Rochester Senior Advisor
What is Rochester Senior Advisor?
Rochester Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral and advisory service for families in Rochester, New York, and the surrounding Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston and Orleans counties.
We publish what New York's regulators actually require, what the published cost data actually says, and every licensed residence and nursing home from the state's own records, with their inspection histories. Then a local advisor helps you narrow it down. Residences pay us a referral fee when a family moves in, which is why the service is free to you, and you should know that up front.
How many seniors and licensed care options are there around Rochester?
The five counties had about 231,645 residents 65 and older on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, and the New York State Department of Health licenses 46 adult care facility buildings and 49 nursing homes there.
| County | Residents 65+ | Share 65+ | Licensed residences | with SNALR memory care | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 158,814 | 21.2% | 34 | 22 | 32 |
| Ontario County | 28,437 | 25.1% | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| Wayne County | 21,206 | 23.2% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Livingston County | 14,253 | 23.2% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Orleans County | 8,935 | 22.4% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025). Licenses: NYSDOH roster and capacity report, 2026 Q2.
How fast is the Rochester area's older population growing?
The number of residents 65 and older in the five counties rose from about 202,064 in the 2020 estimates base to 231,645 in 2025, a gain of 15%, while total population was nearly flat.
Ontario County now has the highest share of older residents of the five, and Monroe County the largest number. Growth in the 85-and-older group, the age most likely to need daily help, is what puts pressure on assisted living and home care waiting lists.
How does New York license assisted living and memory care?
New York's Department of Health licenses adult homes and enriched housing programs, and a building may add Assisted Living Residence (ALR), Enhanced (EALR), Special Needs (SNALR, for dementia) or Assisted Living Program (ALP, Medicaid) beds on top.
Read the full licensing explanation or what ALR, EALR and SNALR mean.
What does senior care cost in New York?
CareScout's 2025 New York medians are about $7,110 a month for assisted living, $15,528 for a semi-private nursing home room and $35 an hour for home care; CareScout publishes no Rochester figure and no memory care figure.
Medicaid does not pay rent in ordinary assisted living, so the payment plan matters as much as the monthly price. See costs and paying for care.
Where should a Rochester family start?
Start from the situation, not the care type: a hospital discharge, a fall, a dementia diagnosis, an exhausted caregiver, a hard winter or money running out each point to different first steps, and our situation guides walk through each one.
What we are and aren't
| Rochester Senior Advisor is | Rochester Senior Advisor is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to families | Free; residences pay a referral fee | Paid by you, now or later |
| Data | NYSDOH records and CMS Care Compare | Aggregator listings or paid placements |
| Ratings | CMS nursing home stars, labelled as CMS's | Our own scores or rankings |
| Affiliation | An independent referral service | A government agency or the Office for the Aging |
