Nursing Homes in Arizona

Arizona Regulations for Nursing Home Facilities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency that regulates and provides ratings for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. CMS offers guidance to state Medicaid services regarding rules for facilities that are Medicaid-certified. Medicare provides a national nursing home website to view the audit and licensing history of Medicare-approved nursing homes.

Each state regulates senior living communities differently, but you can use APFM’s guide to assisted living regulations to learn more about access to facility records in Arizona.

In Arizona, nursing homes — also called convalescent homes or skilled nursing facilities — are intended for seniors who require 24-hour monitoring and medical assistance. These communities are designed to promote independence among seniors who require constant nursing care to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), but do not require hospital-level care.

Cost of Living

Overall, the cost of living in Arizona is considered to be slightly more affordable than the national average. All index scores are based on a scale with the national average set at 100.

Price Indexes

• Cost of Living: 98
• Groceries: 97
• Housing: 92
• Utilities: 107
• Transportation: 110

Demographics

About 18% of Arizona’s population are seniors. In the 2016 presidential election, Arizona leaned slightly conservative. However, many of its counties with larger cities, like the Tucson area, tend to be more progressive.

2016 Presidential Election

• 45% voted Democratic
• 49% voted Republican
• 6% voted third party or abstained

Population

• Median age: 38
• Over the age of 55: 30%
• 2018 population: 7,171,646
• 2020 population: 7,423,638
• Estimated 2025 population: 8,093,039

Miscellaneous

• 34% regularly attend a religious service
• 38% consider themselves atheist, agnostic, or a non-believer
• The state has a total of 4,673 congregations
• There are 67 Masonic lodges in the state

Climate and Weather

Because of the changes in elevation across the state, Arizona has many different climate classifications. Most of Arizona gets less annual precipitation than the rest of the country and therefore is classified as having either an arid or semi-arid climate. In the southern regions of the state, where Phoenix is located, the climate classification is hot desert, which means very warm summers and mild winters. In the more mountainous northern regions of the state, however, cities like Flagstaff and Sedona have cooler climates.

Humidity and Precipitation

• Average humidity level: 39%
• Average monthly precipitation: 1”
• Average maximum monthly precipitation: 5” (July)

Air Quality

• Average air quality index rating: 50 (Good)
• Average maximum air quality rating: 66 in April (Moderate)

Moderate air quality means that those who are sensitive to particulates in the air should limit the amount of time they spend on outdoor exertion.

Seasonal Temperatures

• Average temperature: 63°F
• Average summer temperature: 81°F
• Typical summer high: 112°F (July)
• Typical summer low: 34°F (June)
• Average winter temperature: 46°F
• Typical winter high: 75°F (February)
• Typical winter low: 11°F (December)