Baton Rouge Senior AdvisorBy Baton Rouge Senior Advisor Care Team · November 6, 2026
Louisiana licenses all assisted living as adult residential care providers (ARCPs) in four levels set by size and services. LDH's November 2026 roster shows 31 ARCPs in the ten Baton Rouge-area parishes, most of them Level 3 buildings. Only Level 4 may provide nursing.
Why does Louisiana use levels instead of names like assisted living?
Most states license several different kinds of residential care under different names. Louisiana took the opposite path: one license, the adult residential care provider, sorted into four levels under LAC 48:I.Chapter 68. The marketing name on the sign, whether it says assisted living, retirement community or personal care home, does not change which rules apply. The level on the license does.
For a Baton Rouge family, that is useful. Once you know the level, you know the size range, the physical setting and whether nursing can come from the provider itself, before you ever pull into the parking lot.
What do the four levels mean?
Level 1 personal care homes serve two to eight residents in a setting designed like a single-family home. Level 2 shelter care homes serve nine to 16 residents in a congregate setting. Level 3 assisted living serves 17 or more residents in apartments with kitchenettes. Level 4 serves 17 or more and is the only level permitted to deliver intermittent nursing, under a registered nurse who acts as nursing director and is on call around the clock.
| Level | LDH name | Providers in the 10 parishes (November 2026) | Licensed capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Personal care home | 5 | 41 |
| Level 2 | Shelter care home | 4 | 144 |
| Level 3 | Assisted living | 19 | 1552 |
| Level 4 | Adult residential care with nursing | 0 | 0 |
Capacity is the licensed resident count LDH types on its location directory; a few entries leave it blank, which is why some rows can undercount.
Where are the different levels around Baton Rouge?
The large Level 3 buildings cluster in South and Southeast Baton Rouge, close to the Essen Lane, Bluebonnet and O'Neal Lane medical corridors, with newer ones in Gonzales, Denham Springs, Central and Zachary. Small Level 1 and 2 homes are fewer here than in some Louisiana metros and are scattered through residential streets. Outside East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston, a parish may have one assisted living building or none at all.
That geography matters when a parent lives in New Roads, Plaquemine or the Felicianas. The nearest Level 3 building may be 20 or 30 miles away, and the choice becomes whether to move closer to family in Baton Rouge or stay near home in a nursing home or with help at home.
What stays the same at every level?
Every ARCP, whatever its size, must keep at least one employee awake and on duty 24 hours a day, have a CPR- and first aid-trained staff member on every shift, screen applicants before move-in, give residents written evacuation procedures, and refuse anyone with one of the six prohibited conditions: coma, ventilator dependency, continuous IV or TPN therapy, wound vac therapy, active tuberculosis or a need for restraints.
None of the levels has a numeric staff-to-resident ratio. Louisiana requires enough trained staff to meet residents' needs as written in their service plans, so the staffing schedule is the document to ask for.
Which level fits which parent?
A parent who is overwhelmed by crowds or needs frequent reminders often does better in a small Level 1 or 2 home, where the same few caregivers are present all day. A more independent parent who wants an apartment, a dining room and an activity calendar usually prefers a Level 3 building. A parent with stable, ongoing nursing needs, such as daily injections or catheter care, may be a fit for Level 4, if one is available, or for a nursing home.
The level is not a quality rating. A small home can be excellent and a large building can be poorly run. Use the level to narrow the field, then use the posted inspection findings and a visit to judge the place.
How do levels affect what happens after a hospital stay?
Level matters most on the day a parent comes back from the hospital. A Level 3 building can welcome a resident back with a home health agency handling therapy or wound care, but it cannot send its own nurse to do it. A Level 4 building can deliver intermittent nursing itself. Small Level 1 and 2 homes depend entirely on outside agencies for anything skilled.
Louisiana's 90-day rule gives some room either way: a resident who develops a temporary prohibited condition, such as wound vac therapy after surgery, may stay up to 90 days if the resident, physician and provider agree, the physician certifies it is time-limited, and the ARCP coordinates the outside services.
How do levels show up in price?
CareScout's 2025 Louisiana median of about $5,163 a month covers assisted living generally; it does not split by level. In practice, Level 3 buildings in newer developments tend to quote higher base rates and charge separately for care levels, while small homes often quote a single all-inclusive rate. Level 4 buildings carry nursing costs that show up somewhere in the price. Compare the total, not the base rent.
Whatever the level, Louisiana Medicaid will not pay the fee, so the plan for paying over several years deserves as much attention as the choice of building.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Level 4 ARCP the same as a nursing home?
No. A Level 4 ARCP may provide intermittent nursing, but no ARCP may keep a resident who needs continuous monitoring by licensed staff; that requires a nursing home.
Can a Level 3 building help with medications?
Yes. Level 3 staff can assist with medications, and where staff administer them the provider must have enough licensed nurses; what a Level 3 cannot do is deliver nursing services itself.
Where can I check a building's level?
On LDH's location directory and in our assisted living roster, which combines LDH's monthly license report with the directory's level and capacity.
Does Louisiana Medicaid pay for any ARCP level?
No. Louisiana Medicaid does not pay an ARCP's fees at any level.
Can a small personal care home take someone with dementia?
Often, if the person can be safe in the home and evacuate with staff help; restraints are never allowed, and a home that markets dementia care must follow the dementia program rules.
How often does LDH update the roster?
LDH publishes its Licensed Providers Report monthly, and we rebuild the directory from it.
