By Memphis Senior Advisor Care Team · October 14, 2026
The median gap between the last survey date HFC lists for a Memphis-area ACLF and today is 27 months, longer than the 15-month cycle in rule 0720-26-.05(1). Listings can lag behind visits, so treat an old date as a reason to ask for the latest survey report, not as proof that an inspection was missed.
What the rule says
Tennessee's assisted-care living facility rule is direct: a representative must make an unannounced inspection of every licensed ACLF within 15 months following the date of its last inspection, and as often as necessary to protect residents (0720-26-.05(1)). The facility must allow entry at any hour and produce all required records. When deficiencies are found, a plan of correction is due within ten days.
Each ACLF's entry on the Health Facilities Commission's facility listings shows a “Date of Last Survey.” Our directory reproduces it exactly, and when we looked across the three counties, many dates were older than 15 months.
What the listings show for the Memphis area
Here is how long ago the listed survey date falls for the 35 licensed ACLFs in Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties:
| Time since listed survey | ACLFs |
|---|---|
| Within 15 months | 11 |
| 16-30 months | 9 |
| 31-48 months | 9 |
| More than 48 months | 6 |
By calendar year, the listed dates fall as follows: 2022: 12, 2023: 3, 2024: 5, 2025: 5, 2026: 10.
There are several possible explanations, and the public listing does not say which applies to a given facility. The listing may record only certain survey types; complaint investigations and follow-up visits may not update the field; data entry may lag; or a facility may in fact be overdue. HFC also reorganized its offices and complaint systems in 2025, which may affect how quickly records update.
How to use the date without over-reading it
An old listed date is a prompt for a question, not a verdict. Ask the administrator: when were you last inspected, and may I see the statement of deficiencies and your plan of correction? A facility that was surveyed recently will have the paperwork; one that was not should be able to say so.
Then look at what else the record shows. A recent disciplinary action means the commission was involved more recently than the listed survey date suggests. A facility first licensed in the last few years will have a recent initial inspection by definition.
If you are concerned
If a facility cannot produce a recent survey report, or you have concerns about care, you can contact the Health Facilities Commission's Complaint Intake Unit at 1-877-287-0010 or through its online portal. Complaints are prioritized by severity and sent to a regional office for investigation, which itself produces an inspection visit.
What a survey covers when it happens
An ACLF licensure survey checks the facility against the full rule chapter: administration and staffing, services, medication handling, admissions and discharges, building standards, life safety, infection control, resident records and residents' rights. For facilities with secured units, surveyors also review twelve months of unit records, including pre-admission evaluations, quarterly reviews, daily staffing, incidents and staff training.
That breadth is why the survey report is worth reading even when the result was good. It shows what surveyors looked at and how the facility answered each finding. A report with a few minor findings and a clear plan of correction often reflects a well-run building more honestly than a marketing brochure.
Using the date alongside other records
The listed survey date is one of several public data points. HFC's listing also shows the original licensure date and the license expiration date, and licenses renew every year on the anniversary of first issuance. The commission's disciplinary actions and monthly Facility Action and Abuse Reports show enforcement. Together, they let a family ask precise questions instead of general ones.
For example: your listing shows a last survey in 2022 and a consent order in 2025; what did the 2025 investigation find, and has there been a full survey since? Questions like that signal to an administrator that the family has done its homework, which usually produces better answers.
How nursing home records differ
Nursing homes certified for Medicare or TennCare are on a different public footing. CMS publishes their inspection dates, deficiency counts, complaint investigations and fines on Care Compare, and Tennessee's Health Facilities Commission conducts those inspections as CMS's State Survey Agency. That is why our nursing home pages can show the latest inspection's date and findings directly, while assisted living pages show the state listing's survey date and rely on families asking for the report.
If a parent may move from assisted living to a nursing home later, it is worth learning to read both kinds of record now. The questions are similar: when was the last inspection, what was found, what changed, and is the problem likely to recur?
Frequently asked questions
How often must Tennessee inspect assisted living?
Within 15 months of the previous inspection, unannounced, under rule 0720-26-.05(1).
Does an old survey date mean a facility is overdue?
Not necessarily. Public listings can lag or omit some visit types. Ask the facility for its latest survey report.
Where do I find an ACLF's survey report?
Ask the facility for its most recent statement of deficiencies and plan of correction; Tennessee does not post ACLF survey reports online in bulk.
How do I report a concern about a facility?
Call the Health Facilities Commission at 1-877-287-0010 or use its online complaint portal.
