By Memphis Senior Advisor Care Team · October 26, 2026
HFC lists 4 active homes for the aged in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties, each with 5 to 12 beds, against far more closed, withdrawn or expired license records. A home for the aged provides room, board and personal services; residents who need health care services are transferred to an ACLF, nursing home or hospital.
What a home for the aged is
Tennessee licenses two kinds of residential care for older adults. The larger and better-known is the assisted-care living facility (ACLF). The smaller is the home for the aged, licensed under rule chapter 0720-21: a home that accepts primarily older adults (51% or more) for relatively permanent care, providing room, board and personal services to four or more unrelated people.
The key limit is medical care. A home for the aged resident must be ambulatory and will be transferred to a licensed hospital, nursing home or ACLF when health care services are needed. Homes for the aged are built around meals, supervision and help with daily routines, not medication administration or nursing.
How many are left around Memphis
The Health Facilities Commission's facility listings for homes for the aged in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties include every status the state records, not only active licenses. The breakdown tells a story:
| Status in HFC listings | Records |
|---|---|
| Facility Closed | 65 |
| Withdrew Appl | 37 |
| Closed Appl | 14 |
| Revoked | 5 |
| Exp - Fac Closd | 5 |
| Appl in process | 5 |
| Licensed | 4 |
Only the “Licensed” records are operating homes. The 4 active licenses on HFC's October 2026 bed report range from 5 to 12 beds. The many closed and withdrawn records suggest that small operators either stopped operating or never completed licensure; the listings do not say why each one closed.
When a home for the aged makes sense
For a parent who walks independently, is medically stable, and mainly needs meals, company and a watchful eye, a small home can feel more like a household than a building. Fees are lower than ACLF rates in most cases because no medical services are included. But families should plan from the start for what happens when health care needs appear, because the license itself requires a transfer.
Ask who is awake at night, how medications are handled (residents generally manage their own), who covers when the owner is away, and which ACLF or nursing home the family would use next. TennCare CHOICES ACLF services do not apply in a home for the aged, so the payment plan is private.
Checking a home's license
Search HFC's facility listings under “Home for the Aged” for the county. A home caring for four or more unrelated older adults that is not licensed as an ACLF or a home for the aged may be operating illegally; report it to HFC at 1-877-287-0010, and call Adult Protective Services at 1-888-277-8366 if anyone is at risk. Every active home for the aged in the three counties appears on our assisted living roster.
Comparing a home for the aged with a small ACLF
The Memphis area also has very small assisted-care living facilities, including two 12-bed ACLFs on the state's current bed report. For a family that wants a small setting but expects a parent to need medication administration or periodic nursing, a small ACLF can offer the household feel with more flexibility, because an ACLF may administer medications through licensed or certified staff and bring in home health or hospice.
The differences to ask about are concrete: who gives medications and with what credential, who is awake overnight, whether a nurse is available as needed, and what happens after a hospital stay. Those answers usually make the choice between the two license types clear.
What the closures mean for families
A small home that closes forces residents to move, sometimes quickly. Before choosing any small residence, ask how long the current owner has operated it, whether the license has ever lapsed, and what the plan would be if the owner retired or fell ill. HFC's listing shows the original licensure date, which answers the first question; the rest requires a direct conversation.
Families who choose a small home can protect themselves by keeping a short list of licensed alternatives nearby, so a sudden change does not become a crisis.
Where the active homes are
The four active homes for the aged on HFC's current bed report are all in Shelby County, with Memphis or Cordova addresses, and each appears on our assisted living roster with its license number, bed count and last listed survey date. That small number means a family set on this type of setting may need to look across the county, or consider a small ACLF instead.
Whatever the choice, visit at different times of day and meet the person who will be in charge overnight. In a home with a handful of residents, that one person shapes daily life more than any policy document.
Frequently asked questions
What is a home for the aged in Tennessee?
A licensed residence providing room, board and personal services to four or more unrelated, primarily older, ambulatory adults, under rule 0720-21.
Can a home for the aged give medications?
Homes for the aged are not licensed to provide health care services; residents who need them are transferred to an ACLF, nursing home or hospital.
Does TennCare pay for a home for the aged?
TennCare CHOICES Assisted Care Living Facility services apply to ACLFs, not homes for the aged.
How do I check a home for the aged's license?
Search the Health Facilities Commission's facility listings under Home for the Aged for the county.
