Nursing homes and assisted living in Alabama

Alabama has an easy-to-remember state line for older adults and their families: 1-800-AGE-LINE. With that number and the official names for each type of residence, finding help is easier.

What care settings are called here

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) licenses these places through its Bureau of Health Provider Standards:

• Assisted Living Facility: this is assisted living. It provides housing and personal care to people who need support in daily life. Depending on its size, it can be Group (3 to 16 residents) or Congregate (17 or more). Family facilities are small homes that were already licensed before October 2015. No new licenses of this type have been issued since then.
• Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility: assisted living with a special license and trained staff for people with memory loss or dementia (memory care).
• Nursing Home: a nursing home, with medical, nursing or rehab care every day.

The ADPH has a facility directory and a page with inspection results. These are standard tools for getting to know each place before you decide.

How Medicaid helps in Alabama

The Alabama Medicaid Agency pays for nursing home care for people who qualify. It also offers programs for care at home and in the community, which it runs together with the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS):

• Elderly and Disabled (E&D) Waiver: personal care, help with housework, respite care, adult day care, companion services and home-delivered meals.
• Personal Choices: lets the person or their family direct their own services.
• Alabama Community Transition (ACT): helps people who live in a nursing home move back to the community.

Where to start: call your local Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-243-5463. They will explain the requirements and help you with the application.

How much care costs in Alabama

According to CareScout's Cost of Care Survey 2025, with data from July to November 2025, these are the state medians:

• Assisted living (private room, one bedroom): $4,425 a month.
• Nursing home, semi-private room: $274 a day (about $8,334 a month).
• Nursing home, private room: $289 a day.
• In-home caregiver (non-medical): $27 an hour.
• Adult day center (adult day health care): $58 a day.

Alabama is among the states with the lowest assisted living costs in the country.

Who to call

• Long-Term Care Ombudsman (a free advocate for residents of nursing homes, assisted living and specialty care residences): 1-800-243-5463 or 334-242-5753.
• 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463): the ADSS statewide line. It connects you with your Area Agency on Aging and resource center (ADRC), known as "One Door Alabama." The state has 13 local agencies.
• Eldercare Locator (national line): 1-800-677-1116.

Tips for your family

• If there is memory loss, look for a Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility. Its rules and staff are designed for that kind of care.
• Think about size. A Group residence has up to 16 residents, and a Congregate residence has 17 or more. Visit both and see which one feels better for your loved one.
• Ask for support as a caregiver. The Alabama CARES program helps family members who care for people 60 and older, whatever their income. Respite funds are limited and go first to those who need them most.
• Call AGE-LINE first. They can guide you on Medicaid, adult day centers and other services in your county.

This is general information and does not replace medical or legal advice.