Assisted living facilities offer a housing 

alternative for older adults who may need 

help with dressing, bathing, eating, and 

toileting, but do not require the intensive 

medical and nursing care provided in nursing 

homes. 

Assisted living facilities may be part of a 

retirement community, nursing home, senior 

housing complex, or may stand-alone. 

Licensing requirements for assisted living 

facilities vary by state and can be known by 

as many as 26 different names including: 

residential care, board and care, congregate 

care, and personal care.

WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED?

Residents of assisted living facilities usually 

have their own units or apartment. In addition 

to having a support staff and providing meals, 

most assisted living facilities also offer at 

least some of the following services: 

• Health care management and 

monitoring 

• Help with activities of daily living 

such as bathing, dressing, and eating 

• Housekeeping and laundry 

• Medication reminders and/or help 

with medications 

• Recreational activities 

• Security 

• Transportation 

HOW TO CHOOSE A FACILITY?

The following suggestions can help you get 

started in your search for a safe, comfortable 

and appropriate assisted living facility: 

• Think ahead. What will the resident's 

future needs be and how will the 

facility meet those needs? 

• Is the facility close to family and 

friends? Are there any shopping 

centers or other businesses nearby 

(within walking distance)?

• Do admission and retention policies 

exclude people with severe cognitive 

impairments or severe physical 

disabilities? 

• Does the facility provide a written 

statement of the philosophy of care? 

• Visit each facility more than once, 

sometimes unannounced. 

• Visit at meal times, sample the food, 

and observe the quality of mealtime 

and the service. 

• Observe interactions among residents 

and staff. 

• Check to see if the facility offers 

social,

 recreational, and spiritual activities? 

• Talk to residents

• Learn what types of training staff 

receive and how frequently they receive 

training. 

Assisted Living
• Review state licensing reports 

The following steps should also be 

considered: 

• Contact your state’s long-term care 

ombudsman to see if any complaints 

have recently been filed against the 

assisted living facility you are 

interested in. In many states, the 

ombudsman checks on conditions at 

assisted living units as well as nursing 

homes. 

• Contact the local Better Business 

Bureau to see if that agency has 

received any complaints about the 

assisted living facility. 

• If the assisted living facility is 

connected to a nursing home, ask for 

information about it, too. 

WHAT IS THE COST FOR ASSISTED LIVING? 

Although assisted living costs less than 

nursing home care, it is still fairly expensive. 

Depending on the kind of assisted living 

facility and type of services an older person 

chooses, the price costs can range from less 

than $25,000 a year to more than $50,000 a 

year. Because there can be extra fees for 

additional services, it is very important for 

older persons to find out what is included in 

the basic rate and how much other services 

will cost.

Primarily, older persons or their families pay 

the cost of assisted living. Some health and 

long-term care insurance policies may cover 

some of the costs associated with assisted 

living. In addition, some residences have their 

own financial assistance programs. 

The federal Medicare program does not cover 

the costs of assisted living facilities or the 

care they provide. In some states, Medicaid

may pay for the service component of assisted 

living. Additional information on financing 

can be obtained from the resources listed 

below. 

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT 

ASSISTED LIVING?

Older persons who want to find out more 

about the assisted living option can start by 

contacting their local area agency on aging 

(AAA). Contact the U.S. Administration on 

Aging’s Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 

or visit http://www.eldercare.gov to find the 

AAA office closest to you.

Here are other places you can check for more 

specific information about assisted living: 

Assisted Living Federation of America

1650 King St., Suite 602 Alexandria, VA 22314 

http://www.alfa.org or email info@alfa.org

National Center for Assisted Living

201 L St., NW Washington, DC 20005 

(202) 842-4444 

http://www.ahcancal.org/ncal/resources/Pages/

ConsumerResources.aspx

LeadingAge

2519 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 

20008-1520 (202) 783-2242 

http://www.leadingage.org/

For more information about ACL 

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Administration for Community 

Living, Washington DC 20201 

Phone: (202) 619 – 0724 

Fax: (202) 357 – 3555 

Email: ACLinfo@acl.hhs.gov

Web: http://www.aoa.gov