Nursing homes and assisted living in Utah

If you are looking for a care setting for your mom, your dad, or another loved one in Utah, this guide helps you understand the official names, how Medicaid can help, and who to call for free guidance.

What care settings are called here

In Utah, care settings are licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through its licensing office (Division of Licensing and Background Checks). These are the names you will hear:

• Assisted Living Facility Type I: assisted living for people who can get out of the building on their own in an emergency. They get help with daily living and social activities.
• Assisted Living Facility Type II: assisted living for people who need more support, including a little help getting out in an emergency. These places must have a certified nurse aide on duty 24 hours a day.
• Small Health Care Facility (Type N): another type of licensed place that you will see named in Medicaid programs.
• Nursing Care Facility: a nursing home, with nursing care 24 hours a day.

Assisted living residences can be small, almost like a house, or large, with many apartments. The license type (I or II) tells you what level of help the place can offer.

How Medicaid helps in Utah

Utah Medicaid pays for nursing home care for people who meet the medical and financial requirements. There are also two Medicaid waiver programs that help people get care outside a nursing home:

• New Choices Waiver: for people who need a nursing home level of care and who already live in a nursing home, a licensed assisted living facility, or a Type N facility. There is a minimum length of stay. It helps with services in the community, including assisted living; the person still pays for their own room and board. Phone: 1-800-662-9651, option 6 (in the Salt Lake area, 801-538-6155, option 6).
• Aging Waiver (for people 65 or older): helps people get services at home. The first step is your county's Area Agency on Aging.

To apply for Medicaid, visit medicaid.utah.gov. For eligibility questions, call 1-866-435-7414.

How much care costs in Utah

According to the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (tables published on March 2, 2026), the median costs in Utah are:

• Assisted living (private one-bedroom apartment): $5,475 a month.
• Nursing home, semi-private room: $285 a day (about $8,669 a month).
• Nursing home, private room: $350 a day (about $10,646 a month).
• In-home caregiver (non-medical): $39 an hour.
• Adult day center: $140 a day.

Assisted living in Utah comes in below the national median ($6,200 a month). Even so, prices vary a lot by city and level of care.

Who to call

• Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS): 801-538-3910. They can give you the contact for your county's Area Agency on Aging.
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman: in Utah, each county has its own ombudsman, a free advocate for residents. For example, in Salt Lake County the number is 385-468-3255. You can reach the state office at 385-222-1273. See the list by county.
• Eldercare Locator (national): 1-800-677-1116.

Tips for your family

• Ask about the license type. If your loved one has trouble walking or getting out alone in an emergency, ask whether the place has a Type II license.
• For memory care, ask whether the residence has a secure unit for people with Alzheimer's or dementia.
• If you plan to use New Choices, first check with the program how long a stay is required before you apply.
• Ask for it in writing: what the rate includes and what is charged separately.
• Always confirm with the agency, because Medicaid requirements change. This page is for general information and does not replace advice from a professional.

On hogaresparamayores.com, you can see the care places in Utah below and compare options near you.