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Minneapolis Senior Advisor

Senior care in the Twin Cities, explained by people who know the buildings

Free guidance for families across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Compare licensed assisted living, memory care, nursing and in-home care -- and find out what Minnesota actually pays for.

60 verified communities
20 cities covered
Free to your family
Quick answer

Minneapolis Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral service. We help you compare licensed communities, verify licensing through the Minnesota Department of Health, and understand what Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits actually cover.

Free to families — paid by communities, not by you
Local advisors who know these communities
Every license verified against state health department records
No obligation and no pressure to tour

The Twin Cities senior care market is genuinely fragmented -- five counties, a single regional Area Agency on Aging, and a Minnesota licensing law (Chapter 144G) that only took its current form in August 2021. Add in care-level fees that stack on top of a base rate, and the sticker price a community first quotes is rarely the number a family actually pays.

That is what this site is for. We publish what the Minnesota Department of Health actually requires, what the published cost data actually says, and which Twin Cities communities we have verified — then a local advisor helps you narrow it down. The service is free to your family because communities pay us when a family moves in. You should know that going in, which is why we say it here rather than in the footer.

Short answer

Minneapolis Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral service for families across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. We help you compare licensed assisted living, memory care, nursing and in-home care options, verify licensing through the Minnesota Department of Health, and understand what Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits will and will not pay for.

What senior care costs. Minnesota's CareScout-cited median is roughly $6,573/month for assisted living (unverified, third-party sourced) -- no metro-specific or memory-care figure exists anywhere. Read the full explanation →
How Minnesota licenses assisted living. Minnesota licenses assisted living under a single law, Chapter 144G, with two categories: assisted living facility, and assisted living facility with dementia care. Read the full explanation →

Types of senior care

Cities we cover

Questions families ask

What license does an assisted living facility need in Minnesota?

Every assisted living community in the Twin Cities must hold an Assisted Living Facility license issued by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 144G. This has been mandatory statewide since August 1, 2021, replacing the older, looser 'Housing with Services' registration model. Facilities must also employ an assisted living director credentialed by the Board of Executives for Long Term Services and Supports.

Does Minnesota require a special license for memory care?

Yes. Any community with a secured dementia care unit must hold the 'assisted living facility with dementia care' license category under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 2(b) — a base assisted living license is not enough. That license carries two extra legal requirements: dementia-specific staff training under Minn. Stat. 144G.83, and a mandatory written pre-admission disclosure under Minn. Stat. 325F.72.

How do I check if a facility is licensed in Minnesota?

Use the free MDH Health Care Provider Directory to search by provider type ('Assisted Living Facilities' or 'Assisted Living Facilities with Dementia Care'), city, or county — it shows current license status and the administrator of record. For a fuller quality picture, cross-check the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card (or the Nursing Home Report Card for skilled nursing), which shows resident health, safety, and staffing ratings from MDH surveys.

Is independent living the same as assisted living in Minnesota?

No. Independent living apartments or cooperatives are housing only, with no licensed care services, and are not regulated under Chapter 144G. Assisted living facilities, by contrast, must hold an MDH license because they deliver health-related and supportive services — help with bathing, medication management, mobility — to residents where they live.

What's the difference between an MDH complaint and a MAARC abuse report?

MDH's Office of Health Facility Complaints (651-201-4200 metro, 1-800-369-7994 greater Minnesota) handles concerns about a licensed facility's regulatory compliance — things like understaffing or unsafe conditions — during business hours. The Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center, or MAARC (1-844-880-1574), is the separate 24/7 statewide line for reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a specific vulnerable adult.

Will assisted living facilities in Minnesota be renamed or reclassified soon?

No reclassification is coming, but a new consumer-protection rule takes effect January 1, 2027: the term 'assisted living' becomes legally protected under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 5, meaning a community can only advertise or describe itself as 'assisted living' if it actually holds an MDH assisted living license under Chapter 144G.

Does an assisted living facility in Minnesota need a separate food service license?

No. Under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 3, facilities licensed as assisted living under Chapter 144G are not separately required to hold a boarding-establishment, food-and-beverage, hotel/motel, or restaurant license under Minnesota's general lodging and food code, Chapter 157. MDH's assisted living survey process covers that ground instead.

Who regulates home care agencies that send caregivers into a senior's home in the Twin Cities?

Home care providers in Minnesota are licensed and regulated by MDH, and complaints against a licensed home care agency go to the same Office of Health Facility Complaints line as facility complaints: 651-201-4200 (metro) or 1-800-369-7994 (greater Minnesota). No separate, dedicated home-care-only complaint hotline exists.

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