10 Best Nursing Homes in Memphis, TN

Assisted living and memory care can be paid for in a few ways. These are primarily privately funded (for example, through personal investments or savings) or publicly funded (such as through benefits or Medicare). While some people like to pay through one method, most use a combination of several funding methods to cover the cost of care.

In this section, you will learn how private pay, VA benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare can be used to pay for skilled nursing care.

In Tennessee, nursing homes must be licensed and regulated by Tennessee’s Department of Health. To hold a license, skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes) need to meet a number of requirements that involve staffing, quality of care, safety protocols, and training.

Nursing homes have specific staffing needs. In Tennessee, a registered nurse (RN) must be on duty for eight hours daily, while a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or RN must always be on duty. Residents should receive at least two hours of one-on-one care every day.

Inspections happen regularly through the Department of Health at the state level. At the federal level, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also regulate facilities that operate through Medicaid and Medicare programs.

Inspections are unannounced and will survey the following:

• Facility operations
• Staff qualifications
• Resident care
• Environmental conditions
• Food service

The Department of Health publishes its findings annually in a report titled Nursing Home Inspection and Enforcement Activities. To look up specific nursing home facilities, you can click here.

For additional information on Tennessee’s standards and criteria for nursing home services, you may find it helpful to review the following resources:

• Nursing Home Services Criteria
• Health Care Facilities Reports: For Individuals
• Nursing Home Full Bed Report

Assisted living and memory care rules and regulations

Assisted living rules and regulations are also laid out for facilities without skilled nursing. Memory care is also subject to these standards, as well as adult care homes. These group homes are found in residential settings providing care to a small group.

In Tennessee, assisted living and memory care facilities are both licensed under the term “assisted-care living facilities.” Another term is “homes for the aged,” which are also assisted living facilities, but they provide help with personal care only and no medical care at all.

Specific care plans must be created in a resident’s first five days. Medical records must be kept covering everything from medication administration and staff observations to doctor’s orders and vaccination records.

For memory care facilities, staff and administrators must have additional training on dementia behaviors. This is so they can be alert for exit-seeking behaviors and be able to successfully redirect residents and keep them safe and secure.

You can look up an assisted living or memory care facility (both are under assisted-care living facility) to see how it fared during inspections on the Department of Health’s Health Care Facilities search page. Group homes are searched as adult care homes.

Tennessee Department of Health contact information

Tennessee Department of Health
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: 615-741-3111
Hours of Operation: Weekdays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

COVID-19 regulations for Memphis nursing homes

Currently, Tennessee doesn’t have any state mandates relating to COVID-19 management in senior care facilities. Instead, the state has opted to require health care facilities to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

In summary, these are some of the guidelines:

While A Place for Mom does not partner with nursing homes, one assisted living facility in our network offers a skilled nursing wing.

Skilled nursing or nursing home?

Nursing home is often used as an all-encompassing term to describe any sort of long-term care or independent living community when the reality is that a skilled nursing facility is very different from other forms of senior care. In skilled nursing, expect more one-on-one time with staff, custodial care, rehabilitation, and palliative care all times of day or night.

Other senior options like assisted living or memory care can also provide skilled nursing services but for seniors with more independence in daily life. When determining necessary care needs, it is also helpful to look into multiple care options to determine which will offer the most suitable lifestyle.

A mix of care options

Of our 13 assisted living and memory care facility partners, three are standalone assisted living facilities and two are combination assisted living and independent living facilities. Six are combinations of assisted living and memory care facilities, and two are adult care homes. No two facilities in Memphis will be the same, so it’s important to understand the senior’s care needs in order to find the right match.

High-level care is available

Need full medication management? Non-ambulatory care? Of the 13 in-network facilities, 85% offer both of those services. For seniors who have trouble getting around, more than half have wheelchair-accessible showers built in, and 69% have ground-floor living units for residents who have trouble with stairs. There’s sure to be a choice of options when it comes to the specific care you or your loved one requires.

Health care for seniors in Memphis

There are several large medical systems in the Memphis area. Most have multiple locations, making travel convenient, and all of them offer a range of specialties and services.

Transportation for seniors in Memphis

Among our partner assisted living and memory care facilities, 62% offer complimentary transportation for residents and 39% offer at-cost services. At minimum, transport to medical appointments is standard.

Memphis is a spread-out city, meaning it’s difficult for people to get around without a car. For people with limited mobility and who are unable to use a car or bus independently, there are senior-specific transport services.

• MATAplus is a door-to-door service operated by the Memphis Area of Transportation that is designed for people who cannot independently use the fixed-route bus system. This service operates during the same hours as fixed buses and extends three-quarters of a mile beyond the bus system limits. Seniors can apply online and can travel with caregivers once approved.
• Tennessee’s Independent Transportation Network is open to anyone over the age of 60 who lives within the Interstate 240 loop. This service feels more like a taxi or rideshare, and caregivers or families can manage seniors’ online accounts, add money, and book and prepay for rides.
• The Senior Volunteer Transportation Network is a program that will partner with agencies to connect seniors with volunteers who can help get them where they need to go. It is expected to be starting in Memphis soon.