In Georgia, the license families see for assisted living is "Assisted Living Community", issued by the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. Before admission, the community must have a physical exam by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, dated within 30 days before the admission date, showing the person does not need continuous medical or nursing care. The community must give 30 days' written notice to the resident and their representative or legal surrogate, if any, before a discharge or transfer, unless an immediate transfer is required.
Key facts
- The median monthly cost of assisted living in Georgia was $5,300 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $63,600 a year, $900 below the national median of $6,200 a month. (CareScout, 2026)
- State law does not let a licensed assisted living community enroll as a Medicaid provider, but Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) can pay for Alternative Living Services in state-licensed personal care homes. (Georgia General Assembly, 2026)
- The admission physical exam, dated within 30 days before admission, must show the person is free of active tuberculosis, and a person with active TB may not be admitted. (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.15, 2012)
- Staff who are not certified medication aides may only help residents take their own medicines, such as opening containers and placing oral doses in the resident's hand. (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.20, 2020)
- A community that says it offers special dementia care, or charges more for it, must meet extra memory care center rules, including a written description of staffing, fees and discharge criteria. (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.19, 2025)
Georgia licenses assisted living communities, which are personal care homes serving 25 or more residents with a permit to provide assisted living care, including medication administration by certified medication aides and limited nursing services (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63). Personal care homes are a separate license under 111-8-62, and the facts below are for the assisted living community license.
Rules change and communities can set stricter policies. Before you sign, confirm the details with the community and the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. This page is general information, not legal advice.
The rules at a glance
| Medical assessment before move-in | Before admission, the community must have a physical exam by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, dated within 30 days before the admission date, showing the person does not need continuous medical or nursing care. The report must be on a form made available by the Department of Community Health. [3] More on this |
|---|---|
| TB test | The admission physical exam, dated within 30 days before admission, must show the person is free of active tuberculosis, and a person with active TB may not be admitted. The rule does not say which TB test to use. [3] More on this |
| Notice before a move-out | The community must give 30 days' written notice to the resident and their representative or legal surrogate, if any, before a discharge or transfer, unless an immediate transfer is required. For residents whose needs the community cannot meet, if no representative will consent, the community must ask the county probate court for an order. [4] More on this |
| Who may give medications | Staff who are not certified medication aides may only help residents take their own medicines, such as opening containers and placing oral doses in the resident's hand. Communities that give medications must use, at a minimum, certified medication aides, who may give insulin following a physician's direction and protocol. [5] More on this |
| Memory care and dementia | A community that says it offers special dementia care, or charges more for it, must meet extra memory care center rules, including a written description of staffing, fees and discharge criteria. Staffing must be at least one dementia-trained direct care worker per 12 residents in waking hours and per 15 in non-waking hours, based on a monthly average. [6] |
| Long-term care ombudsman | Georgia's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, attached to the Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services, serves residents of personal care homes and assisted living facilities and can be reached at georgiaombudsman.org or 1-866-552-4464, option 5. [7] Official page More on this |
| Medicaid help | State law does not let a licensed assisted living community enroll as a Medicaid provider, but Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) can pay for Alternative Living Services in state-licensed personal care homes. Screening starts with an Area Agency on Aging at 866-552-4464, and there may be a waiting list. [10][8] Official page More on this |
What assisted living costs in Georgia
The median monthly cost of assisted living in Georgia was $5,300 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $63,600 a year, $900 below the national median of $6,200 a month. [11]
A median is the middle of the rates communities reported, so many charge more or less. Rates differ between regions and by the care a resident needs, so ask each community for its full fee list in writing. More: assisted living costs in every state, a monthly budget and the costs that aren't in the base rate.
How to check a community in Georgia
GaMap2Care, the Department of Community Health's Find a Facility site, shows facility listings, license verification and inspection reports. Complaints can be filed online or with the Complaint Intake Unit at 1-800-878-6442. Search Georgia's records. [2]
The licensing agency: Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. [1] Our guide on how to read an inspection report explains what to look for.
Put Georgia's paperwork on a date
Parent Move Plan counts every task back from the move-in day, including the medical assessment and TB screening the community will ask for, so nothing lands in the last week.
Get your first 3 days freeFrequently asked questions
How much does assisted living cost in Georgia?
The median monthly cost of assisted living in Georgia was $5,300 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $63,600 a year, $900 below the national median of $6,200 a month. A median is the middle of the rates communities reported, so many charge more or less, and rates differ between regions and by the care a resident needs.
What medical assessment does Georgia require before moving into assisted living?
Before admission, the community must have a physical exam by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, dated within 30 days before the admission date, showing the person does not need continuous medical or nursing care. The report must be on a form made available by the Department of Community Health.
Does Georgia require a TB test for assisted living?
The admission physical exam, dated within 30 days before admission, must show the person is free of active tuberculosis, and a person with active TB may not be admitted. The rule does not say which TB test to use.
How much notice must an assisted living community in Georgia give before a move-out?
The community must give 30 days' written notice to the resident and their representative or legal surrogate, if any, before a discharge or transfer, unless an immediate transfer is required. For residents whose needs the community cannot meet, if no representative will consent, the community must ask the county probate court for an order.
Who can give medications in assisted living in Georgia?
Staff who are not certified medication aides may only help residents take their own medicines, such as opening containers and placing oral doses in the resident's hand. Communities that give medications must use, at a minimum, certified medication aides, who may give insulin following a physician's direction and protocol.
Who can help with a complaint about assisted living in Georgia?
Georgia's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, attached to the Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services, serves residents of personal care homes and assisted living facilities and can be reached at georgiaombudsman.org or 1-866-552-4464, option 5.
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living in Georgia?
State law does not let a licensed assisted living community enroll as a Medicaid provider, but Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) can pay for Alternative Living Services in state-licensed personal care homes. Screening starts with an Area Agency on Aging at 866-552-4464, and there may be a waiting list.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division: Personal Care Homes program page (2024) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Georgia Department of Community Health: GaMap2Care, Find a Facility (2025) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.15, Admission and Resident Retention (via Cornell LII), 2012 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.29, Discharge or Transfer of Residents (via Cornell LII), 2012 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.20, Medications (via Cornell LII), 2020 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.19, Additional Requirements for Certified Memory Care Centers (via Cornell LII), 2025 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services: Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Georgia Department of Community Health: Community Care Services Program fact sheet, Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (2022) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.03, Definitions (via Cornell LII), 2025 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Georgia General Assembly: SB 186 (2025), bill text quoting current O.C.G.A. 31-7-12.2(i); the bill did not pass (Senate status sheet, session final 2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025, Ranked Median Costs by State (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)