Massachusetts Assisted Living

SeniorLiving FAQ

In this research guide you will learn how to get a COMPLETE, non-commercial, Statewide list of Assisted Living & Senior Care Facilities Provided by the State of Massachusetts.

As of this writing, there are 254 Licensed Assisted Living Residences in Massachusetts.  We’ll show you how to learn about any, or all of them!

We are pleased to say that Massachusetts has “upped it’s game” in recent years in terms of providing facility information for Assisted Living and other Long-Term Care models through official state resources and websites.

Until fairly recently, Massachusetts was very, very basic in terms of information and records provided to the public.  That has changed, and here we’ll show you how to research Assisted Living without having to stumble through the maze of (often questionable and unreliable) commercial Senior Living sites out there.

How To Find Assisted Living in Massachusetts Using State Resources and Data

Does this look juicy (it’s a screenshot)?

Massachusetts Assisted Living

Massachusetts’s Safest Facilities:


Safe Facilities

Yes, this looks like something you’d find on an Ad-heavy typical Senior Living site found on the internet.   However, this is straight off of the Official State of Massachusetts website.   You can Search for Assisted Living Statewide, Learn About Assisted Living, or even learn How To Open An Assisted Living Residence in Massachusetts

A One-Stop Shop for Assisted Living!

FINDING ASSISTED LIVING is easy – simply going to the Search Page for Assisted Living Residences (or, ALR’s), you’ll be greeted to a robust list of facilities and information that looks like this:

ALF List

Right off the bat, you will have access to:

  1. A Direct Phone Number (most Senior Living sites don’t include a direct number)
  2. Facility Name and Address
  3. Total Number of Units
  4. Number of Traditional Units
  5. Number of Special Care Units
  6. Whether the Facility has Low Income Options (Affordable Assisted Living)

You can use the Search Function/Bar at the top to narrow down your results by City, Zip Code, Facility Name and whether the facility is Wheelchair Accessible.

This amount of data alone is more than a lot of sites offer, and you can bet that it is trustworthy, honest and updated frequently, as it is provided by the State of Massachusetts, and has no underlying commercial motive.

Clicking on a facility brings you to a Facility-Specific page, with a great deal more about the facility.  The facility page looks like this:

ALR 1

ALR 2

Additional Information Provided on the Facility Specific Pages Includes:

  • The Facility’s Website / URL If Available
  • Map of the Facility’s Location
  • Hours of Operation
  • Parking Information
  • Ownership Information
  • When The Facility Opened
  • Whether Co-Located with a Nursing Home

This is an amazing amount of information all in one place.    Especially since the Facility’s website is included, you should be able to assess, from this page, whether a facility might be a good candidate for you or your loved one.

Downloadable / Printable List of Assisted Living Facilities

If “To the Point” is more your style or needs, you can download a list (Alphabetically, or by Location) of Assisted Living Facilities in Massachusetts by going to the following page:

https://www.mass.gov/lists/downloadable-lists-of-assisted-living-residences-in-massachusetts

These lists come in Excel (spreadsheet) format.  This is great if you want to be able to sort, add or remove columns or fields, and make notes.

Excel List

Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Massachusetts

Similar to the Assisted Living section, the State of Massachusetts also offers a section dedicated to Continuing Care Retirement Communities.   The section includes a description of CCRC’s, which “provide housing, services, and health care at one location. They offer the services necessary for you to “age in place.” As your health needs change, you are able to remain at the retirement community.”

CCRC Massachusetts

Down below you will have access to a list of the State’s CCRC’s.  This list looks similar to the ALR’s above.

 

CCRC's in Massachusetts

Map Search for Assisted Living Facilities

If you are a visual person, like me, you may want to use the Facility Map Tool which looks like this:

Facility Map Tool

You can zoom into the area/city that you wish to find Assisted Living in, and select a facility by clicking on a “Pin” to reveal more information about that facility.  The “Pin” view will look like this:

Pin View

Assisted Living Rules and Regulations in Massachusetts

The general public is welcome to, and can easily peruse the Certification Procedures, Rules and Regulations (Standards) for Assisted Living Residences in Massachusetts.  

These Rules and Regulations come in a .PDF Document, which outlines the following areas:

12.01: Scope and Purpose

12.02: Definitions

12.03: Certification

12.04: General Requirements for an Assisted Living Residence

12.05: Record Requirements

12.06: Staffing Requirements

12.07: Training Requirements

12.08: Resident Rights and Required Disclosures

12.09: Compliance Reviews of Assisted Living Residences

12.10: Administrative Review: Procedure

12.11: Right of Entry by EOEA and Contracting Agencies

12.12: Penalties for Uncertified Operation

12.13: Advisory Council

12.14: Inapplicability of Certain Laws and Regulations to Assisted Living Residences

Definition of Assisted Living

Section 12:02 outlines how the State of Massachusetts Defines Assisted Living:

“Assisted Living Residence or Residence. Any entity, however organized, whether conducted for profit or not for profit, which meets all of the following criteria: (a) provides room and board; and (b) provides, directly by its employees or through arrangements with another organization which the entity may or may not control or own, Personal Care Services for three or more adults who are not related by consanguinity or affinity to their care provider; and (c) collects payments or third party reimbursements from or on behalf of Residents to pay for the provision of assistance with the Activities of Daily Living, or arranges for the same.”

Knowing how a State defines Assisted Living is important, since the definition can vary (sometimes widely) from state-to-state.  

Additional Resources

Massachusetts Assisted Living Association – The MALA also provides a “Search For An Assisted Living Residence” feature that is a helpful addition to, or alternative to the search methods outlined above.

Massachusetts Residents:


Availability

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