Assisted living in Missouri: how it is licensed.
Who licenses assisted living in Missouri, and what to check before you choose.
What Missouri calls it
In Missouri, assisted living is licensed under the term “Residential Care Facility (RCF) and Assisted Living Facility (ALF)”. Other states use different names, so it helps to know the exact term when you search.
Who licenses and inspects
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Section for Long-Term Care Regulation is the agency that licenses these communities. It is the official place to check a community’s license and inspection history.
Paying for care
Medicare generally does not cover long term custodial care.
Missouri's Aged and Disabled Waiver may help people aged 63 or over with certain impairments who would otherwise need nursing home care, with services such as homemaker, chore, respite, home-delivered meals and adult day care. The state page does not mention assisted living, and eligibility rules apply.
Checking a community
The page links to the Long Term Care Directory for locating a Missouri long term care facility; it does not link to inspection reports for residential care or assisted living facilities.
Help and complaints
Missouri Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (Dept. of Health and Senior Services) supports residents of long term care and their families.
Also worth knowing in Missouri
Missouri licenses residential care facilities and assisted living facilities as separate categories, with the state reporting 268 residential care and 332 assisted living facilities among about 1,101 licensed long-term care facilities on its page.
Sources we checked (October 2026)
Licensing rules change. We checked the pages below. Confirm with the state agency.
Questions
Who regulates assisted living in Missouri?
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Section for Long-Term Care Regulation.