Nursing Homes and Senior Care in Tennessee

Nursing Homes by City in Tennessee

The Tennessee cities with the most CMS-certified nursing homes. All 159 cities are listed below the table. Homes in Tennessee average 3.8 hours of nursing care per resident per day; the national median is 3.7 hours.

5-Star Nursing Homes in Tennessee

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

Assisted Living in Tennessee

Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, Division of Licensure and Regulation licenses assisted living in Tennessee. License types: Assisted-Care Living Facility and Home for the Aged. Use the state's search to check a community's license and inspection history.

• Tennessee assisted living facility search
• Tennessee assisted living rules
• Tennessee assisted living licensing (Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, Division of Licensure and Regulation)

Memory Care Rules in Tennessee

Tennessee's term is "Secured unit"; it isn't a separate license, but rules apply to facilities that offer dementia care.

• Rule 0720-26-.01(37): "Secured unit" means a distinct part of an ACLF where the residents are intentionally denied egress except as is necessary to comply with life safety requirements.
• An ACLF utilizing secured units shall provide survey staff, at its annual survey, with twelve months of performance information specific to the secured unit and its residents (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)).
• Documentation that an interdisciplinary team of at least a physician, a registered nurse, and a family member (or patient care advocate) has evaluated each secured resident prior to admittance to the unit (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)(a)).
• Ongoing documentation that each resident's interdisciplinary team has performed a quarterly review as to the appropriateness of placement in the secured unit (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)(b)).
• A staffing pattern that ensures a minimum of one attendant, awake, on duty, and physically located on the unit twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, at all times, recorded daily (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)(e)).
• A formulated calendar of daily group activities, including a resident attendance record for the previous three months (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)(f)).
• Documentation that 100% of the staff working on the unit receives annual in-service training including basic facts about the causes, progression and management of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders; dealing with dysfunctional behavior and catastrophic reactions; identifying and alleviating safety risks; assistance with activities of daily living; and communicating with families (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)(h)).
• Current listings of deaths and hospitalizations with diagnoses, unusual incidents and complications, and incidences of decubitus and nosocomial infections on the unit (Rule 0720-26-.08(9)(c), (d), (g)).

• Tennessee memory care rules

Medicaid Long-Term Care in Tennessee

Tennessee's Medicaid program is TennCare. For nursing home Medicaid (2026), the state lists an income limit of $2,982 per month for 2026 (three times the SSI Federal Benefit limit; changes annually) and an asset limit of $2,000 (The home where you live doesn't count).

• CHOICES: in-home care, adult day, respite and assisted living. Group 2 is for adults age 21 and older with a physical disability and seniors age 65 and older who qualify for nursing home care but choose home care instead. Group 3 is for those at risk of needing nursing home care; as of October 1, 2022, based on current appropriations, there is an enrollment target of 1,750 for non-SSI recipients. Benefit table limits: Adult Day Care 2,080 hours per calendar year; In-Home Respite Care 216 hours per calendar year; Inpatient Respite Care 9 days per calendar year; Personal Care Visits up to 2,580 hours per calendar year; Assisted Care Living Facility (room and board paid by the member) for Groups 2 and 3. Apply through the local Area Agency on Aging and Disability, 1-866-836-6678.
• OPTIONS for Community Living: in-home care. State-funded, not Medicaid. For Tennessee residents age 18 or older who meet Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living limitation requirements. No income eligibility requirement; a sliding fee scale based on income applies. Services include homemaker services, personal care and home-delivered meals, based on availability and level of need.

• TennCare nursing facility coverage
• Tennessee Medicaid long-term care limits

Nursing Home Inspections and Complaints in Tennessee

Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, Division of Licensure and Regulation inspects nursing homes in Tennessee for CMS. To file a complaint, call 1-877-287-0010 or use the state's complaint page.

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

Tennessee Long-Term Care Ombudsman

The Tennessee Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. Ombudsmen help with complaints, residents' rights and problems with care. Call 877-236-0013.

• Contact the Tennessee Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Aging Services and Caregiver Support in Tennessee

Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging runs Tennessee's aging services, delivered through local Area Agencies on Aging. Family caregivers can get help through National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). Adult day services are licensed or certified by Tennessee Department of Human Services.

• Tennessee aging services: Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging
• Area Agencies on Aging in Tennessee
• Caregiver support in Tennessee: National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)
• Tennessee adult day services

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