Is every assisted living facility in Alabama licensed?
Every facility operating as assisted living in Alabama must hold an ADPH license under chapter 420-5-4, or chapter 420-5-20 for specialty care; you can confirm any license in ADPH's Health Care Facilities Directory.
Our assisted living roster republishes the directory for the seven counties.
How often does Alabama inspect assisted living?
Alabama's rule lets the State Board of Health inspect each licensed ALF at whatever intervals it directs and does not set a fixed cycle, so the time between posted surveys varies by facility; complaints can prompt visits at any time.
Across the 60 ALF and SCALF licenses in the seven counties, the newest posted ADPH survey report is a median of 2.4 years old.
What does it mean if a facility has no posted inspection reports?
It can mean the facility is new, that surveys found no deficiencies to post, or that ADPH has not visited recently; ask the facility for its most recent survey, which Alabama rules require it to keep posted.
Our facility pages show how many survey reports ADPH has posted and the newest date.
Are Alabama inspection reports public?
Yes. Under rule 420-5-4-.01(4)(b), statements of deficiencies from on-site inspections and the plans of correction are public, and ADPH posts them in its online Deficiencies application.
See how to read them.
Does CMS rate Alabama assisted living?
No. CMS star ratings cover Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes; assisted living and SCALFs are state-licensed only, so ADPH's survey reports are the main public quality record.
We do not create our own ratings.
What is the difference between an ADPH D number and P number?
ADPH facility IDs beginning with D belong to regular assisted living facilities and those beginning with P to specialty care assisted living facilities; a campus with both kinds of beds holds one of each.
Nursing home IDs begin with N, home health with A, hospice with E and hospitals with H on the same directory.
Why might a facility have two ADPH licenses at one address?
Because Alabama licenses regular assisted living and specialty care separately, a campus with an assisted living building and a memory care wing holds an ALF license and a SCALF license at the same address, each with its own bed count and inspection record.
Our facility pages link the two when they share an address.
How do we report a facility that is operating without a license?
Report it to ADPH's Bureau of Health Provider Standards; for assisted living, the complaint hotline is 1-866-873-0366, and if a person is in danger, call 911 or DHR's Adult Abuse Hotline at 1-800-458-7214.
Unlicensed homes are a real risk because no one inspects staffing, medications or fire safety.
