New Orleans Senior Advisor
What is New Orleans Senior Advisor?
New Orleans Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral and advisory service for families in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes: Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and St. Charles.
We publish what Louisiana's regulators actually require, what the published cost data actually says, and every licensed provider on the state's own roster, then a local advisor helps you narrow it down. Communities pay us a referral fee when a family moves in, which is why the service is free to you. You should know that up front.
How many seniors and licensed care options are there around New Orleans?
The six parishes had about 231,930 residents 65 and older on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, and the Louisiana Department of Health licenses 63 adult residential care providers and 37 nursing homes there.
| Parish | Residents 65+ | Share 65+ | Licensed ARCPs | Level 3 or 4 | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans Parish | 65,389 | 18.1% | 8 | 6 | 13 |
| Jefferson Parish | 88,462 | 20.5% | 37 | 6 | 12 |
| St. Tammany Parish | 58,209 | 20.9% | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| St. Bernard Parish | 6,748 | 14.8% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Plaquemines Parish | 3,643 | 16.4% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| St. Charles Parish | 9,479 | 18.7% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county (parish) population estimates by age (July 1, 2025). Licenses: LDH Licensed Providers Report, October 2026.
How does Louisiana license assisted living and memory care?
The Louisiana Department of Health licenses assisted living as adult residential care providers (ARCPs) in four levels, from eight-bed personal care homes to apartment buildings with intermittent nursing; memory care is a specialized dementia care program inside an ARCP or a nursing home, not a separate license.
An ARCP that markets dementia care must disclose the program to LDH, keep written admission criteria the public can see, and give hands-on staff eight hours of dementia training a year. Read the four ARCP levels explained or Louisiana's dementia care rules.
What does senior care cost in Louisiana?
CareScout's 2025 Louisiana medians are about $5,163 a month for assisted living, $7,604 for a semi-private nursing home room and about $26 an hour for home care; CareScout publishes no New Orleans figure and no memory care figure.
Louisiana Medicaid does not pay for assisted living, so the payment plan matters as much as the monthly price. See costs and paying for care.
Why does hurricane season change how New Orleans families choose care?
Because every licensed ARCP and nursing home must have a written evacuation and shelter-in-place plan, and the plan, the generator and the disaster-fee formula in the residency agreement are as important here as the dining room.
Our guide to Louisiana's emergency planning rules lists what to ask for on a tour, and the hurricane evacuation guide covers a parent who lives at home.
Where should a New Orleans family start?
Start from the situation, not the care type: a hospital discharge, a fall, a dementia diagnosis, an exhausted caregiver or money running out each point to different first steps, and our situation guides walk through each one.
What we are and aren't
| New Orleans Senior Advisor is | New Orleans Senior Advisor is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to families | Free; communities pay a referral fee | Paid by you, now or later |
| Data | Louisiana Department of Health records and CMS Care Compare | Aggregator listings or paid placements |
| Ratings | CMS star ratings, labelled as CMS's | Our own scores or rankings |
| Affiliation | An independent referral service | A government agency or council on aging |
