New York State Department of Financial Services publishes Governor Hochul proposals to expand aging-in-place support and protections for older adults

The New York State Department of Financial Services published an update on Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State proposals aimed at increasing services and resources for older New Yorkers, with a focus on enabling seniors to age in place and improving access to care, benefits and protections. The package includes doubling investments in Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), renewing a fiscal year 2026 USD 35 million investment to reduce waiting lists for non-medical in-home services, and launching the CAPABLE program (Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders), which would provide up to 2,600 older adults with in-home visits for nursing, occupational therapy and handy worker services. It also sets out measures to improve end-of-life care through a Department of Health educational awareness initiative for clinical providers on community-based palliative care, hospice and advance care planning, and to simplify access to support through a short-term multi-agency council tasked with compiling eligible benefits and recommending a “one-stop-shop” pre-screening tool while exploring a universal benefits application. To address elder abuse, the Governor would direct the New York State Office for the Aging to develop free, publicly accessible virtual prevention and response training modules. Next steps in the proposal include the multi-agency council presenting recommendations to the Governor on the one-stop-shop model, alongside the planned launch of the provider education initiative and development of the virtual elder abuse training.