Assisted living in Michigan: how it is licensed.
Who licenses assisted living in Michigan, and what to check before you choose.
What Michigan calls it
In Michigan, assisted living is licensed under the term “Home for the Aged (HFA) and Adult Foster Care (AFC) home”. Other states use different names, so it helps to know the exact term when you search.
Who licenses and inspects
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Community and Health Systems is the agency that licenses these communities. It is the official place to check a community’s license and inspection history. The state also lists an official facility search tool.
Paying for care
Medicare generally does not cover long term custodial care.
Michigan's MI Choice Waiver may help adults who meet income and asset criteria and need nursing facility level care receive that care in their own home or another residential setting. The state page does not name assisted living or homes for the aged, and eligibility rules apply.
Checking a community
Lets users filter adult foster care and home for the aged records by license status and open online inspection reports completed on or after July 1, 2002.
Help and complaints
Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program supports residents of long term care and their families.
Also worth knowing in Michigan
Michigan's licensing bureau licenses family, small, large and congregate adult foster care homes and homes for the aged, and its state ombudsman program serves residents of nursing homes, homes for the aged and adult foster care homes.
Sources we checked (October 2026)
Licensing rules change. We checked the pages below. Confirm with the state agency.
Questions
Who regulates assisted living in Michigan?
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Community and Health Systems.