What laws govern senior care facilities in Louisville?
Kentucky law, not Louisville ordinance, governs licensed senior care: KRS 194A.700 to 194A.729 and 902 KAR 20:480 for assisted living communities, 902 KAR 20:036 and 20:041 for personal care and family care homes, and OIG's nursing facility regulations, with CMS federal rules layered on certified nursing homes.
Last verified: October 2026Every one of those licenses is issued and inspected by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services' Office of Inspector General. Louisville Metro Government and the small cities inside Jefferson County do not license care settings, though zoning and fire codes still apply to the buildings.
How is Kentucky's approach different from other states?
Kentucky is unusual in splitting assisted living into three licenses by service level, requiring a separate dementia care license for any secured unit, and keeping personal care homes as a distinct, older license that State Supplementation can pay for.
On OIG's October 2026 roster for the seven Louisville-area counties that works out to 21 social-model ALC licenses, 27 ALC-BH licenses and 28 ALC-DC licenses. Kentucky also defines “ambulatory” broadly enough to include wheelchair users who need help moving, which keeps many people in assisted living who would have to move to nursing care elsewhere.
Where do Louisville families report problems?
Licensing complaints go to OIG's Northern Branch at 502-595-4958; suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation goes to Kentucky's hotline at 1-877-597-2331, which state law requires anyone with reasonable cause to call; and residents can get free advocacy from the Long-Term Care Ombudsman through KIPDA.
The guides below explain each step, with the statute or regulation behind it.
Kentucky Rules guides
How Kentucky licenses assisted living in Louisville
Kentucky's OIG licenses assisted living as ALC, ALC-BH or ALC-DC under KRS 194A.700-.729 and 902 KAR 20:480. What each license allows, inspection cycles and fees.
Read →What Kentucky requires of memory care communities
Kentucky requires an Assisted Living Community with Dementia Care (ALC-DC) license for any secured dementia unit. Training hours, staffing, activities and family-support rules explained.
Read →Personal care homes and family care homes, explained
How Kentucky licenses personal care homes (902 KAR 20:036) and family care homes (902 KAR 20:041), who they serve, and why State Supplementation applies to them but not assisted living.
Read →Checking a Louisville facility's license and record
Use Kentucky OIG's facility directories, OIG GenSearch inspection findings and CMS Care Compare to verify a Louisville-area assisted living community, personal care home or nursing home.
Read →Inspections and complaints in the Louisville area
Complaints about Louisville-area nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living go to OIG's Northern Branch at 502-595-4958. What to include and when to call the ombudsman instead.
Read →What a Kentucky assisted living lease must say
Kentucky assisted living leases must include fees, 30-day notice of fee changes, 30-day nonpayment move-out notice, refund policy and grievance process. Move-out protections explained.
Read →Who can give medications in Kentucky assisted living?
Kentucky separates assistance with self-administered medication (any ALC) from medication administration (ALC-BH and ALC-DC only). What staff can and cannot do under KRS 194A.700(4).
Read →Reporting abuse, neglect or exploitation in Kentucky
Kentucky's abuse hotline is 1-877-597-2331. Under KRS 209.030 anyone with reasonable cause must report adult abuse, neglect or exploitation. What to report and what happens next.
Read →At a glance
| Kentucky's rules do | Kentucky's rules do not | |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living | Require an OIG license in one of three categories | Set a staff-to-resident ratio |
| Memory care | Require an ALC-DC license and dementia training hours | Allow an unlicensed secured unit |
| Inspections | Require unannounced reviews every 12 or 24 months | Publish assisted living findings online |
| Payment | Let State Supplementation help in personal care homes | Provide a Medicaid assisted living waiver |
