Memory Clinics & Alzheimer's Research Centers in New York

For a wider look at local aging and in-home support across the five boroughs, start with our New York care guide.

Older adults in New York who may need a memory evaluation

New York City is home to 1,365,795 residents age 65 and older, including 172,659 residents age 85 and older, according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates.

The same estimates count 402,938 seniors living alone and a city median household income of $79,713. Those figures describe the older population in the city. They are not a count of people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

What dementia is

Dementia describes a decline in memory, thinking, and other abilities that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities, as explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A memory clinic or research-center visit is one way a clinician can look for possible causes of those changes. This page cannot diagnose dementia or recommend treatment.

NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers

The National Institute on Aging lists NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers nationwide, and New York families should use those official directories for current names and addresses.

Start with the NIA page to find an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the roster of NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Alzheimers.gov also describes national research centers focused on Alzheimer's disease.

Center locations, referral rules, and whether a first visit is clinical care, research, or both can change. Confirm hours, insurance, and how to book on the center's own site rather than relying on an unofficial list.

Hospitals in New York to contact about a memory evaluation

Medicare Care Compare lists major acute-care hospitals in New York with addresses, phone numbers, and overall star ratings, but it does not say whether any hospital has a dedicated memory or geriatric unit.

Use the listings below as a starting point, then call and ask whether the hospital offers a memory evaluation, geriatric assessment, or an affiliated outpatient practice. An overall CMS star rating is not a memory-clinic score.

• Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 EAST 70TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021. Phone (212) 606-1000. Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit, private ownership. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.
• Lenox Hill Hospital, 100 EAST 77TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10075. Phone (212) 434-2000. Acute care hospital with emergency services, voluntary non-profit, private ownership. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 525 EAST 68TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10065. Phone (212) 746-5454. Acute care hospital with emergency services, voluntary non-profit, private ownership. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.
• NYU Langone Hospitals, 550 FIRST AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10016. Phone (212) 263-7300. Acute care hospital with emergency services, voluntary non-profit, private ownership. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.
• Mount Sinai Hospital, ONE GUSTAVE L LEVY PLACE, NEW YORK, NY 10029. Phone (212) 241-7981. Acute care hospital with emergency services, voluntary non-profit, private ownership. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.
• Mount Sinai West, 1000 TENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10019. Phone (212) 523-4000. Acute care hospital with emergency services, voluntary non-profit, church ownership. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.
• Bronx VA Medical Center, 130 WEST KINGSBRIDGE ROAD, BRONX, NY 10468. Phone (718) 584-9000. Veterans Administration acute care hospital with emergency services. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.
• VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, 800 POLY PLACE, BROOKLYN, NY 11209. Phone (718) 836-6600. Veterans Administration acute care hospital with emergency services. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.

If you are leaving the hospital, ask how discharge planning works for a patient with memory loss and consider hospital discharge care for the first days at home.

If a hospital is not the right fit, ask a primary care clinician for a referral to a geriatrician or cognitive neurology practice, and confirm on that practice's own site how to schedule a first memory visit.

What a first memory clinic visit typically involves

A first memory clinic visit typically includes a medical and family history, questions about daily function, and cognitive testing, and it may be followed by lab work or imaging if the clinician orders them.

Families often bring a current medication list, insurance information, notes on when memory or thinking changes began, prior test results if they have them, and a person who knows how the patient manages shopping, bills, cooking, and medications.

Ask the clinic whether a referral is required, who should attend, and how results will be shared. This summary is general information only. It is not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a substitute for the clinic's own instructions.

Support after a visit in New York

The Alzheimer's Association New York City Chapter offers free support groups, care consultations, and a helpline serving all five boroughs.

Call 800-272-3900 or use the New York City Chapter website to reach those services.

The National Institute on Aging publishes guidance on legal and financial planning for people with Alzheimer's disease. Families who want local legal help can search the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys directory rather than relying on an unverified firm list.

Professional geriatric care managers can be located through the Aging Life Care Association directory. Listing a directory is not an endorsement of any individual attorney or care manager.

In-home care after a memory evaluation

Long-term care includes services that help with health or personal needs over an extended period, and those services can take place at home, as described by the National Institute on Aging.

After an evaluation, some New York families add memory care at home, or start with companion care or personal care. When overnight supervision is needed, families sometimes look at 24-hour live-in care. Caregivers who need a break can ask about respite care.

Those are planning options, not a medical prescription. A clinic visit does not require any particular home-care arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find an NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center that serves New York?

Use the National Institute on Aging's public finder and its list of NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers to see current locations. Designations, addresses, and intake rules can change, so rely on those official lists instead of an unofficial directory.

Does Medicare say which New York hospitals have a memory clinic?

No. Medicare Care Compare publishes hospital names, addresses, ownership, emergency-service status, and overall star ratings. It does not publish whether a hospital has a dedicated memory or geriatric unit, so call the hospital and ask before you book.

What should we bring to a first memory evaluation in New York?

Bring a current medication list, insurance information, notes on when changes in memory or thinking began, and a family member or friend who can describe daily function. Ask the clinic in advance if you need a referral and whether records from another doctor should be sent ahead.

Are the Bronx VA and Brooklyn VA options for veterans with memory concerns?

They are Veterans Administration acute-care hospitals in New York, at 130 WEST KINGSBRIDGE ROAD, BRONX, NY 10468 and 800 POLY PLACE, BROOKLYN, NY 11209. Ask each facility whether it offers a memory evaluation and how a veteran can schedule a first visit.

Can we get in-home help in New York after a clinic visit?

Yes. Clinic follow-up and in-home support can run in parallel. Families often look at memory care at home, companion care, personal care, respite, or 24-hour live-in care depending on daily needs, without waiting for a later hospital stay.