Assisted Living in Tucson: A Plain Guide for Families

Assisted living is for people who need daily help but not a hospital or nursing home. Residents have their own room, meals, help with bathing, dressing and medications, and staff nearby day and night.

Arizona's three levels of care

Every assisted living facility in Arizona is licensed by the Department of Health Services for one or more levels:

• Supervisory care. General oversight and help with medications for people who are mostly independent.
• Personal care. Hands-on help with bathing, dressing, eating, and getting around.
• Directed care. For people who can't recognize danger or direct their own care, often because of dementia.

Ask which levels a home is licensed for. A home licensed for all three can usually keep caring for someone as their needs change, which avoids a second move.

Homes and centers

Arizona calls a facility with ten or fewer residents an assisted living home and one with eleven or more an assisted living center. Centers range from small residential buildings to campuses with hundreds of apartments. The license type tells you little about daily life, so visit and look at how many residents each caregiver is responsible for.

How pricing works

Some communities charge a base rent plus fees for each care service. Others charge one all-inclusive monthly rate. When you compare, ask for the total you would pay for your loved one's actual needs, and ask how and when rates increase. For how families pay, see private pay vs. Medicaid in Arizona.

How to check a facility

• Look up its license and inspection reports on the state's AZ Care Check website.
• Visit more than once, including at a mealtime.
• Ask who is on site overnight and whether they are awake.
• Talk to families of current residents if you can.

Heritage Oaks in brief

Heritage Oaks is two family-owned homes with 16 and 17 private suites on the St. Joseph's Hospital campus in Tucson. We are licensed for supervisory, personal, and directed care, and pricing is all-inclusive. Bring these tour questions and book a private tour.