Kentucky Assisted Living Complaint Resources

If you are concerned about the care your loved one is receiving in a Kentucky assisted living community, you have the right to file a complaint with the state — and you can do so without giving your name. In Kentucky, assisted living communities are licensed by the state and regulated separately from skilled nursing homes.

Who Regulates Assisted Living Communities in Kentucky

Assisted living in Kentucky is licensed and inspected by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Division of Health Care — the same state office that oversees nursing homes and personal care homes. Under 2022 Senate Bill 11, Kentucky moved assisted living from state certification to OIG licensure under 902 KAR 20:480, which establishes three license types: social model assisted living community (ALC), assisted living community with basic health care (ALC-BH), and assisted living community with dementia care (ALC-DC). Because assisted living is not federally certified by Medicare the way skilled nursing homes are, the state is the primary authority responsible for setting standards, investigating complaints, and taking enforcement action.

How to File an Assisted Living Complaint in Kentucky

You can report concerns about a licensed assisted living community to the OIG Division of Health Care by calling the central office at (502) 564-7963, or by contacting the Complaint Coordinator in the enforcement branch that covers your county: the Western Branch at 270-889-6052 or WEB.Complaints-Reports@ky.gov, the Northern Branch at 502-595-4958 or NEBComplaints-Reports@ky.gov, the Southern Branch at 606-330-2030 or SEBComplaints-Reports@ky.gov, or the Eastern Branch at 859-246-2301 or EEB.Complaints-Reports@ky.gov. Complaints may be made orally or in writing, and you can file without giving your name. To help investigators, provide as much detail as possible — the community name and address, the names of residents and staff involved, and the dates, times, and a clear description of what happened.

Memory Care and Dementia Care in Kentucky

Since Kentucky's move to licensure, memory care has its own license type: an assisted living community with dementia care (ALC-DC) can serve residents with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias in a secured dementia care unit. Only dementia-trained staff may care for residents in the unit, and unit managers must complete at least ten hours of dementia-specific training each year. Residents whose needs go beyond what an assisted living community may provide can still be served by licensed personal care homes or nursing facilities, which the OIG also oversees. Wherever memory care is provided, complaints follow the same process — call the OIG Division of Health Care at (502) 564-7963 or contact your regional enforcement branch.