What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living facilities are for individuals who need some level of care monitoring services but choose to live in a setting without 24-hour access to nursing services.
Wisconsin licenses, certifies, registers and regulates four types of assisted living facilities and programs:
- Adult Day Care (ADC)
- Adult Family Home (AFH)
- Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF)
- Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC)
Looking for an Assisted Living Facility?
Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC): ADRCs provide information on broad range of programs and services, help people understand the various long term care options available to them, help people apply for programs and benefits, and serve as the access point for publicly-funded long term care. These services can be provided at the ADRC, via telephone, or through a home visit, whichever is more convenient to the individual seeking help.
County-By-County Directories of Wisconsin Residential Care Providers: Locate a health or residential care provider in a specific county.
DHS Provider Search: Locate a health or residential care provider and obtain compliance history information.
Statewide Assisted Living Directories
Glossary of Terms Used in the Assisted Living Directories
- Adult Day Care (ADC) Directory (PDF)
- Adult Day Care (ADC) Excel Directory (Excel)
- Adult Family Home (AFH) Directory (PDF)
- Adult Family Home (AFH) Excel Directory (Excel)
- Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF) Directory (PDF)
- Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF) Excel Directory (Excel)
- Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC) Directory (PDF)
- Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC) Excel Directory (Excel)
Compliance Information
Choosing Wisconsin Residential Care Options: Learn more about the compliance history of individual facilities for the four assisted living provider types regulated by the Department of Health Services (DHS).
DHS Provider Search: Locate a health or residential care provider and obtain compliance history information.
Assisted Living Facility Survey Guide, P-63186 (PDF)
Complaints Regarding Wisconsin Health and Residential Care Providers
If any individual believes that a caregiver or Division of Quality Assurance regulated provider has violated state or federal laws pertaining to regulated entities, that individual has the right to file a complaint.
Client Rights
Wisconsin Client Rights: Anyone who is receiving services for mental illness, a developmental disability, or substance abuse in the state of Wisconsin has specific rights under Wis. Stat. ch. 51 (State Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Developmental Disability and Mental Health Act) subsections 51.30 and 51.61.
Advance Directives: An advance directive describes, in writing, your choices about the treatments you want or do not want or about how health care decisions should be made for you if you become incapacitated and cannot express your wishes.
Resources for Choosing an Assisted Living Facility
DHS does not refer residents for placement in assisted living facilities. The links below to state and national resources may be useful in selecting an assisted living facility.
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Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC): ADRCs provide information on broad range of programs and services, help people understand the various long term care options available to them, help people apply for programs and benefits, and serve as the access point for publicly-funded long term care. These services can be provided at the ADRC, via telephone, or through a home visit, whichever is more convenient to the individual seeking help.
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The Board on Aging and Long Term Care advocates for the interests of Wisconsin's long term care consumers, informs those consumers of their rights and educates the public about health care systems and long term care. The Board also operates the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Volunteer Ombudsman Program and Medigap Helpline Services.
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Alzheimer's Association: Choosing Care Providers
More Help
Wisconsin Coalition for Collaborative Excellence in Assisted Living (WCCEAL) is a coalition that is dedicated to improving the outcomes of individuals living in Wisconsin's assisted living facilities.
Caregiver Center from the Alzheimer's Association, provides online resources and a telephone helpline that can help you determine your care needs and care options.
Thinking of Moving to an Assisted Living Residence? This guide from the Coalition of Institutionalized Aged and Disabled and the Nursing Home Community Coalition of New York State provides those thinking of moving to an assisted living residence with questions to ask and things to consider.
