New Orleans Senior AdvisorBy New Orleans Senior Advisor Care Team · October 17, 2026
LDH's October 2026 roster lists 27 ARCPs with Metairie addresses, 24 of them small Level 1 or 2 homes. Confirm the license and capacity, count residents, read the posted statement of deficiencies, and ask about night staffing, absences and the storm plan.
Why Metairie has so many small homes
Drive through Metairie's residential streets and you will pass licensed care homes without knowing it. LDH's roster lists 27 adult residential care providers with Metairie addresses, and 24 of them are Level 1 personal care homes or Level 2 shelter care homes, serving up to eight or nine to 16 residents. Several operators run more than one house. For families, that density is useful: it means real choice within a short drive, and the chance to find a home that feels like a home.
Check one: is it licensed, at what level, for how many?
Every legitimate small home appears on LDH's monthly Licensed Providers Report with a license number and dates. The median small home in Metairie has held its license for about 10 years by original licensure date. On a visit, count the residents you see. A home licensed for eight that is caring for ten is breaking its license, and that is a reason to leave.
| Level | Metairie homes | Licensed capacity listed |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (2-8) | 14 | 104 |
| Level 2 (9-16) | 10 | 89 |
Check two: the posted statement of deficiencies
Louisiana requires every ARCP, however small, to post any statement of deficiencies in a readily accessible place. Ask where it is. Read what was cited and the plan of correction. Medication storage, staff training records, fire drills and resident records are common findings; how the home fixed them tells you about its management.
Check three: the people at night
The rule requires at least one employee awake and on duty at all times, and a CPR- and first aid-trained staff member on every shift. In a home of eight, that may be the only person in the building overnight. Ask how that person gets help if two residents need it at once, who covers a sick day, and whether staff also work at the operator's other homes, which Louisiana bars on the same shift.
Check four: medications and outside care
Small homes cannot provide nursing. Ask whether staff give medications or only assist residents who take their own, and who reviews the medication list; the rule requires a pharmacist's monthly review of ordered medications where staff administer them. Ask which home health agencies and hospices come in, and how the home coordinates them.
Check five: the storm plan and the fee
A small home's evacuation may mean family cars or a van. Ask where residents go, who drives, and what the written disaster-fee formula is. Small homes in single-story houses can be easier to shelter in, but Metairie streets flood in heavy rain, so ask what happened in the last big storm.
What small homes are good at
The best small homes in Metairie feel like a household: the same caregivers every day, meals at one table, residents who know each other. That continuity helps people with dementia and people who are shy or easily overwhelmed. It can also make end-of-life care gentler, with hospice coming in and staff who know the resident well. Families often say they knew within ten minutes of walking in whether a home felt right.
When a small home stops being the right fit
A small home may no longer fit when a resident needs two people for every transfer around the clock, develops behavior the staff cannot manage without restraints, which Louisiana bars in every ARCP, or can no longer evacuate with the help the home provides. Read the residency agreement's termination criteria before signing, and ask how the home has handled those situations before. A resident has the right to appeal an involuntary discharge within 30 calendar days of the notice.
Using an advisor for small homes
Small homes rarely advertise, and openings come and go quickly. An advisor who works with Metairie homes can tell you which have a bed now, which take residents with your parent's needs, and what each charges, so your tours can focus on fit.
Small homes and couples
A few Metairie homes can take a married couple, sometimes in a shared room. If your parents want to stay together, ask early, since openings for two at once are rare, and ask how the home would handle it if one spouse's needs changed faster than the other's. Ask too whether the home charges a second-person rate and what it covers, and whether both spouses' care levels are assessed separately.
Frequently asked questions
Are small homes cheaper than large assisted living?
Often, but not always. No separate median exists; compare written all-in quotes.
Can a small home take someone in a wheelchair?
Many can, if the resident can evacuate with the help the home provides.
How do I find Metairie's licensed small homes?
Our Metairie page and the ARCP roster list them with level, capacity and license dates.
Do small homes have to plan for hurricanes?
Yes. Every Louisiana ARCP, including Level 1 homes, must keep a written emergency plan and disclose any disaster fees in writing.
