West Tennessee vs East Arkansas Senior Living: Licensure and Placement Rules
West Tennessee vs East Arkansas senior living is two licensing systems: Tennessee's Health Facilities Commission licenses assisted-care living facilities and homes for the aged; Arkansas's Office of Long Term Care licenses assisted living at Level I or Level II, and Living Choices pays only in Level II. See Levels of Care Explained: What Tennessee Licenses Each As.
West Tennessee and East Arkansas license senior living differently. Tennessee's Health Facilities Commission licenses assisted-care living facilities and residential homes for the aged; Arkansas's Office of Long Term Care licenses assisted living facilities at Level I or Level II, and Arkansas Medicaid's Living Choices program pays only in Level II.
What this page recommends
West Tennessee and East Arkansas license senior living differently.
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Arkansas licenses assisted living facilities as Level I or Level II through the DHS Office of Long Term Care; licensed Level II facilities may enroll as Living Choices Assisted Living providers, and Living Choices participants pay room and board. Reviewed 2026-10-13.
Read the full guide on Memphis Senior Care Homes
More Memphis-area city pages
Memphis Senior Care Homes lists licensed communities city by city across Shelby County, DeSoto County and Crittenden County.
West Tennessee vs East Arkansas at a glance
Shelby County is Tennessee; West Memphis and Marion are in Crittenden County, Arkansas.
| Question | West Tennessee (Shelby County) | East Arkansas (Crittenden County) |
|---|---|---|
| Who licenses | Tennessee Health Facilities Commission | Arkansas DHS Office of Long Term Care |
| License categories | Assisted-Care Living Facility; Residential Home for the Aged | Assisted Living Facility Level I; Level II |
| Medicaid help for assisted living | TennCare CHOICES (services only) | Living Choices Assisted Living waiver, Level II only (services only); limited slots |
| Room and board | Resident pays | Resident pays |
West Tennessee vs East Arkansas Senior Living: Licensure and Placement Rules: Evidence-to-Action Framework
- Frame: State the exact decision behind “West Tennessee vs East Arkansas Senior Living: Licensure and Placement Rules.”
- Verify: Note which state the community is in before comparing.
- Compare: Ask whether the license is Level I or Level II.
- Stress-test: Check for this page-specific warning: A community that cannot name its licensing agency
- Act: Shortlist communities on the canonical city page and request matches through the intake.
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Use the source-backed framework above, then continue to the matching provider destination.
Find communities in West Memphis, AR
See every licensed community the directory lists for West Memphis, AR, with care types and how to reach each one.
Verify the rule before acting
- Health Facilities Commission — Licenses assisted-care living facilities, residential homes for the aged and other health care facilities in Tennessee (T.C.A. § 68-11-202); reviewed 2026-10-13
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. Title 0720, including chapter 0720-26 Standards for Assisted-Care Living Facilities — Licensure standards for Tennessee assisted-care living facilities and homes for the aged; reviewed 2026-10-13
- Compendium of Residential Care and Assisted Living Regulations: Arkansas — Arkansas Office of Long Term Care licensing of assisted living facilities at Level I and Level II; reviewed 2026-10-13
- Living Choices Assisted Living provider packet — Arkansas Medicaid Living Choices Assisted Living waiver: Level II provider enrollment, services, participant pays room and board; reviewed 2026-10-13
In Shelby County, the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission licenses assisted-care living facilities and residential homes for the aged. Across the river in Crittenden County, which includes West Memphis and Marion, the Arkansas Department of Human Services Office of Long Term Care licenses assisted living facilities. Complaints and inspection records sit with the agency in the community's own state.
Quick checklist
- Note which state the community is in before comparing.
- Ask for the license and its level.
- Find the right state agency for inspection records.
- Ask the community who to call with a complaint.
Red flags
- A community that cannot name its licensing agency
- Comparing license types across states as if they matched
- No inspection record available
Arkansas licenses assisted living at two levels. Both serve older and disabled adults in a home-like setting; Level II facilities are the ones that may enroll with Arkansas Medicaid as Living Choices Assisted Living providers, and they generally serve residents with higher care needs. Ask any West Memphis community which level it holds before you discuss care or payment.
Quick checklist
- Ask whether the license is Level I or Level II.
- Ask what care needs the community can and cannot meet.
- Ask whether it is a Living Choices provider.
- Ask what would trigger a move-out.
Red flags
- A Level I community promising Medicaid payment
- No written move-out criteria
- Care promises beyond the license level
Tennessee's assisted-care living facility, or ACLF, accepts primarily aged residents for domiciliary care and may provide a higher level of care, including some medical services. Its residential home for the aged provides room, board and personal services in a smaller setting. ACLF standards are in Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapter 0720-26; Levels of Care Explained: What Tennessee Licenses Each As explains each one in plain language.
Quick checklist
- Ask a Tennessee community whether it is an ACLF or RHA.
- Ask what medical services it provides on site.
- Ask for its latest inspection.
- Compare with one Arkansas community at the same care level.
Red flags
- An RHA advertising medical services
- No inspection record
- A care plan that is not written down
In Tennessee, TennCare CHOICES pays for assisted-care services at contracted ACLFs. In Arkansas, the Living Choices Assisted Living waiver pays for services in Level II facilities enrolled as providers; it has a limited number of slots and a waiting list forms when they fill. In both states the resident pays room and board, and Medicaid eligibility belongs to the state where your parent lives, whether that is Memphis or Marion.
Quick checklist
- Decide which state your parent will live in before applying.
- Ask the Arkansas community about Living Choices slots.
- Ask the Tennessee community about CHOICES participation.
- Budget room and board either way.
Red flags
- Applying for Medicaid in the wrong state
- Assuming a Level I community can take Living Choices
- No plan for the waiting period
Use the agency for the community's state. Tennessee communities are inspected by the Health Facilities Commission; Arkansas communities by the DHS Office of Long Term Care. Ask each community for its most recent inspection and plan of correction, and look for repeat findings in the same area. How to Read a Tennessee Assisted Living Inspection and Licensure Record shows what to look for.
Quick checklist
- Request the latest inspection report.
- Look for repeat findings.
- Ask what changed after each finding.
- Note the inspection date.
Red flags
- Refusal to share the latest inspection
- Repeat findings in medication handling
- An unresolved plan of correction
Need help applying this guide?
Questions families search in the Memphis area
Where can I find a care home in West Memphis?
West Memphis is in Crittenden County, Arkansas, where the Arkansas DHS Office of Long Term Care licenses assisted living facilities at Level I or Level II. Assisted living and memory care in West Memphis (linked above)
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Where can I find a care home in Marion?
Marion is in Crittenden County, Arkansas, where the Arkansas DHS Office of Long Term Care licenses assisted living facilities at Level I or Level II. Assisted living and memory care in Marion (linked above)
Also searched: 24-hour care for elderly in marion ar; 24-hour care for elderly marion ar; alzheimer's care 72364; alzheimer's care in marion ar; alzheimer's care marion ar; assisted living 72364; assisted living facilities 72364; assisted living facilities in marion ar; assisted living facilities marion ar; assisted living facility 72364; assisted living facility in marion ar; assisted living facility marion; assisted living facility marion ar; assisted living homes 72364
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