What is Memphis Senior Advisor?
Memphis Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral and advisory service for families in Memphis and the Tennessee side of the Memphis metro: Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties.
We publish what Tennessee's regulators actually require, what the published cost data actually says, and every licensed facility on the state's own records, then a local advisor helps you narrow it down. Facilities 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 Memphis?
Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties had about 173,879 residents 65 and older on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, and the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission licenses 35 assisted-care living facilities, 4 homes for the aged and 29 nursing homes there.
| County | Residents 65+ | Share 65+ | Licensed ACLFs | with secured units | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 151,180 | 16.6% | 31 | 23 | 25 |
| Fayette County | 11,446 | 25.4% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tipton County | 11,253 | 18.1% | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025). Licenses: Tennessee HFC, October 2026.
How does Tennessee license assisted living and memory care?
Tennessee's Health Facilities Commission licenses assisted living as Assisted-Care Living Facilities (ACLFs) under rule 0720-26; memory care is a secured unit inside a licensed ACLF or nursing home, reported to the state as secured beds.
A secured unit must keep an awake attendant on the unit around the clock and evaluate every resident with a physician, a registered nurse and a family member before admission. Read the full licensing explanation or Tennessee's memory care rules.
What does senior care cost in Tennessee?
CareScout's 2025 Tennessee medians are about $5,595 a month for assisted living, $9,429 for a semi-private nursing home room and about $31 an hour for home care; CareScout publishes no Memphis figure and no memory care figure.
TennCare CHOICES can pay for assisted living services, but not room and board, so the payment plan matters as much as the monthly price. See costs and paying for care.
Where should a Memphis 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
| Memphis Senior Advisor is | Memphis Senior Advisor is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to families | Free; facilities pay a referral fee | Paid by you, now or later |
| Data | Tennessee HFC 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 the Aging Commission |
