Assisted Living in Arkansas

Assisted living in Arkansas is broken into two levels of care. Level 1 facilities offer supervision and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). Level 2 facilities offer more direct assistance with ADLs and must have a registered nurse on staff. The average cost of assisted living in Arkansas is $4,130 per month, which comes out to $49,560 per year.^[01] Assisted living in Arkansas is more expensive than independent living but less expensive than memory care.

The cost of assisted living in Arkansas ranges from $2,595 to $5,752 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data. The national average cost of assisted living is $5,126 per month.^[01] Although fees and care needs are included in this monthly average, keep in mind that fees can change along with a senior’s care needs.

In Arkansas, the level assigned to the assisted living facility will likely affect cost. While Level 1 and Level 2 communities both provide 24-hour supervision and help with activities of daily living, Level 2 communities provide more substantial assistance and have a registered nurse on staff. Therefore, you can expect to pay more at a Level 2 facility.

Several factors can affect the cost of assisted living. These include:

• The community’s pricing structure
• Your chosen floor plan
• The community’s location
• Extra services you choose to add, such as a beautician

Medicare and Medicaid may help offset some of the costs of medical expenses in assisted living.

Seniors and their families have several options to consider when paying for assisted living. The earlier you plan for assisted living, the more options you’ll have to consider. This is especially true if you’re planning on applying for any public assistance, as some programs, such as some Arkansas Medicaid benefits, have a waiting period.

It’s also helpful to keep in mind that most families use a combination of different private and public payment methods, such as retirement funds and veterans benefits. For an overview of the payment options you may wish to consider, also consult our guide to paying for long-term care.

Level 1 or Level 2 care. While both levels of care offer 24-hour supervision, Level 1 facilities focus on supervision and observation when offering assistance with ADLs. Level 2 communities focus on providing more hands-on assistance for seniors and must have a registered nurse on staff. Facilities must be licensed through Arkansas’ Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services, and the Office of Long-Term Care.

After a facility becomes licensed, they must renew their license yearly through the Department of Human Services. Approximately every 18 months, the Office of Long-Term Care conducts on-site surveys and inspections, which may be unannounced. This office also investigates any complaints about an assisted living facility. Although inspection reports aren’t available online, you may ask the facility directly or contact the Department of Human Services for inspection records.

Arkansas has several requirements for assisted living facilities, including the following:

• Communities must provide a comprehensive consumer disclosure statement for residents to review and sign before moving in.
• Communities must specify the services that will be included in the bill and a current statement of all fees and charges.
• Level 2 facilities are required to have a registered nurse conduct a care assessment for new residents.
• At both levels, assisted living facilities may have a special care unit for residents with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
• Both Level 1 and Level 2 communities have admission requirements and cannot admit seniors who are bedridden or need 24-hour skilled nursing care, though Level 2 communities may provide some limited nursing services as needed.

Ranking Arkansas’ system of regulation and records

We developed a system to rate each state on how easy — or difficult — it is to find important assisted living records and reports, and we compiled tips to help you in your search.

States with the most transparent records allow you to look up important information about each assisted living facility online, including inspections, complaints, survey results, violations, capacity, and whether the facility accepts Medicaid.

Access to Arkansas assisted living records: Moderate

Public access to assisted living records and reports for the state of Arkansas is moderate. Here are some key findings that informed this rating:

• In Arkansas, information about assisted living inspections, complaints, and violations must be requested through a written request.
• Because these records are only available to Arkansas residents, it may be difficult for out-of-state relatives to research and find the right care for an elderly loved one in Arkansas.

How to look up Arkansas assisted living licenses and records

• A listing of licensed providers is available online from the Arkansas Department of Health.
• Contact the Long-term Care Ombudsman of Arkansas directly for information about long-term care providers and their backgrounds.

How we arrived at our Arkansas rating

We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and we based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:

1. Are licensed assisted living communities listed online in any form? Yes
2. If Yes to #1, is the information updated frequently? Yes
3. If Yes to #1, is the list of licensed communities searchable? Yes
4. Does the state post inspections, complaints, survey results, or violations online? No
5. If Yes to #4, is the information updated frequently? [within 90 days] No or N/A
6. If Yes to #2 and #4, is the enforcement information included in the same place as licensed communities? No or N/A
7. If Yes to #4 and No to #6, are violations/inspections searchable at all? No
8. Is information about special licensing for care shown? Yes
9. Is capacity shown? Yes
10. Are payment types shown [e.g. Medicaid, private pay]? Yes
11. Is the administrator/contact name shown? Yes
12. Can the state fine a facility? Yes
13. What is the frequency of inspections? Every 12 months
14. Does the website include pricing of facilities? No