Tennessee

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Home for the Aged
Resident capacity: No maximum. Check with City/County for specific limitations.
Staff ratios: The staffing pattern must ensure that there is a minimum of one (1) attendant, awake, on duty and physically located on the unit twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week at all times;
Cost of licensing: < 6 residents is $390, 6-24 residents is $1040
Bedroom square footage: A minimum of eighty (80) square feet of bedroom space must be provided each resident. No bedroom shall have more than two (2) beds. Privacy screens or curtains must be provided and used when required by the resident
Memory care: A home for the aged shall not admit or retain residents who pose a clearly documented danger to themselves or to other residents in the home. Persons in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders may be admitted only after it has been determined by an interdisciplinary team that care can appropriately and safely be given in the facility. The interdisciplinary team must review such persons at least quarterly as to the appropriateness of placement in the facility. The interdisciplinary team shall consist of, at a minimum, a physician experienced in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, a social worker, a registered nurse, and a family member (or patient care advocate).

Full requirements

Regulatory Agency: Tennessee Department of Health
Contact Phone Number: 615-741-7221
Licensure Term(s): Home for the Aged
Census Requirements: No maximum. Check with City/County for specific limitations.
Qualifications for Managers: Each home must have an administrator who shall be certified by the board, unless the administrator is currently licensed in Tennessee as a nursing home administrator pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-16-101, et seq. (4) An applicant for certification as a home for the aged administrator shall meet the following requirements: (a) Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and a high school graduate or the holder of a general equivalency diploma. (b) Must not have been convicted of a criminal offense involving the abuse or intentional neglect of an elderly or vulnerable individual.
Qualifications for Managers (continued): (c) Must submit an application, on a form provided by the department, and a fee of one hundred eighty dollars ($180) prior to issuance or renewal of a certificate. All certificates shall expire biennially on June 30, thereafter. (d) Biennial renewal of certification is required. The renewal application and fee of one hundred eighty dollars ($180) shall be submitted with written proof of attendance, during the period prior to renewal, of at least twenty-four (24) classroom hours of continuing education courses. The initial biennial re-certification expiration date of Home for the Aged administrator candidates who receive their initial administrator certification between the dates of January 1 and June 30 of any year will be extended to two (2) years plus the additional months remaining in the fiscal year. The extension applies only to the first biennial certification period for any such administrator and may only be applied when there are less than six (6) months remaining in the State fiscal year.
Qualifications for Caregivers: Each home for the aged shall: (a) Have an identified responsible attendant and a sufficient number of employees to meet the needs of the residents. The responsible attendant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and able to comply with these rules. (b) Have a responsible awake attendant on the premises at all times.
Staff Ratios: The staffing pattern must ensure that there is a minimum of one (1) attendant, awake, on duty and physically located on the unit twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week at all times;
Cost of Licensing: < 6 residents is $390, 6-24 residents is $1040
Square Footage Requirements: A minimum of eighty (80) square feet of bedroom space must be provided each resident. No bedroom shall have more than two (2) beds. Privacy screens or curtains must be provided and used when required by the resident
Bathrooms Required: Each toilet, lavatory, bath or shower shall serve no more than six (6) persons. Grab bars and non-slip surfaces shall be installed at tubs and showers.
Memory Care Requirements: A home for the aged shall not admit or retain residents who pose a clearly documented danger to themselves or to other residents in the home. Persons in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders may be admitted only after it has been determined by an interdisciplinary team that care can appropriately and safely be given in the facility. The interdisciplinary team must review such persons at least quarterly as to the appropriateness of placement in the facility. The interdisciplinary team shall consist of, at a minimum, a physician experienced in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, a social worker, a registered nurse, and a family member (or patient care advocate).