NY Connects – Tompkins County

NY Connects is your trusted place to go for free, unbiased information about long term services and supports in New York State for people of all ages or with any type of disability. Long term services and supports include medical and non-medical services a person needs to improve or maintain health and independence. They may be provided in a nursing home, the individual’s home or other community-based settings. NY Connects staff can help link you to long term services and supports, such as home care, transportation and meals. Our goal is to help you live as independently as you wish to while meeting your medical, social and functional needs that arise from aging or disability. We can help individuals, families, caregivers, and professionals.

Who does NY Connects serve?

• Children with Disabilities
• Adults with Disabilities
• Older Adults
• Caregivers
• Providers and Helping Professionals
• Those seeking to transition back to the community from a facility

Along with providing information, referrals and assistance, NY Connects staff also provide personalized counseling to help individuals and families choose what will best meet their needs at home, in the community and, as necessary, in residential or institutional settings. Staff will meet where it is most comfortable for the individual or family–at home, over the phone, at a community setting, or, in this time of social distancing, through an online platform.

Examples of situations NY Connects can help with:

• Client requiring services after hospital discharge
• Clients needing assistance with cooking meals, eating, dressing and/or bathing
• Clients searching for assistive devices and/or help using them
• Recently widowed spouses who now feel unsafe at home alone
• Families who need help with a child who has special needs

Teressa Sivers is the NY Connects Specialist at FLIC. 607-272-2433 or 607-793-4981.