New Orleans Senior AdvisorWho licenses assisted living in Louisiana?
The Louisiana Department of Health's Health Standards Section licenses assisted living as adult residential care providers (ARCPs) under LAC 48:I.Chapter 68.
Parish and city governments do not license care settings; the Office of State Fire Marshal and the Office of Public Health approve the building before LDH issues a license.
What is an ARCP?
An adult residential care provider is Louisiana's single license for assisted living, divided into Level 1 personal care homes, Level 2 shelter care homes, Level 3 assisted living and Level 4 ARCPs with intermittent nursing.
The level depends on size and services: up to eight residents, nine to 16, or 17 or more in apartments. Only Level 4 may provide nursing.
How many licensed ARCPs are in the New Orleans area?
63 licensed ARCPs in the six parishes on LDH's October 2026 roster.
Small Level 1 and 2 homes cluster in Metairie; larger Level 3 buildings are spread across Uptown, Metairie, Kenner and the Northshore.
Is there a numeric staffing ratio for Louisiana assisted living?
No: Louisiana requires at least one awake staff member on duty 24 hours a day, a CPR-trained person on every shift and enough trained staff to meet residents' needs, but sets no numeric ratio.
Ask each provider for its current work schedule, which the rule requires it to keep, and for the overnight staffing count.
Are Louisiana ARCPs inspected?
Yes: LDH surveys ARCPs at initial licensing and at re-licensing and investigates complaints, and every survey after the initial one is unannounced.
Statements of deficiencies must be posted at the ARCP and become public 30 days after the provider receives them or after LDH accepts its plan of correction.
Can an ARCP license be sold?
No: a Louisiana ARCP license cannot be sold or transferred, and a change of ownership must be reported to LDH in writing within five business days.
That is why a building's current license issue date can be recent even when it has operated for decades under the same name.
Who licenses nursing homes in Louisiana?
LDH licenses nursing homes, and its Health Standards Section also inspects Medicare- and Medicaid-certified homes on behalf of CMS, which publishes the results on Care Compare.
LDH's October 2026 report lists 37 licensed nursing homes in the six parishes; CMS rates 35 of them, 16 with four or five stars overall (Care Compare data as of October 1, 2026).
What is the difference between a Level 3 and a Level 4 ARCP?
Both serve 17 or more residents in apartments, but only a Level 4 may provide intermittent nursing and must have an RN nursing director on call 24 hours a day.
A Level 3 resident who needs nursing receives it from an outside home health agency or hospice that the ARCP coordinates.
Does a Louisiana ARCP need a licensed administrator?
It needs a director at least 21 years old who meets the education and experience criteria for its level, and a Level 4 director must also complete an approved course of at least 12 hours.
The administrator's name on LDH's roster is the person on the license; ask to meet that person on a tour.
