136 Assisted Living Facilities near Tucson, AZ

Seniors and their families usually pay for assisted living with a mix of private and public funds. Because assisted living communities provide a level of care that may qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or veterans benefits, many families look to use public means to pay for as much of their assisted living expenses as possible and then cover the rest with private funds.

The Bureau of Residential Facilities Licensing and the Arizona Department of Health Services provides licensure and oversight for all of Tucson’s assisted living facilities. Licensure is granted to assisted living communities that meet state requirements during an initial inspection and is renewed each following year during an unannounced inspection. Inspection results are publicly available on the Residential Facilities Provider Search Form. You can search for facilities by name or address.

Larger assisted living communities with 20+ residents and smaller board and care homes with fewer than 10 residents undergo the same licensing procedures and yearly inspections because they provide the same level of care. Some of the regulations and requirements for Tucson, Arizona, assisted living communities include the following:

• Facilities must have a written care plan outlining each resident’s current health and level of care.
• Facilities must provide daily meals to residents.
• Facilities must be maintained up to state building codes.
• Facilities must provide residents with access to hot and cold water at all times.
• Facilities are kept clean and hygienic.

Resident rights in Arizona assisted living communities

According to Article 8 from the Arizona Department of Health Services, residents of assisted living communities have the following rights:

• Residents must be treated with respect and dignity.
• Residents must not be abused, including neglect, manipulation, seclusion, discrimination, theft, or restraint.
• Residents must not suffer any retaliation for submitting a complaint.
• Residents must be told about all care services they will receive.
• Residents must be able to ask to move to a different room within the community.
• Residents must be told about any changes in the cost of their room, meals, and care.
• Residents must be given a reasonable amount of privacy.
• Residents must be able to choose their own health care providers.
• Residents must have access to a caregiver or manager who is present in the community at all times, day or night.

Caregiver training in Arizona assisted living facilities

In Arizona, caregivers in assisted living communities must meet certain requirements. In 2022, Arizona strengthened its background check requirements for workers in assisted living communities. Workers with felonies due to violence or financial fraud are now unable to work in any assisted living community in Arizona. Some of the other requirements for caregivers include the following:

• Caregivers must be 18 years or older.
• Caregivers must pass a state-approved, caregiver training program.
• Caregivers must be up to date on tuberculosis immunizations.
• Caregivers must complete first-aid and CPR training.

Arizona Department of Health contact information

150 N. 18th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-1025

COVID-19 regulations for Tucson assisted living facilities

Arizona state guidelines for mitigating the effects of COVID-19 are applied to all assisted living communities in Tucson. According to the federal guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), visitors are allowed in Tucson’s assisted living communities regardless of their vaccination status. Some more of Tucson’s COVID-19 policies for assisted living communities include the following:

In the sunset dreamland of the Sonoran Desert sits Tucson, Arizona. While smaller than other senior living hotspots, Tucson is a heavy lifter when it comes to the number, variety, and quality of assisted living communities. A Place for Mom partners with 31 assisted living communities within a 15-mile radius of Tucson’s city center.

While many cities have one or two types of assisted living communities, Tucson has a fairly even split between three types of assisted living. These community types include facilities that only offer assisted living services, sprawling Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), and smaller board and care homes. This means that whatever your preference or budget, you’re likely to find a good fit in Tucson.

Traditional assisted living communities

Traditional assisted living communities in Tucson tend to have more than 25 residents and are usually centrally located in Tucson. Many have on-site physicians and nurses and provide amenities, like arts and crafts centers or libraries. They also often offer an activity calendar. Outings to local botanical gardens, performances, or other events are fairly common. In these traditional assisted living communities, residents live in a private or shared room and usually eat their meals in a restaurant-style dining area with other residents.

About half of Tucson’s assisted living communities include at least one other type of senior care, like memory care or independent living. Often, these multi-care communities are on large campuses, and each care type has its own building or wing. Because of their size, they tend to be in the Tucson suburbs on large plots of land abutting the foothills. Many enjoy great views of the mountains. These multi-care communities are often quite nice. Pools, game rooms, stately dining rooms, and fancier design features are the norm.

The cost for multi-care communities are also somewhat higher than other assisted living options, although they’re still cheaper than many similar communities in other cities. These communities provide residents the luxury of staying in the same campus as their care needs change. The senior may need to relocate to a different unit within the same community but will never have to leave the community.

Like traditional assisted living communities, multi-care type communities usually combine all expenses into one monthly fee. The monthly cost for a resident increases as care needs increase, and most traditional assisted living communities offer some skilled nursing services for additional — often very expensive — fees.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities

CCRCs are very similar to multi-care communities in Tucson. However, they differ from traditional assisted living communities by having a different payment structure. CCRCs are often more expensive than other assisted living options, and they require a hefty admissions fee. These one-time admissions fees can be more than $100,000, and residents usually pay for them by selling their house. This higher price tag accounts for future care needs as a senior ages and requires more advanced care services.

Skilled nursing is expensive, and the one-time admissions fee helps cover future skilled nursing care provided by the CCRC. As a senior in a CCRC begins receiving skilled nursing care, they don’t have the same jump in expenses as a senior who lives in a traditional assisted living community would. Their large admissions fee covers much of their future skilled nursing care. CCRCs also tend to have even more lavish amenities — like pools and bars — and an array of personalized health and wellness services.

Board and care homes

Board and care homes are more common in Tucson than in other top senior living markets. These are residential homes that are converted into small assisted living communities. While licensed and regulated in the same ways as traditional assisted living communities, these often come at a lower price and provide a more intimate, personalized experience. Seniors in board and care homes in Tucson often share a room with one other resident and have access to the common areas of the house.

Amenities are usually limited to a backyard or patio, a dining room, and a living room. Caregivers at board and care homes are usually live-in, which means they live alongside residents and are available 24/7. Because of their smaller size, board and care homes are considerably cheaper than traditional assisted living communities, while offering similar care services and fewer luxury amenities. Most board and care homes don’t offer skilled nursing services, but they do allow residents to work with home health care agencies.

Tucson has robust senior social service programs

The Pima Council on Aging is Tucson’s local advocacy program for seniors. According to their website, their mission is to “promote dignity and respect for aging” individuals. These advocates are a useful resource for seniors who need help navigating their eligible care services. Advocates work to connect seniors with the right resources and work directly with local caregivers to provide education, training, and support. The Council on Aging offers online support through their website and their helpline.

Tucson has senior-friendly weather

Seniors often point to one reason first when explaining why they love Tucson: the weather. Tucson has a higher altitude than Phoenix, and although some days in the summer top 100 degrees Fahrenheit, its average temperatures are considerably mild throughout the year. It can even snow in the winter (although it doesn’t stick around long).

While a desert, Tucson’s Sonoran Desert is the wettest in the world, translating into a remarkable biodiversity of unique animals and plants, and some truly stunning arrays of desert flowers. The surrounding mountain ranges also provide beautiful vistas from most vantage points in the city.

Tucson has folksy flair

Like Austin, Texas, Tucson is a folksy college town, but it still has plenty of cultural clout. The local University of Arizona is a top-tier research university across the sciences as well as the humanities — which brings in world-class scholars, thinkers, and events. It also means Tucson’s assisted living communities benefit from nursing school graduates and volunteers who work in the city’s facilities.

However, Tucson is not only a college town, as it has a large population of resident seniors and snowbirds who stay in Tucson over the winter. Its granola reputation also belies a world-class food scene, which has bought Tucson the title of the first City of Gastronomy in the United States. Its heavy mix of Western scenery, best-in-class Mexican food, and the University of Arizona make Tucson an energizing place for seniors in assisted living.

Assisted living in the surrounding Tucson suburbs

Green Valley is a retirement community of about 22,000 people and is 30 minutes south from Tucson. While over 80% of the community is over 65, there are some families. It also has its own economy with shopping centers, schools, and public parks. Green Valley is considered one of the best places to retire in the United States. This is due to its senior-heavy demographics, extremely low level of crime, low cost of living, and a condensed and high number of senior living options.

Green Valley is quiet, beautiful, and affordable. The stars literally shine brighter in Green Valley than in most other places in the United States because it’s located in a Dark Sky Zone. This means there’s a very low level of light pollution, and the Milky Way shines bright every night.

Health care for seniors in Tucson

Tucson, Arizona, has an excellent health care system, with one of the best hospitals in the United States among the health care options in the city.

Transportation for seniors in Tucson

Most residents of Tucson drive, and they can happily expect low levels of traffic. However, most seniors in assisted living don’t need to worry about driving, as they have access to transportation from their assisted living communities. All of our partnering Tucson assisted living communities provide transportation services to their residents, some complimentary and some for a small fee. Residents can easily request rides from their communities to appointments, shopping centers, and events. Access to transportation makes life simpler and easier for seniors in these communities.

For visiting loved ones, Tucson’s public transportation system is a reliable and affordable way to visit with friends and family. The Sun Tran is Tucson’s public transportation system. It includes the Sun Link street car, Sun Vans, Sun on Demand, and the Sun Shuttle. Tucson has worked to make the Sun Tran particularly accessible for seniors by providing a few senior-specific services. These perks include the following:

• Trip planning services through their customer service representatives
• Reduced fares
• Senior-designated seats behind the driver
• Lifts for easy boarding
• A class designed for seniors to learn how to use the Sun Tran system

Information about the class, and about the Sun Tran system in general, can be found on the senior page of their website or by calling 520-206-8881.

WalkScore.com looks at public data like the U.S. Census and Open Street Map to create transportation scores for U.S. cities. Scores are always out of 100, with 100 being the most walkable, bike friendly, or public transportation friendly. According to WalkScore.com, Tucson received the following ratings:

Senior activities in Tucson

Whether you’re on an evening hike atop a scrubby ridge amongst towering Saguaro cacti or sitting on a back porch with a margarita, you’re likely enjoying a stunning sunset and purple views of the distant mountain ranges. And with a dry, temperate climate, being outside in Tucson is comfortable for almost 365 days a year.

Play in Tucson’s senior centers

Tucson has three dedicated senior centers as part of its Senior Programs, each with an activities calendar. Seniors can get a Senior Activity Card for a small fee that gives them entrance to any senior center. Most local senior centers have recreational and educational amenities, like billiards, a full kitchen, public Wi-Fi, and a gym. The activities put on at these centers range from chair yoga to social hour to ceramics to beginner Spanish. With a Senior Activity Card, seniors can attend these events or classes for no charge.

The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department also hosts a Senior Olympic Festival each year with events like the horseshoe toss, leisure walking, archery, and cribbage. Participating seniors should register on the Senior Olympic homepage.

The Tucson senior centers partner with Catholic Social Services to provide healthy meals at no cost to seniors and their spouses across the Tucson area. Meals are available on Monday through Friday of each week, and the limit is one meal per day. To receive their meal, seniors need to pre-register for the Senior Meals Program by calling the center of their choice listed on the Senior Meals Program brochure.

A similar program is The Pima Meals on Wheels This program is run by the Pima Council on Aging, and it brings one nutritious meal a day directly to homebound seniors. While seniors living in assisted living communities will have access to their daily meals directly from their community, these services are useful for seniors before making the transition to assisted living.

Explore the Sonoran Desert

Many of the local assisted living communities offer residents at least one outing to the Sonoran Desert Museum, but it’s a must-see for visiting family members as well. Many visitors are surprised to learn that most of the Sonoran Desert Museum is outdoors. But what better way to learn about the kaleidoscopic array of desert flora and fauna that call the Tucson area home? The museum includes a zoo, a botanical garden, a natural history exhibition, and art galleries, all on 98 acres of the protected desert landscape. Learn about unique animals — like the javelina, scorpion, and Gila monster — and admire the local cacti, some of which are over 100 years old.

The Sonoran Desert museum offers seniors, veterans, and Arizona residents a discounted admission fee. The museum is almost entirely wheelchair accessible, including the outdoor portions, and wheelchairs are available to rent. The hard of hearing or the visually impaired can request accommodations and special tours on the museum website.

The Saguaro National Park is perhaps the most famous site in the Tucson area, as the park surrounds two sides of the city. Named for the massive Saguaro cacti that grow throughout the park, visitors can enjoy the park on foot or by car. The Cactus Forest Drive is a loop that provides stunning views of the park’s most scenic areas. Adventurous hikers can find petroglyphs from the ancient Hohokam people on the Signal Hill Trail.

Tucson is also in one of the few Dark Sky zones in the United States. Due to a low level of light pollution and lack of cloud cover, residents and visiting loved ones enjoy truly remarkable views of the starry sky in the city and even better views just outside city limits.

Because of the clear skies, the Steward Observatory on the University of Arizona’s campus is home to one of the premier astronomy departments in the nation. Students and some visitors can look through the telescope in the observatory, although the larger original telescope is now outside the city at Kitt Peak. The Kitt Peak National Observatory has a visitor center that offers nighttime stargazing events. For a fee, visitors can participate in the Nightly Observing program, which includes lessons on using star charts and the use of a professional telescope.

Discover Tucson’s rich culture

Tucson isn’t only beautiful desert vistas but has plenty of cultural activities, too. One of the most popular for seniors — particularly veterans — is the Pima Air and Space Museum. The museum has over 400 aircraft and has some of the rarest and most fascinating aircraft in the world.  It houses WWII planes, presidential aircraft, and a flight simulator. Seniors get discounted admissions. Tram Tours, which are especially suited for those who may not want to walk all day, are available daily to take visitors through the acres of planes and helicopters.

Tucson is one of the few places in the United States that was or is part of four different countries: Spain, Mexico, the Confederacy, and the United States of America. The Mission San Xavier del Bac is a piece of that history and now sits on land owned by the Tohono O’odham Nation. Built in the 1700s, the Mission’s ornate Spanish colonial architecture and gilded interior are worth the suggested donation fee.

The Gaslight Theater is a mainstay for Tucson locals. Set in an old-timey saloon, the Gaslight Theater puts on nightly performances of their family-friendly plays. Visitors can enjoy a full meal and free popcorn with their tickets. Seniors don’t get discounted tickets, but it’s affordable enough to go regularly, and some assisted living communities take their residents there at least once a year.

Enjoy a celebrated food scene

Tucson was the first City of Gastronomy in the United States. It got its title because there’s an unusually high number of exceptional restaurants in Tucson for a city of its size, but also because these restaurants honor traditional recipes from Mexico and the indigenous tribes who began farming in the Saguaro Desert over 4,000 years ago. The official Tucson City of Gastronomy website has information about food tours, cooking classes, and certified City of Gastronomy restaurants.

Learn from local guides

Tucson’s visitor’s website, visittucson.org, offers some excellent and up-to-date information about local activities. They cover outdoor fun, health and wellness, shopping, and history experiences that are appropriate for all ages. The site also has updated information about local events, like Gem Shows, the Senior Olympic Festival, and musical performances. For seniors with visiting family members, visittucson.org also has information about where to stay, from resorts to campgrounds.