Assisted Living in Massachusetts: A Family Guide

Facts checked September 28, 2026 against official Massachusetts sources

What assisted living is called in Massachusetts, what it costs, how Medicaid can help, how to check a community’s license and inspections, and who to call if something goes wrong. Every fact links to the official source.

Licensed by

Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE), Assisted Living Certification Unit¹

Licensed communities on Lilisity

272 assisted living, 201 with memory care

Medicaid help

Limited: Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC), a MassHealth program²

Typical cost

$9,600 a month (state median, CareScout 2025)

Long-term care ombudsman

617-222-7495³

What assisted living is called in Massachusetts

• Assisted Living Residence (ALR), certifiedMassachusetts certifies assisted living residences (ALRs). They help with daily activities like housekeeping, meals, bathing, dressing and medication, but do not provide medical or nursing services.²
• Special Care Residence (SCR)A secured section of an ALR, or a stand-alone residence, for people with dementia or other special needs.⁴

Memory care rules

Memory care is offered in a Special Care Residence. An ALR with a Special Care Residence must have at least two staff on duty at all times, unless the state grants an exemption, and those staff must be trained and awake.⁴

Questions to ask memory care about nights.

What assisted living costs in Massachusetts

The median cost of assisted living in Massachusetts is $9,600 a month, above the national median of $6,200 (CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, collected July to November 2025). Prices vary with the apartment, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet, including care-level fees.

If more care is needed later: nursing home costs in Massachusetts, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates Massachusetts nursing homes publish.

Plan with our free tools: how long will the money last? and home care or assisted living?

Paying for assisted living in Massachusetts

Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Families pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or benefits such as VA Aid and Attendance (estimate it). Who actually pays for long-term care.

Medicaid. Most people pay privately. MassHealth (Medicaid) can help through Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC) at residences that accept it, but not all ALRs do. Ask before you sign a residency agreement. Program: Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC), a MassHealth program.² Medicaid does not pay rent or meals in assisted living in any state, and not every community accepts it, so ask each one.

Supplemental Security Income - Category G (SSI-G). An SSI payment for people living in assisted living, run by Social Security and topped up by the state Department of Transitional Assistance. Not all residences accept it; ask Social Security if you qualify.²

How to check a community in Massachusetts

Look up a license. Search certified assisted living residences by city, town, or zip code, or download the state's list of certified residences. Search Massachusetts’s records.⁵

Lilisity shows Massachusetts’s inspection record on each community’s page where the state publishes one: the state’s own records, dated and linked to the official source.

Always visit in person, at a mealtime or in the evening if you can. Bring the tour scorecard and the 8 tour questions.

If something goes wrong

Complaints about care or conditions. The Executive Office of Aging & Independence takes ALR complaints. Fill out the complaint form and email it to ALRhelp@mass.gov or mail it to the Assisted Living Certification Unit. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman also takes complaints. file online.⁶

Abuse, neglect or exploitation. Call (800) 922-2275. How to report.⁷ If someone is in danger, call 911.

The long-term care ombudsman is a free advocate for residents of assisted living and nursing homes: they help resolve problems with a community, including move-out notices. Call 617-222-7495 or find your local ombudsman.³

Find assisted living in Massachusetts

Every community and county in Massachusetts · 1 with verified resident testimonials

Sources

1. Licensing agency (mass.gov)
2. Medicaid, license types, Supplemental Security Income - Category G (SSI-G) (mass.gov)
3. Ombudsman (mass.gov)
4. License types, memory care rules (mass.gov)
5. License lookup (mass.gov)
6. Complaints (mass.gov)
7. Reporting abuse (mass.gov)
8. CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (state medians)

Facts checked against these official sources on September 28, 2026. Rules and programs change; confirm with the agency before making a decision. General information, not legal or financial advice.