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Who to call: the official numbers and sites, in one place
The county Office for the Aging numbers for Western New York, the state lines for Medicare, Medicaid, and complaints, and the helplines that answer at any hour. Bookmark this one.
3 min readUpdated September 16, 2026
Written by Cardinal Care Advisors in Buffalo, New York. Checked against 20 official sources.
Start with NY Connects
NY Connects is the state's front door for long-term care: free, unbiased information and help applying, answered locally by county. One statewide number reaches your county's office: 1-800-342-9871. Or call the county office directly.
Your county Office for the Aging
Each county runs an Office for the Aging: caregiver support and respite, home-delivered meals, help with Medicare and Medicaid questions, transportation, legal help, and the NY Connects line. Numbers checked against the official pages on September 16, 2026; if one has changed, tell your advisor and we will fix it.
- Erie: Erie County Department for the Aging, (716) 858-8526 (also the NY Connects line). 95 Franklin Street, 13th Floor, Buffalo.
- Niagara: Niagara County Office for the Aging, (716) 438-4020. 111 Main Street, Suite 101, Lockport. The county's own contact page also lists (716) 438-3030.
- Chautauqua: Office for the Aging, (716) 753-4471; NY Connects helpline (716) 753-4582. 7 North Erie Street, Mayville, with offices in Jamestown, (716) 661-8940, and Dunkirk, (716) 363-3865.
- Cattaraugus: Department of Aging, (716) 373-8032, or 1-800-462-2901 from outside the Olean and Salamanca areas. 1 Leo Moss Drive, Suite 7610, Olean.
- Allegany: Office for the Aging, (585) 268-9390. 6085 Route 19 North, Belmont.
- Genesee: Office for the Aging, (585) 343-1611. 2 Bank Street, Batavia.
- Orleans: Office for the Aging, (585) 589-3191. 14016 Route 31 West, Albion.
- Wyoming: Office for Aging, (585) 786-8833. 8 Perry Avenue, Warsaw.
One statewide number reaches your county's office: 1-800-342-9871.
New York State lines for specific questions
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Federal
- Medicare Care Compare: ratings for nursing homes and home health agencies.
- Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116, connects you to local aging services anywhere in the country.
- VA Aid and Attendance: pension benefit for wartime veterans and surviving spouses.
Any hour
- Alzheimer's Association Helpline, 1-800-272-3900, staffed around the clock.
- Dial 211 for local help with food, housing, utilities, and transportation.
- In an emergency, 911. CarePair is not an emergency service.
Cardinal
Your advisor is in Messages during business hours. For anything about CarePair itself, hello@thecardinalgroup.org.
Why we can say this
We checked this guide against the official pages below. We link only to government agencies and established nonprofits. Each one opens on another website.
- NY Connects (opens another site)
https://www.nyconnects.ny.gov/
- New York State Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://aging.ny.gov/
- NYS Health Profiles (opens another site)
https://profiles.health.ny.gov/
- New York State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (opens another site)
https://aging.ny.gov/long-term-care-ombudsman-program
- HIICAP, health insurance counseling (opens another site)
https://aging.ny.gov/health-insurance-information-counseling-and-assistance-program-hiicap
- Adult Protective Services (opens another site)
https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/adult-svcs/aps/
- New York State Department of Veterans' Services (opens another site)
https://veterans.ny.gov/
- Erie County Department for the Aging (opens another site)
https://www3.erie.gov/aging/
- Niagara County Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://www.niagaracounty.gov/departments/a-f/aging/contact_office_for_the_aging.php
- Chautauqua County Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://chautauquacountyny.gov/office-aging
- Cattaraugus County Department of Aging (opens another site)
https://www.cattco.gov/aging
- Allegany County Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://www.alleganyco.gov/departments/office-for-the-aging/
- Genesee County Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://www.geneseeny.gov/Department-Content/Office-For-The-Aging
- Orleans County Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://www.orleanscountyny.gov/departments/office_for_the_aging/index.php
- Wyoming County Office for the Aging (opens another site)
https://www.wyomingcountyny.gov/328/Office-for-the-Aging
- New York State Medicaid (opens another site)
https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/
- Medicare Care Compare (opens another site)
https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/
- Eldercare Locator (opens another site)
https://eldercare.acl.gov/
- VA Aid and Attendance (opens another site)
https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/
- Alzheimer's Association Helpline (opens another site)
https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/helpline
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General information for families in Western New York, written by Cardinal Care Advisors. Not medical or legal advice; a physician, an elder law attorney, or a licensed assessor decides the things that need deciding. Tell us if something here is wrong or out of date: hello@thecardinalgroup.org.