Nursing Homes and Senior Care in Minnesota

Nursing Homes by City in Minnesota

The Minnesota cities with the most CMS-certified nursing homes. All 236 cities are listed below the table. Homes in Minnesota average 4.2 hours of nursing care per resident per day; the national median is 3.7 hours.

5-Star Nursing Homes in Minnesota

Homes with CMS's top overall rating, ordered by inspection rating. See all highest-rated nursing homes in Minnesota.

Assisted Living in Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Health Regulation Division licenses assisted living in Minnesota. License types: Assisted Living Facility, Assisted Living Facility with Dementia Care, Provisional Assisted Living Facility and Provisional Assisted Living Facility with Dementia Care. Use the state's search to check a community's license and inspection history.

• Minnesota assisted living facility search
• Minnesota assisted living rules
• Minnesota assisted living licensing (Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Health Regulation Division)

Memory Care Rules in Minnesota

Minnesota's term is "Assisted Living Facility with Dementia Care", a separate license or certification. Facilities must give families a written disclosure of their dementia care services.

• The label "Assisted Living Facility with Dementia Care" must be identified on the license, and the commissioner conducts an on-site inspection before issuing the license to ensure compliance with the physical environment requirements (Minn. Stat. 144G.80, subd. 2).
• If the applicant's assisted living director and clinical nurse supervisor do not have experience managing residents with dementia, the applicant must employ a consultant for at least the first six months of operation (Minn. Stat. 144G.80, subd. 2).
• An assisted living facility with dementia care providing services in a secured dementia care unit must have an awake person physically present in the secured dementia care unit 24 hours per day, seven days per week (Minn. Stat. 144G.81, subd. 4).
• Facilities with dementia care and a secured dementia care unit must meet the 2018 edition of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, Healthcare (limited care) chapter; facilities with dementia care must perform and mitigate a safety risk assessment and be protected throughout by an approved supervised automatic sprinkler system by August 1, 2029 (Minn. Stat. 144G.81).
• The assisted living director must complete at least ten hours of annual continuing education related to the care of individuals with dementia (Minn. Stat. 144G.82, subd. 2).
• The licensee must develop policies on its dementia care philosophy, behavioral symptoms and nonpharmacological supports, wandering and egress prevention, medication management including psychotropic medications, dementia staff training, life enrichment programs, family support programs, and more, and provide them to residents and their legal and designated representatives at move-in (Minn. Stat. 144G.82, subd. 3).
• Only dementia-trained staff instructed in the person-centered care approach may be assigned to care for residents with dementia; staffing levels must meet scheduled and unscheduled needs, and nighttime staffing must be based on residents' sleep patterns and needs (Minn. Stat. 144G.83, subd. 1).
• In assisted living facilities with dementia care, direct-care staff must complete at least eight hours of initial dementia training within 80 working hours of the employment start date, and at least two hours of dementia training and one hour of mental illness and de-escalation training for each 12 months of employment thereafter (Minn. Stat. 144G.64).
• Direct care dementia-trained staff and other staff with direct contact with residents of a dementia care licensee must receive training on understanding cognitive impairment and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and on standards of dementia care including person-centered, evidence-informed nonpharmacological practices (Minn. R. 4659.0190, subp. 3).

• Minnesota memory care rules

Medicaid Long-Term Care in Minnesota

Minnesota's Medicaid program is Medical Assistance (MA). For nursing home Medicaid (2026), the state lists an asset limit of MA Elderly, Blind, Disabled: $3,000 for a single person; $6,000 for household of two, plus $200 for each dependent. Residents keep a personal needs allowance of Clothing and Personal Needs Allowance $132 (January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026).

• Elderly Waiver (EW): in-home care, adult day, respite and assisted living. Must be age 65 or older, be eligible for Medical Assistance, meet nursing home level of care as determined by a MnCHOICES assessment, and need services that Elderly Waiver can provide for less than the cost of care in a nursing home. Counties, tribal entities and managed care organizations administer the program. Services include adult day services, adult foster care, family caregiver services, home care services, homemaker, personal care assistance (PCA)/Community First Services and Supports (CFSS), and respite. The Special Income Standard used for certain Elderly Waiver criteria is $2,982 (January 1 to December 31, 2026).

• Medical Assistance (MA) nursing facility coverage
• Minnesota Medicaid long-term care limits

Nursing Home Inspections and Complaints in Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Health Regulation Division inspects nursing homes in Minnesota for CMS. To file a complaint, call Office of Health Facility Complaints 651-201-4200; Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) 844-880-1574 (toll free) for suspected maltreatment or use the state's complaint page.

• Minnesota nursing home inspection lookup
• File a nursing home complaint in Minnesota

Minnesota Long-Term Care Ombudsman

The Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care (OOLTC) is a free, confidential advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. Ombudsmen help with complaints, residents' rights and problems with care. Call 1-800-657-3591.

• Contact the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care (OOLTC)

Aging Services and Caregiver Support in Minnesota

Minnesota Board on Aging runs Minnesota's aging services, delivered through local Area Agencies on Aging. Family caregivers can get help through Family Caregiving (Minnesota Board on Aging).

• Minnesota aging services: Minnesota Board on Aging
• Caregiver support in Minnesota: Family Caregiving (Minnesota Board on Aging)

Guides for Your Next Step

See how to choose a nursing home, what memory care is, how Medicaid pays for nursing home care and what Medicare covers. For local help, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Frequently Asked Questions