
Assisted Living in Minnesota
Get the insights you need to find the right city.
Families looking for assisted living in Minnesota (MN) have a wide array of communities to choose from, since estimated that there are more than 30,000 assisted living communities serving seniors across the U.S., and over 817 statewide. The state is also home to a rapidly growing number of senior citizens, with adults over 65 making up an estimated 15 percent of the population. A resident in an assisted living community in Minnesota will pay $4,000 per month on average.
Find Assisted Living Options Near You
Compare Monthly Care Costs
Nursing Home Care
In-Home Care
Assisted Living
Average Monthly Costs
Cities in Minnesota
What You Should Know About Assisted Living in Minnesota
The state of Minnesota effectively defines assisted living as registered housing being run by an agency that provides services for seniors. At a minimum, any facility that qualifies as assisted living has to provide:
- two daily meals along with weekly housekeeping and laundry service,
- help with at least three major activities of daily living (ADLs),
- opportunities for socializing, transportation to medical and social services appointments, and access to community services
- help with medication management and potentially on-call nursing, depending on the class of provider
In Minnesotan parlance, assisted living arrangements are also sometimes called "assisted living home care." The term "home care" can be a reference to care taking place in the resident's own home or in a house with kin- or affinity-related caregivers, but in most cases, it refers to the home care agency that's providing services in a given facility. Adult foster care is another common term for assisted living in the state, applying to a specifically licensed kind of facility.
Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Minnesota
Low-income seniors in Minnesota have a variety of options for seeking assistance in financing assisted living. Most Medicaid programs focus on in-home and non-facility care and on providing seniors the ability to manage their own program of care and hire caregivers, including family members. But there is one state-level program in particular that focuses specifically on assisted living.
The Housing Support Program
The Housing Support program, formerly known as the Group Residential Housing (GRH) program, provides financial support for seniors who aren't eligible for Medicaid. It provides funding for residency at a network of thousands of adult foster care homes and other facilities across the state. The HSP pays the cost of room and board directly to a selected provider, although it does not fund other care services.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants have to be Minnesota residents, 65 years of age, not able to subsist in independent living, and in financial circumstances that meet the limits for Supplemental Security Income. Their countable resources can't exceed $2,000; for married couples the cap is $3,000. Individual incomes up to $750 and couples up to $1,125 are permitted, with certain restrictions.
How to Apply
The Minnesota Department of Human Services runs this program. Online applications can be found here. Alternatively, applicants can fill out a form and bring it to their county or tribal office. Those seeking more information about the program can find it at the Department's website.
More Ways to Finance Assisted Living
While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Visit our 9 Ways to Pay for Assisted Living page for more information.
Free Assisted Living Resources in Minnesota
A number of government-funded, veterans and nonprofit organizations are dedicated to providing free information, support and resources for aging citizens and their loved ones in Minnesota. They can provide an excellent starting point for seniors seeking to better understand all the options available to them for financing and learning about long-term care, among other topics.
The Minnesota Board on Aging
Appointed by the office of the governor, the Minnesota Board on Aging is a major gateway to information and advocacy for seniors. It works closely with the state's Area Agencies on Aging and provides guidance on grants, Medicare enrollment, advice on steps to take before moving into assisted living and much more.
Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging
221 West 1st Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802
218-722-5545 or 1-800-232-0707
Central Minnesota Council on Aging
250 Riverside Avenue North, Suite 300, Sartell, Minnesota 56377
320-253-9349
Land of the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging
109 South Minnesota Street, Warren, Minnesota 56762
218-745-6733
Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging
2365 N McKnight Road, Suite 3, North St. Paul, Minnesota 55109
651-641-8612
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Area Agency on Aging
15542 State Hwy 371 NW, PO Box 217, Cass Lake, Minnesota 56633
218-335-8586 or 1-888-231-7886
Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging
Mankato Office
201 N. Broad St., Suite 102, Mankato, MN 56001
507-387-1256
Slayton Office
1939 Engebretson Ave., Slayton, MN 56172
507-387-1256
Southeastern Minnesota Area Agency on Aging
2720 Superior Drive NW, Rochester, MN 55901
507-288-6944
As is the case in every state, there are VA Centers in Minnesota that can help military veterans in finding and financing long-term care. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs can provide guidance about eligibility for veterans benefits and how they can be applied to various forms of care, and it administers its own network of Veterans Homes and facilities.
Below is a list of Minnesota's VA Centers and their contact information:
Brooklyn Park Vet Center
7001 78th Avenue, North, Suite 300, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
763-503-2220
Duluth Vet Center
4402 Haines Road, Suite 3, Duluth, MN 55811
>218-722-8654
St. Paul Vet Center
550 County Road D West, Suite 10, New Brighton, MN 55112
651-644-4022
The state's Social Security offices provide access to the federally-run Social Security program. They can help in understanding Social Security benefits, including ways those benefits can be leveraged to help pay for assisted living.
Alexandria Social Security Office 56308
2633 Jefferson St, Alexandria, MN 56308
1-888-224-8869 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Austin Social Security Office 55912
404 2nd Street Nw, Austin, MN 55912
1-866-504-5010 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Baxter Social Security Office 56425
8331 Brandon Road, Baxter, MN 56425
1-866-331-9087 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Bemidji Social Security Office 56601
2900 Hannah Ave Nw, Bemidji, MN 56601
1-866-258-6345 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Bloomington Social Security Office 55438
6161 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55438
1-800-772-1213 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Brooklyn Center Social Security Office 55429
3280 Northway Drive, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429
1-800-772-1213 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Duluth Social Security Office 55802
130 W Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802
1-855-863-3560 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Fairmont Social Security Office 56031
400 S. State St, Suite, Fairmont, MN 56031
1-877-405-0414 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Fergus Falls Social Security Office 56537
1023 W Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537
1-800-772-1213 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Hibbing Social Security Office 55746
1122 E 25th Street, Hibbing, MN 55746
1-866-964-4320 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Mankato Social Security Office 56001
12 Civic Cntr Plaza, Mankato, MN 56001
1-877-457-1734 or TTY: 1-507-345-5389
Marshall Social Security Office 56258
507 Jewett Street, Marshall, MN 56258
1-855-210-0122 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Minneapolis Social Security Office 55404
1811 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
1-800-772-1213 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Rochester Social Security Office 55906
2443 Clare Ln Ne, Rochester, MN 55906
1-877-405-3631 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Saint Cloud Social Security Office 56303
3800 Veterans Drive, Saint Cloud, MN 56303
1-800-772-1213 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
St Paul Social Security Office 55101
332 Minnesota St, St Paul, MN 55101
1-800-772-1213 or TTY: 1-800-325-0778
Winona Social Security Office 55987
53 E Third St, Winona, MN 55987
1-877-600-2853 or TTY: 1-507-457-0002
The Office of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care is a program of the Minnesota Board on Aging. Like similar offices in other states, the Ombudsman's office is responsible for educating and advocating for long-term care residents. Minnesota has regional volunteer ombudsmen across the state.
More information can be had from the main office at 651-431-2555, or by contacting your regional ombudsman:
Minnesota Board on Aging
540 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101
PO Box 98, Long Lake, MN 55356
(952) 476-3567
955 -; 138th Lane NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304
(763) 767-3573
11600 State Ave., Brainerd, MN 56401
(218) 855-8729
11 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 001, Mankato, MN 56001
(651)341-9367
PO Box 107, Warren, MN 56762
(218) 745-5820
40719 - 630th Avenue, Ortonville, MN 56278
(320) 273-2364
PO Box 1022, Lakefield, MN 56150
(507) 662-6652
11630 State Ave., Suite 27, Brainerd, MN 56401
(218) 855-8587
PO Box 762, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
(218) 999-5369
Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in Minnesota
Assisted Living Service Plan Requirements
All prospective residents of assisted living communities in the state are required to have a nursing assessment before someone moves into their long-term care. This assessment, conducted by a registered nurse, has to cover both the physical and mental needs of the prospective resident, and it has to be followed up with a proposed service plan to meet those needs. This is required either before any contracts are signed or before any transition into the facility's care, whichever one comes earlier.
There are, however, a couple of possible exceptions to this. If geographic distance or 'urgent or unexpected circumstances' make a nursing assessment infeasible, the facility's obligation is waived. In those cases, they're required to offer a telephone conference whenever it's in the bounds of possibility instead.
The question of assessment also touches on the needs for anyone who is contemplating assisted living to have access to information about all the options available to them. For that reason, Minnesotan housing facilities are expected to tell any applicants about the Long Term Care Consultation services offered by the state's Department of Human Services, and provide them with all the relevant contact information.
Assisted Living Admission Requirements
The state has no formal admission requirements for assisted living. A provider might only offer assisted living services to some residents of a housing-with-services facility. If they determine that they can't meet the needs of current or prospective residents, they aren't required to offer new services or continue to provide current ones. Their services can be terminated without affecting the resident's housing status; in most circumstances they have to provide thirty days' notice and must offer to assist in finding another care provider.
Assisted Living Scope of Care
Assisted living communities in Minnesota provide a specific scope of services that include medication management, daily meals, activities of daily living such dressing, bathing and grooming, transportation to medical appointments, a schedule of social activities and reasonable access to connection with the community. They are also expected to maintain a system to check on every resident at least daily.
The more detailed specifics of the scope of care and especially of the scope of medical support depend on whether the agency that's been licensed to provide home care services at a particular facility is Class A or Class F. Class A licensees provide service both in resident's homes and in facilities, while Class F licensees focus exclusively on assisted living facilities.
Assisted Living Medicaid Policy
There are restrictive eligibility criteria for Medicaid in Minnesota. They're based on income level, financial resources and ability to function and can vary depending on whether someone is applying for a state plan or a waiver program.
Eligibility can be extremely complicated. As of 2018, Medicaid in Minnesota does not admit applicants with an income above $12,140 per year, in line with the Federal Poverty Guidelines. There is a $3,000 asset limit. Some medical expenses can be deducted from an applicant's countable income, and there are other ways to effectively reduce countable assets, but this has to be done carefully and in consultation with a Medicaid Planner: Giving away or selling assets to meet the asset limit may violate regulations and result in ineligibility.
Assisted Living Facility Requirements
Housing that provides assisted living services can take a variety of forms. The kind of facility most directly licensed by the state is an Adult Foster Care facility. These have specific requirements for occupancy and capacity, easy access by the residents to the living room and dining facilities, and arrangement of rooms to maximize privacy. Successful license applicants must have up-to-date fire inspections and comply with a checklist of safety features that includes secure and healthy storage of food and medicine, basic personal safety features like railings on staircases, and overall emergency preparedness.
For other kinds of assisted living facility, from hospital and clinic-style settings to family homes to condos and cooperatives, the housing in question has to abide by the safety regulations governing all such housing in the state.
Medication Management Regulations
Assisted living facilities in Minnesota must provide or arrange assistance with the administration (or the self-administration) of medications. Any staff involved must have written instructions from a registered nurse, and they have to demonstrate competence in following those instructions. The further standards for medication management vary widely depending on the specific nature of the services, the resident's status and the setting.
Staffing Requirements
All assisted living facilities are expected to provide registered nursing services on call. The registered nurse is required to have a system in place for delegating specific health care and medication-related tasks to unlicensed staff, and training those staff to carry out those tasks.
There needs to be 24-hour access, seven days a week for any health care needs to a staff person who's awake, in the same building or on a contiguous campus, and who can either provide or summon the kind of assistance needed. This doesn't attain to the level of care and monitoring provided in a nursing home, but it's considerably more comprehensive than the health support requirements of assisted living in many states. All facilities are required to maintain adequate staff to meet those needs and provide all the other expected supports, but there's no legally mandated minimum ratio of staff to residents.
Staff Training Requirements
Housing-with-services facilities need a manager with at least 30 hours of continuing education every two years in relevant topics to operating an assisted living community and caring for residents. This continuing education can include professional licensing such as nursing or nursing home administrator credentials. It must include four hours of dementia-care training inside 160 working hours of hire, and two hours of added dementia-care training every year.
Staff are expected to know how to observe, report and document residents' status and the care and services being provided to them. They must understand infection control and how to maintain a hygienic environment. They need to know basic elements of body function and what kinds of changes should be reported to a healthcare professional, and they need good communications skills and familiarity with the physical, mental and emotional needs of the residents.
They're also expected to be familiar with:
- general regulations in the state
- emergency response
- procedures for reporting abuse or neglect
- how to handle complaints
- the home care bill of rights
- ombudsman services
Background Checks for ALR Staff in Minnesota
Staff, contractors and volunteers connected with any assisted living home care provider need to be able to pass a criminal background check, and the provider's license can be denied or suspended on the discovery of convictions for any of 15 types of crimes. Employees that have direct contact with any resident have to disclose convictions of any crime beyond a minor traffic violation.
Requirements for Reporting Abuse
Providers of assisted living services in Minnesota are required to identify and report adult abuse as a condition of their licensing. The Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center operates a toll-free line for this purpose at 844-880-1574. The Department of Health operates an email where people can inquire for more information about the reporting process.
Assisted Living Facilities in Minnesota
Cities
Counties
Top-Rated Caring Stars Winners in Minnesota
Caring.com’s Caring Stars award program recognizes the best assisted living facilities across the U.S. based on reviews from family caregivers and older adults. This award is meant to help older adults and their loved ones find the best assisted living or in-home care option in their area. The list below shows up to 10 listings that have won the most Caring Stars annual awards in their state, sorted by their current overall average rating. For a complete list of Caring Stars winners for each year, please visit our Caring Stars info center.