Knoxville Senior AdvisorDowntown, East and South Knoxville take in the University of Tennessee and Fort Sanders medical district, the neighborhoods along Magnolia Avenue and Asheville Highway, and South Knoxville across the river, where The University of Tennessee Medical Center stands. This is the medical heart of the region.
It has fewer assisted living buildings than West or North Knoxville but a concentration of nursing homes and transitional care units, many of them handling short rehab stays after surgery at Fort Sanders or UT Medical Center.
How much licensed senior care is in Downtown, East & South Knoxville?
Tennessee's records list 2 licensed assisted-care living facilities (183 beds) and 4 nursing homes (373 beds) in Downtown, East & South Knoxville, ZIP codes 37902, 37914, 37915, 37916, 37920, 37924.
| License type | Licenses | Licensed beds |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted-care living facilities | 2 | 183 |
| ACLF secured (memory care) beds | — | 42 |
| Homes for the aged | 1 | 24 |
| Nursing homes | 4 | 373 |
| Home health agencies (office here) | 2 | — |
| Hospices (office here) | 1 | — |
Which assisted living facilities are licensed in Downtown, East & South Knoxville?
State records show 2 licensed ACLFs and 1 home for the aged in Downtown, East & South Knoxville, ranging from South Knoxville Senior Living Buildings 1 & 2 at 24 beds to Trinity Hills of Knoxville at 109; 2 report a secured memory care unit.
| Facility | License type | Licensed beds | Secured / Alzheimer's beds | Last state survey | HFC disciplinary actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Hills of Knoxville 4611 Asheville Highway, 37914 | ACLF | 109 | 14 | 01/25/2022 | 1 |
| South High Senior Living 835 Tipton Avenue, 37920 | ACLF | 74 | 28 | 03/26/2025 | 3 |
| South Knoxville Senior Living Buildings 1 & 2 3020 Heatherton Way, 37920 | RHA | 24 | 0 | 05/22/2025 | 0 |
Where is memory care in Downtown, East & South Knoxville?
2 licensed buildings in Downtown, East & South Knoxville report 42 secured or Alzheimer's beds on the October 2026 bed report.
- South High Senior Living: 28 secured of 74 beds (assisted-care living facility)
- Trinity Hills of Knoxville: 14 secured of 109 beds (assisted-care living facility)
Tennessee has no memory care license; the bed report is the official record. See every secured unit in the seven counties.
What nursing homes serve Downtown, East & South Knoxville?
4 licensed nursing homes with 373 beds are in Downtown, East & South Knoxville; 3 of the 4 rated by CMS hold four or five stars overall.
| Facility | CMS overall rating | Licensed beds | Latest CMS health inspection | Health deficiencies (latest cycle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Sanders Transitional Care Unit 1901 Clinch Avenue, 37916 | 5 of 5 | 24 | June 17, 2026 | 1 |
| Holston Health & Rehabilitation Center 3916 Boyds Bridge Pike, 37914 | 5 of 5 | 94 | December 11, 2024 | 2 |
| Island Home Park Health and Rehab 1758 Hillwood Drive, 37920 | 4 of 5 | 95 | May 20, 2026 | 3 |
| NHC HealthCare, Fort Sanders 2120 Highland Avenue, 37916 | 3 of 5 | 160 | January 22, 2026 | 6 |
Which home health and hospice agencies have offices in Downtown, East & South Knoxville?
2 licensed home health agencies and 1 licensed hospice list an office in Downtown, East & South Knoxville; an agency's office location does not limit where it sends staff.
- Enhabit Home Health (home health agency, license #144, licensed since 1978)
- University of TN Medical Center-Home Care Services-Home Health (home health agency, license #156, licensed since 1983)
- Smoky Mountain Home Health and Hospice ( (hospice, license #330, licensed since 1998)
Have Downtown, East & South Knoxville facilities faced Tennessee enforcement?
Yes. The HFC listings show disciplinary actions for 3 licensed facilities in Downtown, East & South Knoxville; the most recent on file is dated August 26, 2026, against South High Senior Living.
- South High Senior Living: 3 listed, latest August 26, 2026
- Trinity Hills of Knoxville: 1 listed, latest March 25, 2026
- NHC HealthCare, Fort Sanders: 1 listed, latest November 17, 2017
An action from years ago is not proof of a current problem. Each facility's page links the orders; ask what changed.
Where do Downtown, East & South Knoxville residents go for hospital care?
From the middle of Downtown, East & South Knoxville, the nearest acute-care hospitals on the state's hospital report are Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, about 3.7 miles away, and The University of Tennessee Medical Center, about 3.9 miles.
Tennova Healthcare - North Knoxville is about 11.6 miles away. These are straight-line distances between ZIP-code centers, good for comparison but shorter than real drives.
Who provides free help for older adults in Downtown, East & South Knoxville?
In Knox County, the CAC Office on Aging ((865) 546-3500, Ross Building, 2247 Western Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37921) coordinates services and delivers noontime meals to homebound residents, and ETHRA's Area Agency on Aging and Disability (1-866-836-6678) screens for TennCare CHOICES and OPTIONS.
The East Tennessee District Long-Term Care Ombudsman, also at ETHRA (865-691-2551 ext. 4223), advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living.
