Free senior care guidance for Twin Cities families. No cost to you, ever.
Call (651) 390-4719
Minneapolis Senior AdvisorTwin Cities • Trusted • Free

Assisted Living in your area

Help with daily activities in a state-licensed community, with meals, housekeeping and medication assistance included. In Minnesota this is the Assisted Living Facility license issued by the Minnesota Department of Health under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 144G.

Quick answer

Minnesota regulates assisted living under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 144G (or Chapter 144A for nursing homes).

HomeServicesAssisted Living

Assisted living is for someone who is largely independent but needs a reliable hand with the everyday things — bathing, dressing, medications, meals, getting to appointments. In Minnesota this is the Assisted Living Facility license, issued by the Minnesota Department of Health under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 144G — a single license category, not tiered by resident acuity or evacuation ability the way some states are.

Short answer

We list 43 verified assisted living providers across your metro. Assisted living is for someone who is largely independent but needs a reliable hand with the everyday things — bathing, dressing, medications, meals, getting to appointments.

Three things worth knowing first

  • Ask which services are included in the base rate versus billed as a separate care level.
  • Ask whether the community holds a Medicaid waiver provider agreement (Minnesota's Elderly Waiver) and how many current residents use it.
  • Ask what happens if your parent's needs exceed the community's admission/retention limits under Chapter 144G.
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 →

Verified assisted living across the region

We list 43 verified assisted living providers across your metro. The full table with addresses and counties lives in the directory.

See all 43 in the directory →

Assisted Living by city

Questions families ask

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.

What is the Elderly Waiver and what does it cover?

The Elderly Waiver (EW) is Minnesota's Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver for seniors 65+ who are Medical Assistance eligible and assessed via MnCHOICES as needing a nursing-facility level of care. It covers personal care assistance, homemaker services, home health aide, case management, adult day services, respite care, home-delivered meals, and — inside licensed assisted living — 'customized living' or '24-hour customized living' service packages, but it never pays room and board.

What is Alternative Care and how is it different from the Elderly Waiver?

Alternative Care (AC) is a Minnesota state-funded program — no federal Medicaid match — for seniors who need Elderly-Waiver-equivalent services but aren't yet financially eligible for Medical Assistance. It uses largely the same service array and cost cap as EW and is designed to delay or prevent a Medicaid spend-down or nursing home placement, while EW itself requires the person to already be MA-eligible.

Not sure where to start?

Answer five questions and a local advisor will come back with senior care options in your area that actually fit your situation and budget. It is free, and there is no obligation.

Find care options
Find senior care — free