Knoxville Senior AdvisorWhat types of senior care are available around Knoxville?
Families in the seven counties choose among assisted living (Tennessee ACLFs), secured memory care units, small homes for the aged, nursing homes for nursing and rehab, in-home care and home health, and hospice.
Each is licensed differently in Tennessee, paid for differently, and suited to a different level of need. The guides below explain each one and link to every licensed provider.
How do we know which type of care a parent needs?
Match the setting to the hardest hour of the day: needs that fit into scheduled visits suit in-home care, needs around the clock suit assisted living, wandering calls for a secured unit, and continuous nursing calls for a nursing home.
A doctor's assessment and an honest list of daily tasks your parent can and cannot manage are the best starting points. Our comparison guides walk through the common decisions.
Can a parent combine more than one type of care?
Yes. Assisted living residents often receive Medicare home health or hospice in their apartments, people at home often add adult day health care, and nursing home rehab is frequently followed by assisted living instead of a return home.
Tennessee's rules allow an ACLF to arrange any medical service a person could receive in a private home, which makes these combinations common across the Knoxville area.
Every care type
Assisted living
Assisted living in the Knoxville area means a Tennessee-licensed assisted-care living facility: what it provides, who it fits, what it costs and how to compare licensed communities in seven counties.
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Memory care
Memory care in the Knoxville area happens in secured units of Tennessee-licensed ACLFs and nursing homes. How to find them, what the state requires, costs and questions to ask.
Read more →Homes for the aged
Tennessee homes for the aged near Knoxville: small licensed residences offering room, board and personal help to ambulatory older adults. Who they fit and how they differ from assisted living.
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Nursing homes
Knoxville-area nursing homes: Tennessee HFC licenses, CMS star ratings, short-term rehab versus long-term care, Medicare and TennCare coverage, and how to compare homes in seven counties.
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In-home care
In-home care for Knoxville-area seniors: private hourly caregivers, Medicare home health, TennCare CHOICES personal care, OPTIONS for Community Living and the CAC Office on Aging.
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Hospice
Hospice for Knoxville-area families: Medicare hospice benefit, care at home, in assisted living or a nursing home, licensed hospices in seven counties, and how to choose one.
Read more →Side by side
| Licensed by Tennessee's HFC | Not a separate HFC license | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | ACLFs, homes for the aged, nursing homes | Independent living apartments |
| At home | Home health agencies and hospices | Companion-only home care agencies |
| Dementia | Secured beds reported inside ACLF and nursing home licenses | A memory care license |
