How families pay for care. Minnesota's Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care programs pay for care services -- never room and board -- and VA Aid and Attendance can add tax-free monthly income for eligible veterans. Read the full explanation →
Private pay, Minnesota's Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care programs, VA Aid and Attendance, and long-term care insurance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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