According to the Assisted Living Federation of America, there are more than one million senior citizens living in approximately 30,000 assisted living facilities throughout the country. The companies that run the facilities include large corporations, franchise parent companies and small companies.
Large Companies
The largest assisted living organizations in the United States are corporations, sometimes referred to as assisted living chains. An example of this type of company is Sunrise Senior Living with more than 380 facilities in thirty-seven states. Sunrise Senior Living also owns assisted living facilities in Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.
According to statistics from the American Healthcare Association for 2010, the following are large companies with multiple assisted living facilities throughout the United States, the number of facilities providing assisted living care for senior citizens, and the occupant capacity of the facilities:
- Emeritus Senior Living with 308 facilities and an occupant capacity of 32,300
- Sunrise Senior Living with 384 facilities and an occupant capacity of 29,604
- Brookdale Senior Living with 438 facilities and an occupant capacity of 29,133
- Assisted Living Concepts with 211 facilities and an occupant capacity of 9,280
- Benchmark Assisted Living with 44 facilities and an occupant capacity of 4,006
- Five Star Quality Care with 154 facilities and an occupant capacity of 10,352
- Hearthstone Senior Services with 32 facilities and an occupant capacity of 4,000
- Life Care Services with 62 facilities and an occupant capacity of 3,265
- Genesis Healthcare with 48 facilities and an occupant capacity of 2,873
- One Eighty Leisure Care with 31 facilities and an occupant capacity of 5,000
- Aegis Living with 35 facilities and an occupant capacity of 2,700
- Capital Senior Living with 336 facilities and an occupant capacity of 2,685
- Ecumen with 56 facilities and an occupant capacity of 2,450
- Belmont Village Senior Living with 19 facilities and an occupant capacity of 2,649
- The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society with 91 facilities and an occupant capacity of 2,226
- Chelsea Senior Living with 14 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,675
- Americare with 80 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,993
- Silverado Senior Living with 20 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,658
- American Senior Communities with 15 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,605
- Benedictine Health System with 27 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,391
- Sun Healthcare Group with 29 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,604
- Trilogy Health Services with 38 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,379
- Skilled Healthcare Group with 22 facilities and an occupant capacity of 1,250
- Merrill Gardens with 56 facilities and an occupant capacity of 7,462
- HCR ManorCare with 65 facilities and an occupant capacity of 5,084
Assisted Living Franchise Companies
As the American population ages, assisted living franchises are growing in popularity. Several examples of parent assisted living franchise companies include:
- Country Place Living
- Our House
- Comfort Keepers
Small Companies
Although many small assisted living companies generally have only one facility, there are also small companies that own and operate several facilities. Many of the smaller assisted living homes are in residential areas and house a very small number of seniors. Several examples of small residential facilities include:
- Willow Hill Assisted Care in Andrews, Texas, with an occupant capacity of sixteen
- The Loving Kindness LLC Assisted Living Personal Care Home in Alvin, Texas, with an occupant capacity of nine
- The Lake Shore Assisted Living Home in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York
- Cape Villa Assisted Living Facility in Cape Coral, Florida with an occupant capacity of five
In addition, some small companies operate larger facilities that are home to a much greater number of senior citizens.
Assisted Living Resources
A few quality resources for finding and selecting an assisted living facility for a loved one can help make a difficult process into an informed decision-making process. The following sites are good places for gathering information and advice regarding residential care for the elderly:
Legal Considerations
The laws, required permits and operations guidelines that assisted living companies follow vary from state to state. Take a close look at your own state's rules and regulations so that you know what is expected and required of every facility offering care to the elderly. Knowing these laws can help ease your mind about residential care for the elderly, as well as keep you informed so that you can speak up if things are not regulated according to the law.
