing gives families a separate way to verify the provider. You should use the same check for any agency you are comparing.
Established in New York
Cottage began serving families in 2019. Its New York operating entity is Riverside Select Services, LLC, doing business as Cottage Homecare Services.
New York headquarters
294 West Merrick Road, Suite 12, Freeport, NY 11520. Phone: (516) 367-2266.
Services families can discuss
Home Health Aides (HHAs), Personal Care Aides (PCAs), private-pay care, and appropriate Medicaid-related pathways. Clinical needs must be matched to the provider and license that can deliver them.
Coverage area
The five New York City boroughs and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, subject to the person's program, needs, and available staffing.
The state directory shows Cottage listings in Hicksville and Jamaica. Those are agency locations in state records, while Freeport is the headquarters address Cottage gives for general contact. If you plan to visit an office, confirm the location and hours first.
Check the evidence yourself: Search for "Cottage Homecare Services" in the NYS Department of Health home care directory. A separate New York public-health council record identifies the Riverside Select Services operating entity. Cottage's New York service page publishes its license identifiers.
What HHA and PCA Caregivers Can Do
HHA and PCA help with daily needs. They are not automatically a substitute for skilled nursing. Ask which tasks are allowed for the assigned worker and what supervision is required.
Home Health Aide (HHA)
May help with bathing, dressing, mobility, meals, and certain basic health-related tasks within approved training, supervision, and the care plan.
Personal Care Aide (PCA)
Focuses on support with everyday activities such as dressing, washing, meal routines, walking, and other approved personal tasks.
Skilled home health
Nursing, wound care, injections, and therapy are clinical services that need qualified licensed professionals and the right provider arrangement.
If your family needs dementia-related support, explain the exact situation: reminders, wandering concerns, agitation, help getting dressed, or support at night. Ask what training the proposed aide has and what happens if the person’s needs go beyond the aide’s role.
For a child or an adult with complex medical needs, ask whether the service you are considering is personal care, skilled home health, or a separate specialist program. A different provider or licensed clinician may be needed.
How Much Does Home Care Cost in New York?
Statewide planning benchmark: CareScout’s 2025 Cost of Care Survey, released in 2026, reports a $35-per-hour median for non-medical caregiver services in New York. This is not an advertised Cottage price or a guaranteed local quote.
Actual private-pay rates depend on the borough or county, the type of assistance, how many hours you need, the schedule, and the agency’s service terms. Before choosing an agency, ask for a written estimate based on the same weekly schedule.
| Example schedule | Monthly estimate at $35/hour |
|---|
| 10 hours per week | $1,517 |
| 20 hours per week | $3,033 |
| 40 hours per week | $6,067 |
These examples use 52 weeks divided by 12 months and do not include any extra fees, minimum visit length, or special schedule charges. Compare them with written estimates from individual agencies. You can view the published figures at CareScout’s Cost of Care resource.
Does New York Medicaid Pay for Home Care?
Yes, for eligible people and approved services. New York Medicaid can cover personal care and home health aide support through the right program or managed care arrangement. The state or authorized plan decides eligibility and approved service hours.
Many people seeking ongoing services hear about Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC). It is one route for eligible New Yorkers who need long-term services. A person generally needs Medicaid eligibility, an assessment, and plan approval for the covered services. Some people use other Medicaid pathways, depending on age, coverage, and care needs.
- Already have Medicaid? Ask your plan or local office how to request a personal care assessment and whether the New York Independent Assessor Program applies.
- Not enrolled? Ask your local Medicaid office about applying first. NYC residents may use ACCESS NYC’s Home Care Services Program for official application information.
- Need an assessment? The New York Independent Assessor Program explains the assessment process; a plan or the authorized agency decides the final service arrangement.
Some people may have a Medicaid spend-down or other financial responsibilities. Ask the state or plan what applies to your case rather than relying on a blanket “free care” statement.
When Does Medicare Pay for Care at Home?
Medicare covers some home health services, but not personal care alone. It may cover part-time or intermittent home health aide visits when the person also meets the requirements for qualifying skilled home health care.
A prior hospital stay is not generally required for Medicare’s home health benefit. Eligibility includes specific clinical, homebound, ordering, and agency requirements. Medicare does not pay for 24-hour home care or daily bathing and dressing help when that personal care is the only service needed.
If your relative needs both a nurse and an aide, ask their clinician whether Medicare-covered home health is appropriate. If the main need is ongoing support with daily life, ask about New York Medicaid pathways or private-pay care instead. The official rules are on Medicare.gov’s home health services page.
Nine Questions to Ask Any Home Care Agency
Use the same questions for each provider so the answers are easy to compare. Ask for written details when the answer affects cost or safety.
- License: What is the agency’s legal name and New York license or certification type?
- Care scope: Which daily tasks can the assigned HHA or PCA perform, and which tasks need a nurse?
- Care plan: Who assesses needs, prepares the plan, and updates it when something changes?
- Screening: How are caregivers trained, screened, supervised, and supported?
- Matching: Can we discuss language, schedule, mobility skills, and personality preferences?
- Continuity: What happens when our usual caregiver is ill, away, or late?
- Coverage: Which Medicaid plans or private-pay arrangements are accepted for this exact service?
- Cost: What are the hourly rate, minimum hours, added fees, and cancellation terms?
- Contact: Who should we call if the care plan or our relative’s condition changes?
Compare the written answers from at least two agencies. Verify license details in the state directory and confirm care tasks, rates, supervision, and missed-visit procedures before choosing.
Where Cottage Serves New York Families
Cottage's New York team describes services in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, as well as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. Cottage reports that it began operating in New York in 2019 and offers agency-provided personal care services.
Matching matters. The company profile describes matching that considers a person's language, food, daily habits, and family preferences. For example, you can ask about an aide who can speak your parent's preferred language, support familiar meals, and work around regular prayer or meal times. Actual matches depend on availability and the approved care plan.
What to ask about care oversight: who will review the care needs, who supervises the aide, how concerns are reported, and whether a nurse or another licensed provider is needed for medical tasks. Cottage's New York service page describes HHA, PCA, MLTC, NHTD, and private-pay pathways. The correct route depends on the individual situation and program rules.
A care agency can explain its own services, but it cannot make Medicaid eligibility or benefit-authorization decisions for the state or plan. That decision stays with the responsible government program or health plan.
What to Prepare Before Starting Care
You can start without knowing the right program name. List the care needs, address, schedule, current insurance, and any recent care changes. This helps the agency explain a practical next step.
- Daily needs: Write down help needed with bathing, meals, dressing, transfers, walking, and other tasks.
- Schedule: Note when help is needed, including mornings, evenings, weekends, or after discharge.
- Health context: Mention any nursing, therapy, fall risks, or recent changes so clinical needs are routed correctly.
- Coverage: Have the person’s insurance card, Medicaid or MLTC information if available, and relevant notices ready.
- Preferences: Share language, location, caregiver and household preferences that could affect matching.
Cottage’s intake team can discuss available aide services, explain what information is needed, and help you understand who makes coverage decisions. Medicaid eligibility and approved hours are determined by the state or authorized plan. Care start dates depend on assessments, approvals, and caregiver availability.
Ask Cottage about your care options
If your relative needs daily help at home, tell the team where they live, which tasks are difficult, and whether they already have Medicaid or an MLTC plan. They can explain possible next steps and the intake process.
Phone: (516) 367-2266 Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern. You can submit the online contact form outside office hours.
What Happens After You Contact Cottage?
Cottage's New York contact and service pages explain an intake process. Families can use these steps to prepare for the call and ask clear questions about timing.
- Share the needs. Tell the team your relative's ZIP code, which daily tasks are difficult, preferred schedule, and any language or household preferences.
- Discuss the right care type. Ask whether HHA or PCA support fits, and whether any skilled nursing or therapy should be arranged through an appropriately licensed provider.
- Review payment and approval. Share current Medicaid or MLTC details if available, or ask about private pay. If care needs plan approval, the state or plan determines eligibility and authorized services.
- Confirm next steps. Ask what paperwork is needed, who will contact you, how caregiver availability is checked, and when the care plan will be reviewed.
Contact information you can verify: Cottage's main number is (516) 367-2266. Its published regular office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern. You can also send a message outside office hours through its official contact page.
An assessment, plan authorization, and a suitable available caregiver may be needed before care begins. A start date depends on the care plan and available staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the best home care agency in New York?+
Start with the tasks your relative needs help with, then compare licensed providers for service scope, caregiver training, schedule coverage, supervision, cost, and communication. Use the New York State home care directory to verify credentials.
How do I verify a home care agency in New York?+
Ask for the legal name and applicable license or certification, then look it up in the New York State Department of Health’s Home Care Agency Profiles. Check which type of home care the agency is authorized to provide.
How much does in-home care cost in New York in 2026?+
CareScout’s 2025 Cost of Care Survey, released in 2026, reports a $35 hourly median for non-medical caregiver services in New York. Your actual private-pay quote depends on service type, location, schedule, and provider.
Can New York Medicaid pay for a home health aide?+
It may. Eligible New Yorkers can receive approved personal care or home health aide services through Medicaid programs and plans. A needs assessment and authorization may be required, and coverage details depend on the person’s situation.
Does Medicare pay for someone to help with bathing?+
Medicare may cover part-time home health aide visits when the person also needs qualifying skilled home health care and meets the home health rules. Medicare does not cover personal care when that is the only care needed.
What is the difference between an HHA and a PCA?+
Both may help with daily activities at home. A New York HHA may have additional training for certain basic health-related tasks under supervision. A PCA typically focuses on personal care and everyday activities; the exact task list comes from state rules and the care plan.
Does Cottage offer skilled nursing as part of every home care plan?+
No. Daily personal care is different from skilled nursing and therapy. If your relative needs clinical treatment, ask which licensed provider and clinician would deliver it and how that service would be arranged.
Which parts of New York does Cottage serve?+
Cottage lists the five New York City boroughs and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. Caregiver availability and the accepted program or payment arrangement should be confirmed for the exact address.
How quickly can home care begin?+
Timing depends on care needs, assessment, insurance or Medicaid authorization when applicable, and available staff. You can ask Cottage to review the next steps without assuming an immediate start date.
How can I verify Cottage Home Care in New York?+
Look up Cottage Homecare Services in the New York State Department of Health Home Care Agency Profiles. The directory lists Cottage as an LHCSA. Cottage also publishes license numbers 2773L001 and 2773L002; confirm the current agency records with the state.
Can I ask for an aide who speaks my parent's language?+
Yes. Tell the coordinator your parent's preferred language, daily routine, food preferences, and schedule. Cottage considers these preferences when discussing a match, but a specific aide or language is not available at every time and place.
Who decides how many Medicaid home care hours I receive?+
The state or the responsible Medicaid health plan makes that decision after the required assessment and authorization steps. Cottage can explain its services, required intake information, and the next steps for an approved care plan; it does not decide program eligibility or approved hours.
Official Sources and Helpful Links
This guide brings together New York State licensing and Medicaid rules, federal Medicare guidance, a public cost survey, and Cottage Home Care's published New York service information. It explains how families can verify the facts rather than relying only on an agency's own claims.
Editorial note (October 2026): Cottage is one home care provider discussed in this guide. The nine-point comparison checklist can be used for any New York agency. Program and coverage decisions are made by the appropriate state agency, insurer, or plan, not by Cottage. Company-specific facts are based on Cottage's published New York information and supporting state records.
Sabine DurgaramDPS/RN
