10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Louisville, KY

One of the biggest questions among seniors and their families is how they’ll pay for senior living. Most seniors use a combination of private income and public benefits. There are many ways seniors and families pay for assisted living costs. Here you’ll learn more about various private pay methods and other public resources like VA benefits, Medicare, and Medicaid that some seniors may qualify for.

Assisted living facilities in Kentucky and Indiana have state laws and regulations to help ensure the safety of your loved one and make sure their care needs are met. Both states require assisted living communities to be licensed and undergo inspections.

Kentucky: Assisted living communities in Kentucky are certified annually through the Kentucky Department for Aging and Independent Living. This certification has an extensive checklist to ensure facilities meet regulatory standards. Previously, assisted living communities were licensed as personal care homes, so some communities still label assisted living services as personal care. Additionally, you can find inspection reports tracking back to 2014 through the Office of Inspector General.^[05]

Indiana: Assisted living facilities that offer nursing care or administer medications are required to have a residential care facility license. The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) regulates residential care facilities, so consumer reports are available for licensed assisted living facilities through the IDOH. However, if an assisted living facility does not administer medication or offer nursing care, they are not required to have a residential care facility license.^[06]

While both states have their own individual laws for assisted living communities, many of the regulations overlap. Below you’ll learn about the shared rules for assisted living facilities across Kentucky and Indiana. These regulations are designed to keep assisted living facility residents happy and healthy.

Residents’ rights

Seniors have the right to live in an assisted living facility without experiencing abuse and/or neglect. In fact, both Kentucky and Indiana state laws require staff members who suspect a resident is suffering from abuse, neglect, or exploitation to report the issue.^[05,07]

Staffing requirements

To help ensure the safety of your loved one, Kentucky and Indiana have very similar staffing requirements for assisted living communities. Both states require a sufficient amount of staff members to meet the needs of facility residents around the clock. Additionally, at least one staff member must always be awake and on-site.^[05,07]

Facility requirements

Both Kentucky and Indiana require assisted living communities to meet building safety codes, such as maintaining rules for fire prevention and meeting square footage requirements for rooms. These safety codes may also include regulations to provide adequate utilities, such as the following:

• Water supply
• Air conditioning
• Heat
• Ventilation
• Lighting

The rest of their facility requirements and standards differ.

Kentucky: Besides meeting building and life safety codes, assisted living communities in Kentucky have fewer requirements than Indiana. However, the state has specific requirements for residents’ rooms in an assisted living community. As a result, your loved one’s room must have one of each of the following features:

• Lockable entry door
• Private bathroom with a tub or shower
• Provisions for emergency response
• Window to outdoors
• Telephone jack
• Individual thermostat control (if the community has over 20 units)

Beyond residents’ rooms, an assisted living community in Kentucky must have access to dining, a laundry facility, and a living room.^[05]

Indiana: Indiana has an extensive list of assisted living community regulations, from offering general things like adequate utility systems to specifics like having ice available to residents at all times. There are also specific resident room standards. If your loved one requests any of the following at the time of their admission, the facility is required to provide items, including but not limited to the following:

• A bed
• A clean and comfortable mattress
• Comfortable bedding
• A bedside table or cabinet
• A cushioned chair
• A bedside lamp

Additionally, the living, activity, lounging, and dining areas must have sufficient space to accommodate wheelchairs and necessary equipment.^[07]

COVID-19 regulations for Louisville assisted living facilities

Kentucky has followed the lead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by relaxing its COVID-19 regulations. As a result, as of September 2022, senior living care communities, like assisted living facilities, don’t require masks.^[08] Individual assisted living communities may have additional COVID-19 guidelines, so you should be aware of those changes before visiting or moving into the community.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health currently follows community level COVID-19 guidance for statewide guidance. Currently, Jefferson County falls under a low level of guidance, so the area still has relaxed recommendations, as found below.

Whether your loved one is looking for a luxurious lifestyle or a cozy setting where they can age in place, Louisville has the assisted living community for them. You can have peace of mind knowing your loved one will not only receive the care they need but will also be able to find a community that meets their preferences. Assisted living communities can offer a sense of security with the option to receive on-site health care. They may even offer the opportunity for your loved one to attend religious services without leaving their new home. Here you’ll get more information on what to expect from assisted living in Louisville.

Assisted living with advanced levels of care services

Like many retirees, your loved one may value being able to age in place. Aging in place enables seniors to stay within their community if their care needs change, and care needs tend to change over time. Therefore, having a community with advanced levels of care on the same campus may be beneficial. Almost all our assisted living partners in Louisville offer advanced care services on their campus. For example, a majority of our partner assisted living communities also provide memory care.

Both stand-alone and multi-tiered communities offer similar services, such as the following:

• Medication management
• Incontinence care
• Concierge services
• Housekeeping
• Laundry services
• Emergency call systems
• Transportation

Additionally, many assisted living communities offer convenience by having visiting medical professionals available like those listed below:

• Nurses
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech therapists
• Podiatrists
• Dentists

Some assisted living communities go beyond assisting and supervising seniors, so you can feel at ease knowing your loved one can access on-site health care. About 71% of our assisted living partners have an on-call doctor to ensure your loved one receives the best care. However, if your loved one needs 24-hour medical supervision, they may benefit from a higher level of care like that offered in a skilled nursing home in Louisville.

Some assisted living communities also have on-site nursing care, which may include having nurses on staff, hospice care, a third-party skilled nursing agency, or rehabilitative care. Additionally, you can live worry-free knowing your loved one can get around the facility easily, as at least 18 of our 21 assisted living partners in Louisville are handicap-accessible.^[01]

Active living in assisted living

Most assisted living communities have an activity director to help your loved one live an active and social lifestyle. There are a variety of on-site and off-site activities your loved one may be able to enjoy, including but not limited to the following:

• Day trips and outings
• Live musical performances
• Happy hours
• Art classes
• Trivia games
• Stretching classes
• Cooking classes
• Wii Bowling
• Tai chi

Assisted living communities also encourage socialization between residents, with senior-friendly clubs for hobbies like walking, reading, card games, bridge games, and quilting.

Religious and devotional opportunities

The Louisville area is right on the cusp of the Bible Belt, heavily populated by residents of faith. As a result, Louisville has a copious amount of churches, with one of the area Christian churches considered one of the largest in the United States.

Our Louisville assisted living partners reflect the need for religious and devotional services and activities. Approximately 95% of our assisted living partners offer on-site devotional activities and 47% have Bible study groups.

A majority of our assisted living partners in Louisville offer Catholic services and access to a visiting chaplain or priest.^[01] If your loved one prefers to continue attending local religious services in Louisville, they may be able to use the community’s transportation services to travel to and from their church or faith community.

Deluxe assisted living services and amenities

If you or your loved one is looking for a more satisfying lifestyle, many of our assisted living partners in Louisville have extra special amenities available to residents. Live comfortably without leaving the community. Some of the deluxe amenities one can typically find at our Louisville partner communities may include the following:^[01]

• Fitness centers
• Jacuzzis
• Beauty salons
• Barbershops
• Movie theaters
• Game rooms
• Courtyards and gardens
• Billiards lounges

Note: While these amenities may be available, some may require additional fees.

Health care for seniors in Louisville

Beyond our partner assisted living facilities, Louisville is one of the most innovative health care areas in the United States. Louisville was named America’s Aging Care Capital by Forbes Magazine for its work to advance aging health solutions. In Louisville, you or your loved one will have immediate access to highly rated hospitals. Between specialized teams and certified stroke centers, many hospitals in Louisville have optimal care for conditions common in seniors.

Transportation for seniors in Louisville

You can rest easy knowing your loved one can easily get around the area because 95% of our assisted living partners offer on-site transportation services. This on-site option is the safest alternative to public transportation and driving independently, as these options are more accessible and senior-friendly.

For visiting family and friends, approximately 61% of our assisted living partners in Louisville are conveniently located near public transit. However, Louisville isn’t known for having a lot of public transportation options, which is why most residents own a vehicle. The transportation options the city does have are mostly provided by the Transit Authority of River City (TARC).

Disability and paratransit services

TARC has an ADA paratransit service called TARC3 for seniors. If paratransit services are needed, riders may be eligible for a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) certification. A PCA assists riders at all times and guide them into buildings. For more information on eligibility and what other assistance the service offers, visit the TARC3 Rider’s Guide. Seniors can find additional transportation options recommended by the Office for Aging/Disabled Citizens on pages 71-72in their resource guide.

While the overall city is not easy to get around, the downtown area is easier to walk. Walk Score highly rates the Central Business District, i.e. the downtown area, with a walk score of 95. However, due to the lack of transportation options, the greater Louisville-Jefferson County area is not easily accessible for seniors and their visiting friends and families. Therefore, when scored out of 100, the city has low walking, transit, and biking ratings.^[13]