Senior Living Apartments in Madison, WI

Residents of senior apartments in Madison have multiple avenues available for financing their housing, including private payment options, Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, and public housing assistance. Medicare, Medicaid, or long-term care insurance don’t cover senior apartment costs.

However, Medicare, Medicaid, or long-term care insurance may cover the cost of some in-home care services. Here, we lay out ways to secure the funding you need to help finance a senior apartment in Madison.

Senior apartments aren’t licensed care facilities, and thus aren’t regulated by the Department of Health. However, because they’re rental properties, they’re still subject to all federal, city, and county housing laws, such as the following:

• Fair Housing Act. Wisconsin’s Fair Housing Law protects seniors from discrimination due to age or disability. It also makes an exception for senior apartments, allowing them to only rent to people over a certain age.
• Americans with Disabilities Act. This protects seniors with a disability from discrimination, and allows for the exception of a service animal in apartments that don’t accept pets.
• S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations. Seniors living in section 8 housing are protected against sharp increases in rent.

Tenants and landlords enter a standard rental relationship that keeps both parties aware of their responsibilities. In addition, Madison has specific tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities, such as:

• Landlords must notify tenants if there’s a change of ownership or management, especially for maintenance and rent collection.
• Emergency contact information must be posted for apartments with more than three units.
• Landlords must disclose uncorrected building code violations if it presents a significant threat to the tenant’s health or safety.
• Smoke detectors must be installed and maintained in each bedroom and on each floor of the building.

The Tenant Resource Center is a valuable website for apartment safety tips in Madison, as well as information on fair housing laws, discrimination, and more.

Senior apartments in Madison are not subject to routine inspections, but you can send an email to request any inspection reports they may already have filed on an address to binspections@cityofmadison.com.

Some senior apartments have informal age restrictions. For example, a senior apartment complex may require that over 70% of the tenants are over the age of 55. These age restrictions vary by complex, so be sure to ask if you plan on having someone younger reside in your apartment.

Wisconsin Department of Health

1 W. Wilson St.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-266-1865

COVID-19 regulations for Madison senior apartments communities

The city of Madison doesn’t have stringent rules regarding COVID-19. However, it does provide COVID isolation guidelines. It also subscribes to guidelines approved by the U.S. ​​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and asks people to exercise caution. Always check with the specific facilities you are exploring for more information.

The city of Madison also provides a respiratory illness dashboard, where you can see the rate of spread for the flu, RSV, and COVID-19.

Senior apartments in the capital city of Wisconsin afford residents the flexibility to lead full and active lives while surrounded by people with similar aspirations. Most of our listings are within 10 miles of downtown Madison. Senior apartments tend to function like any apartment but with age requirements, offering only a living space and some amenities.

Independent living is more common than senior apartments in Madison, but there are still apartment options for people over 55 years of age. Independent living offers similar benefits as senior apartments, with the addition of more community-centered events and activities, meal plans, and housekeeping.

Madison is a great location for those looking for senior apartment living. Many apartments offer on-site parking and transportation. And, if you have a dog or a cat, you’ll find several pet-friendly options. High-speed internet is offered at many listings, and several apartments offer accessibility features.

A variety of amenities

The average senior apartment in Madison provides standard setups complete with full kitchens, bathrooms, common areas, on-site parking, in-unit washer and dryer hookups, and convenient proximity to public transportation. A number of listings have additional amenities, such as pools, fitness centers, and sports courts. Select apartments even offer access to beauty salons, libraries, and meeting rooms. In addition, certain locations have wheelchair-accessible showers for residents and allow pets (for additional fees). All senior apartments in Madison allow tenants to modify their apartment for accessibility features.

Luxury living in Madison

Luxury apartments have more high-end spaces complete with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets, large windows, and in-unit washers and dryers. In addition, some have private balconies with amazing views of downtown Madison and the Capitol. A number of luxury offerings in the city have private entry apartments and townhomes. Some even have rooftop pools, movie theater rooms, pet spas, and on-site restaurants for residents to enjoy. These apartments may have additional fees to account for the added amenities.

Health care for seniors in Madison

Madison is anchored by two major health care systems and VA hospital:

Transportation for seniors in Madison

Madison’s city setup empowers senior residents to bike, walk, and take public transportation as they see fit. It’s also a very drivable city, with many residents choosing to get around by car. All of Madison’s senior apartments offer on-site parking.

You can find the following transportation options in Madison:

• Metro Transit offers accessible bus rides, including low-floor riding options to accommodate wheelchair users and those needing assistance boarding closer to the curb. Riders 65 and older or living with a disability can ride for $1 with an Americans with Disabilities Act-approved transit card or Metro senior or disability card.
• Riders who can’t use fixed-route buses can apply for paratransit service, a shared-ride service for seniors and others with disabilities.
• Residents can also take advantage of Group Access Service (GAS), which provides regularly scheduled drop-offs to shopping areas, nutritional sites, special events, and more. This offering is available through Dane County’s transit program, with nutrition trips costing $0.50, shopping $1, and out-of-town shopping costing $1.50. All figures are for one-way trips.
• Madison’s Older Adult Transportation Assistance (OATA) empowers seniors to travel independently while making critical appointments and meetings. Riders must be 60 years old or older or living in their own home with a disability. You can apply for this program by contacting the Transportation Call center at 608-242-6489 or emailing TransportationCallCenter@countyofdane.com.
• The Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP) offers door-to-door service for people going to appointments at hospitals and clinics. Volunteers do pick-ups in their own cars, and rides are arranged with the individual driver. Eligible riders are 60 years or older or living in their own home with a disability, and cost is donation-based. To utilize this service, call RSVP at 608-441-7898 or additional contact numbers, 608-441-7892 and 608-441-7896.

The city is somewhat walkable, and errands can be run from some home addresses. It also has biking infrastructure complete with sufficient trails, lanes, and connected roads. The below scores are calculated by WalkScore on a scale of 1 to 100, with a higher score meaning a greater ease of walking. Scores are calculated based on WalkScore’s analysis of walking routes to a variety of amenities.

Senior activities in Madison

As a city known for its history and active tourist scene, Madison is teeming with activities that appeal to senior apartment residents’ sense of adventure.

We’ve compiled a list of exciting and senior-friendly attractions in Madison:

• Visitors to the Wisconsin State Capitol can sit in awe of the more than 200-foot high dome and learn about the state’s unique history. Free tours are available on both weekdays and weekends. The Capitol building is wheelchair accessible.
• Veterans and history buffs alike can tour the Wisconsin Veterans Museum free of charge Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. This museum may be wheelchair accessible.
• The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is free to the public with rotating exhibitions cycling in and out. The facility is closed Monday through Wednesday, but is open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
• Those who love films and movies will enjoy the annual Wisconsin Film Festival, which has been held in Madison since 1998. The festival aims to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. You can buy tickets to individual films, or all festival-passes which will allow you access to all films being screened. You should call ahead to reserve your wheelchair-accessible seating.
• Outdoor lovers will enjoy having access to so much fresh water. There are five lakes in Madison — Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa — which combine to cover more than 15,000 acres. Catch a fish and a sunrise during the warmer months, or simply take an evening stroll with the water lapping nearby. According to Destination Madison, you’re never more than a 10-minute walk from a park in town.
• Sports enthusiasts will have no shortage of games or teams to cheer for either, as Madison is home to the University of Wisconsin’s flagship campus and the Badger athletics teams. Both basketball and football teams are highly competitive in the Big Ten conference, and the women’s hockey team recently won the 2023 National Championship.
• Seniors can visit the Olbrich Botanical Gardens and visit the outdoor gardens for free. Visitors can also pay $6 to view the Bolz Conservatory. The outdoor garden is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from October to March and closes at 6 p.m. April through September.
• Dane County Farmers Market is a Saturday and Wednesday tradition in Madison, with a rotating roster of 275 vendors throughout the year, providing nutritious finds and a social atmosphere.

The Madison Senior Center and Sharing Active Independent Lives both offer visitors multiple options when it comes to activities, entertainment, and clubs. Event calendars and descriptions can be found on their respective sites.