Home Care in Chemung County, NY
Personal care and home health aides for families in Elmira, Horseheads, Big Flats and across Chemung County.
Licensed by the New York State Department of Health as a home care services agency for Chemung County. Office: 510 Clinton Square, Rochester, NY 14604.
Help at home in Chemung County
Chemung County, in the Southern Tier, centres on Elmira and Horseheads. Our office is in Rochester, so we coordinate Chemung County care by phone and arrange aide visits at home where we can staff them. Call us first and we will tell you straight away whether we can cover your town and hours.
Personal care aides (PCA)
Everyday help so someone can stay safely at home:
- Bathing, dressing and grooming
- Toileting and moving around the home
- Meals, light housekeeping and laundry
- Company and a steady routine
Home health aides (HHA)
Everything a personal care aide does, plus health-related help under a nurse's plan of care:
- Help with medications as directed
- Simple exercises and mobility support
- Watching for changes and reporting them
- Support after a hospital or rehab stay
Coverage and paperwork
We check whether Medicaid or a Medicaid managed long term care (MLTC) plan may cover care, explain the assessment, and help you gather what is needed. Asking costs nothing.
Towns we serve in Chemung County
Our licence covers all of Chemung County (county seat: Elmira), including:
- Elmira
- Horseheads
- Elmira Heights
- Big Flats
- Southport
- Pine City
- Wellsburg
- Millport
- Van Etten
- Lowman
- Chemung
- Breesport
Aide availability depends on your town and the hours you need. Call and we will tell you honestly what we can staff.
How getting started works
- Call or send the form. A coordinator calls you back to understand the situation and answer your questions.
- We check coverage. If you have Medicaid or an MLTC plan, we explain the independent assessment and what your plan may approve. We help with the forms.
- We plan the visits. Days, hours and the tasks that matter most, matched to an aide.
- Care starts at home. We stay in touch with you and adjust the plan as needs change.
Local resources in Chemung County
Chemung County Department of Aging & Long Term Care
425 Pennsylvania Avenue, Elmira, NY
(607) 737-5520 · Website
Programs for older adults and caregivers, including NY Connects information and assistance.
NY Connects
Free, unbiased information about long-term care for people of any age. Statewide: 1-800-342-9871.
Medicaid applications: Chemung County Department of Social Services, Elmira.
Hospitals families come home from
- Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Elmira (Arnot Health)
- St. Joseph's Hospital, Elmira (Arnot Health)
Tell the discharge planner you would like Priority Cares to be contacted.
Getting to appointments
C TRAN (Chemung County Transit) runs buses in Elmira, Horseheads and nearby towns, and Dial-A-Ride paratransit.
Looking for NHTD or TBI waiver services?
Priority Cares is approved for the NHTD and TBI waivers in New York City only. In Chemung County, the Regional Resource Development Center (RRDC) can connect you with an approved waiver provider: Southern Tier Independence Center (STIC), the RRDC for Chemung and the Southern Tier, (607) 724-2111. We are glad to help you make that call.
Questions families in Chemung County ask
What is the difference between a personal care aide and a home health aide?
A personal care aide (PCA) helps with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, light housekeeping and meals. A home health aide (HHA) does all of that and has extra training to help with health-related tasks under a nurse's plan of care, such as help with medications or simple exercises.
Does Medicaid pay for home care in Chemung County?
Medicaid can cover personal care and home health aide services for people who qualify. New York uses an independent assessment (the New York Independent Assessor) to decide how much help someone needs. Many people receive care through a Medicaid managed long term care (MLTC) plan. We will check your coverage and walk you through each step.
Do you provide NHTD or TBI waiver services in Chemung County?
No. Priority Cares is approved for the NHTD and TBI waivers in New York City only. In Chemung County, the Regional Resource Development Center (RRDC) can connect you with an approved waiver provider: Southern Tier Independence Center (STIC), the RRDC for Chemung and the Southern Tier, (607) 724-2111. We are happy to help you make that call.
Your office is in Rochester. Can you really help in Elmira?
Our licence covers Chemung County, and coordination happens by phone. Whether we can staff your visits depends on your town and the hours needed, so call (585) 444-9245 and we will give you a straight answer.
Can care start after a stay at Arnot Ogden or St. Joseph's?
Yes, we can work with the hospital's discharge planner. Call as early as you can before discharge.
Free home care coverage check
Tell us a little about who needs care. A coordinator will call you back. There is no cost and no obligation.
Other counties we serve
Priority Cares' home care licence covers five counties: Monroe County · Ontario County · Livingston County · Genesee County, and Chemung County. See the Rochester region home care page for an overview.