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How to read an assisted living page
Each home's page shows the state's own record as data. The explanations behind those figures are here, once, state by state.
What these pages are
NursingHomeClear is independent, takes no fee from any home, and does not refer or place residents. A page reports state records; it does not rate, recommend or endorse any home, and it is not medical or legal advice. We fix errors in our copy of the data (ask for a correction); findings themselves can only be changed by the state.
Homes with 6 beds or fewer are often private houses, so their pages show the city and ZIP code only, never a street address, and are not offered to search engines. Where a home's position is its ZIP code or city centre, distances are measured from there.
Since October 10, 2026 a home's page is offered to search engines only when the state's record says more than its licence: at least two of a dated inspection record, findings (citations, violations, substantiated complaints, deficiencies, sanctions or enforcement), a state memory care certification, a posted starting rent, or New York's quality measures.
California: visits and citations
The visit strip shows each visit by California's Community Care Licensing Division, oldest on the left. The state file does not say which visit produced which citation, so citations are listed as the file gives them. Title 22 is California's licensing regulations for these homes; 1569 sections are the state's Health and Safety Code. The state's own facility search shows each visit report in full.
A Type A deficiency is a violation of the regulations or the Health and Safety Code that, if not corrected, poses a direct and immediate risk to the health, safety or personal rights of people in care.cdss.ca.gov
A Type B deficiency is a violation that, without correction, could become a risk to the health, safety or personal rights of people in care, or a recordkeeping violation that would affect their care or the protection of their resources.cdss.ca.gov
The licensee must be told in writing of every licensing deficiency, and each one can cite the section of law or Title 22 regulation it is based on.cdss.ca.gov
Complaint findings
Each complaint row is one complaint the state investigated, with what it found for each allegation in it.
Community Care Licensing decides complaints on a preponderance of the evidence standard: the evidence must show it is more likely than not (more than 50%) that the allegation is true.cdss.ca.gov
A complaint allegation is substantiated when the preponderance of the evidence standard is met.cdss.ca.gov
An allegation is unsubstantiated when the investigation shows there is not enough evidence to prove a violation occurred.cdss.ca.gov
An allegation is unfounded when the evidence shows it could not have happened, is false, or has no reasonable basis.cdss.ca.gov
Memory care in California
California does not issue a separate memory care licence, and the state's roster does not mark which homes care for residents with dementia. Ask the home how it cares for residents with dementia, and check its citations.
California's updated dementia care rules for RCFEs took effect January 1, 2025. They aim to support person-centered care and let residents age in place in the least restrictive setting they know as home.cdss.ca.gov
The dementia care standards, once kept in one regulation section, are now spread across several sections so they support care for all residents.cdss.ca.gov
The rules now address resident behaviors whatever the diagnosis, focusing on individual needs, and whether a resident may have items such as cleaning solutions or sharp objects depends on their own needs and appraisal.cdss.ca.gov
New York: inspections, certifications and posted rents
Inspections and enforcement come from the NYS Health Profiles page for each adult care facility. Violations under dispute through the state's Inspection Review Process are not shown by the state. Regulation sections are Title 18 of New York's codes (NYCRR). The Department of Health's Assisted Living Residence Quality page lists food and dining violations at the latest recertification survey and direct care staffing; its third measure, confirmed complaint allegations, was not listed in its table when we read it.
Memory care certification
New York certifies memory care through special needs assisted living (SNALR) beds or dementia beds on a residence's operating certificate. A home without them is not certified for memory care in New York's terms. Memory care, state by state.
A special needs assisted living residence (SNALR) serves people with special needs, including people with dementia or cognitive impairments, under an individualized service plan.health.ny.gov
An enhanced assisted living residence (EALR) lets residents age in place: it may admit or keep residents who need another person's physical help to walk or use stairs, depend on medical equipment and need frequent help from medical staff, or have chronic unmanaged incontinence.health.ny.gov
An adult care facility may seek licensure as an assisted living residence and then apply for extra certification as an EALR or SNALR.health.ny.gov
New York's SNALR voucher program can issue up to 200 vouchers that pay up to 75% of the regional average private pay rate for a SNALR, for approved applicants with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.health.ny.gov
Posted rents
New York requires each assisted living residence to file a Consumer Summary with its starting rent for each licence and certification, and the Department of Health posts it. Care level charges and other fees are extra; the residency agreement lists them. Where no summary is posted, a page may quote the residence's own website, read with the date shown; rates change, and New York requires the residence to state its current rates in the residency agreement.
Assisted living residents in New York have the right to written notice of any fee increase at least 45 days before it takes effect, unless they agree in writing to a specific increase for added care, services or supplies.health.ny.gov
Under Public Health Law section 4656(7), signed February 14, 2025, an assisted living residence must post its monthly service rate and starting rent range in the facility and online.health.ny.gov
Each ALR must publish its Department-approved residency agreement, addenda and consumer summary on its public website.health.ny.gov
The Department of Health's Assisted Living Residence Quality page lists each ALR's website, address, cost of rent and summary of services, with its approved residency agreement and three quality measures.health.ny.gov
The three ALR quality measures are confirmed complaint allegations, direct caregiver staffing levels and food and dining violations.health.ny.gov
Florida: deficiencies, complaints and sanctions
Counts come from AHCA's assisted living comparison tool for its five-year period. Florida sorts each deficiency into a class by how much it could harm residents; class I is the most serious. AHCA notes that legal actions are issued to the licensee at the time the case began, so a facility that changed hands can carry actions from a former owner. The full inspection reports are on each facility's FloridaHealthFinder profile.
Class I: conditions AHCA finds present an imminent danger to residents or a substantial probability of death or serious physical or emotional harm. A fine is levied even when the problem is corrected.leg.state.fl.us
Class II: conditions that directly threaten residents' physical or emotional health, safety or security. A fine is levied even when the problem is corrected.leg.state.fl.us
Class III: conditions that indirectly or potentially threaten residents' health, safety or security. No fine if corrected within the time AHCA sets.leg.state.fl.us
Class IV: problems with operation, maintenance or required reports and forms that do not have the potential of negatively affecting residents.leg.state.fl.us
Unclassified violations are ones not designated class I to IV, such as violating a licence condition, exceeding licensed capacity or providing services beyond the scope of the licence.leg.state.fl.us
Memory care in Florida
Florida has no separate memory care licence. An extended congregate care (ECC) licence covers supervising residents with dementia. A FloridaHealthFinder profile that lists memory care among its special programs and services is not a licence or a state certification.
An extended congregate care (ECC) licence lets a resident age in place: on top of standard assisted living services it covers limited nursing services, total help with bathing, dressing and toileting, and supervision of residents with dementia.quality.healthfinder.fl.gov
AHCA's advice: before signing a contract, ask what special services and activities the facility has for people with dementia, how staff are trained for it, and how it keeps residents from wandering off.quality.healthfinder.fl.gov
Each Florida assisted living contract must set out the services, the rates or charges and at least 30 days' written notice of a rate increase.leg.state.fl.us
Florida does not set what assisted living costs: each facility sets its own fees, which vary with size, amenities, specialty licences, location and services.quality.healthfinder.fl.gov
Pennsylvania: assisted living residences and personal care homes
A personal care home is not an assisted living residence: Pennsylvania licenses the two under different rules (55 Pa. Code Chapter 2600 for personal care homes, Chapter 2800 for assisted living residences). The Department of Human Services posts each inspection or violation report as a document. We list the reports and their dates; we have not read the findings inside them, so nothing here judges what they say.
Pennsylvania personal care homes (PCHs) provide shelter, meals, supervision and help with personal care, typically for older people or people with physical, behavioral health or cognitive disabilities who cannot live safely at home but do not need 24-hour nursing care.pa.gov
Pennsylvania assisted living residences (ALRs) offer all the care a personal care home offers, but may serve people with higher care needs who still do not need 24-hour nursing care.pa.gov
The Department of Human Services licenses personal care homes under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2600 and assisted living residences under Chapter 2800.pa.gov
Pennsylvania licenses homes for as few as four people and as many as several hundred.pa.gov
The Department of Human Services inspects each personal care home and assisted living residence every year and investigates complaints and unusual incidents.pa.gov
Special care units
The DHS directory lists assisted living residences with a special care unit under its "Special Care/Secure Dementia Care Unit" category. The state's list of personal care homes does not say which homes have a secured dementia care unit; ask the home.
Personal care homes and assisted living residences are typically not covered by Medicaid in Pennsylvania, and each facility sets its own rates.pa.gov
When a page shows no price
California, Florida and Pennsylvania do not publish what assisted living homes charge, and New York posts starting rents only for licensed assisted living residences that filed a Consumer Summary. Ask the home for its full rate sheet, including care level fees and any one-time community fee, before you sign.
An RCFE must give residents or their representatives at least 90 days' written notice of a rate increase, with the amount and the reasons, including a description of the added costs. Increases due to a change in the resident's level of care are an exception.ahum.assembly.ca.gov
When the rate goes up because a resident's level of care changes, the RCFE must give written notice within two business days after it starts providing the new level of care.ahum.assembly.ca.gov
The admission agreement must describe what the basic fee covers, what it does not, billing and payment policies, and the conditions under which rates may be increased.ahum.assembly.ca.gov
An RCFE may not charge a preadmission fee or deposit, such as an application, admission or community fee, to a person on SSP (state supplementary payment) who applies for admission.ahum.assembly.ca.gov
If you have a concern
NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints. The state licensing agency investigates complaints about licensed homes, and the long-term care ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents.
Every state's long-term care ombudsman program works to resolve problems for people living in nursing homes, board and care and assisted living facilities, and other residential care communities.acl.gov
Nationally, the five most frequent ombudsman complaints in board and care and assisted living were about discharge or eviction, medications, food services, physical abuse and staffing.acl.gov
California's long-term care ombudsman programs advocate for residents of skilled nursing facilities and of 8,105 residential care facilities for the elderly.aging.ca.gov
California long-term care facilities must post the local ombudsman's number and the statewide hotline, 1-800-231-4024, which takes calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Ombudsman services are free and complaints are confidential.aging.ca.gov
New York's ombudsman program advocates for older adults and people with disabilities who live in nursing homes, assisted living and other licensed adult care homes.aging.ny.gov
To reach a New York long-term care ombudsman, call 1-855-582-6769.aging.ny.gov