Choosing an assisted living community is one of the most consequential decisions a family makes — and the information that should guide it is scattered across state agencies, in formats that are hard to compare. Senior Care Report Card pulls that official oversight data together and turns it into a single, plain-English safety signal for every residence we cover, so you can compare communities on the record rather than on the brochure.
Browse assisted living by state
Assisted living guides
How our AL Safety Signal works
Every rated residence gets an AL Safety Signal — a single score from 0 to 100 derived only from the official oversight data its state publishes. We don’t survey families or accept payment for placement; the number reflects the public record, nothing else. Higher is better, and each score maps to a plain-English band:
- Strong (80–100). A clean or near-clean record on the measures the state reports.
- Reassuring (60–79). A solid record with only minor issues.
- Mixed (45–59). A record with notable findings worth asking about on a tour.
- Serious Concern (25–44). Repeated or significant problems in the public data.
- Critical Concern (0–24). The most serious pattern of findings on record.
What feeds the signal depends on what each state makes public — some publish quality-measure ratings, others publish inspection and deficiency histories. Each residence’s page shows exactly which data drove its score and links back to the state source, so you can verify every number yourself.
What to look for when choosing assisted living
- The inspection record, not just the marketing. Ask to see the most recent state inspection and how any findings were corrected.
- How care is priced. A low base rate can carry high add-on care fees. Our guide to assisted living costs explains what to compare.
- How you’ll pay over time. Most families combine private funds with benefits; see whether the community accepts a Medicaid waiver.
- Staffing and turnover. Ask about caregiver-to-resident ratios and how long the leadership team has been in place.