Georgia senior care regulation is split across the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division for skilled nursing and the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (Assisted Living Communities and Personal Care Homes) for assisted living. Memory care carries a separate designation on top of the assisted living license. The full guide below covers nursing home licensing, assisted living and memory care, hospice licensure where applicable, common survey citation patterns, and how the state Long-Term Care Ombudsman fits in. Always verify specifics with each agency before acting.
Georgia regulates nursing homes, assisted living, and hospice through the Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. Assisted living splits into Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Communities (ALC). Memory care requires a Memory Care Certification under Chapter 111-8-63 with 24 hours of dementia-specific staff training and disclosure obligations. Hospice carries a state license and a Certificate of Need requirement for service-area entry under O.C.G.A. § 31-6.
Regulatory reality in Georgia
Georgia is one of the most explicit states on memory care, with a Memory Care Certification under Chapter 111-8-63 that carries a 24-hour dementia-specific training requirement for direct care staff and a clear disclosure obligation to residents and families. The certification is an actual operational hurdle, not a marketing checkbox, and the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division pairs it with Certificate of Need oversight on the hospice side. For an admissions team this means the family asking what makes the memory care program different has a state rule with named training hours, not vendor brochure language, as the answer.
Skilled nursing licensure in Georgia
Skilled nursing facilities in Georgia are licensed by the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division, which also acts as the State Survey Agency on behalf of CMS. Georgia SNFs hold CMS Certification Numbers issued through the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division as the State Survey Agency.
Federal survey results are published on Medicare.gov Care Compare, tied to the community's CMS Certification Number (CCN). The state survey agency also publishes state-level enforcement information.
Common nursing home survey deficiency tags in Georgia
The following F-tag patterns are commonly cited on standard and complaint surveys in Georgia. The list is descriptive, not a prediction, and does not substitute for reading a community's actual recent survey results.
- F-tag 689 Free of Accident Hazards
- F-tag 880 Infection Prevention
- F-tag 600 Free from Abuse and Neglect
- F-tag 684 Quality of Care
- F-tag 812 Food Safety
Assisted living licensure in Georgia
Assisted living in Georgia is regulated by the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (Assisted Living Communities and Personal Care Homes). Admissions teams should know which agency takes complaints about a tour or move-in conversation, since it is often a different agency than the one taking complaints about clinical care.
Memory care in Georgia
Georgia requires a Memory Care Certification for Assisted Living Communities and Personal Care Homes holding themselves out as serving residents with cognitive impairment under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.5 and Chapter 111-8-63. The certification carries memory-care-specific staff training, physical environment, and disclosure requirements.
Source: official memory care rule reference.
Hospice licensure in Georgia
Georgia requires a state hospice license issued by the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division in addition to Medicare certification. New hospice service area entry is subject to Certificate of Need review under O.C.G.A. § 31-6.
Source: state hospice licensure reference.
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman in Georgia
The Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services) is the right first call for many family concerns about resident rights. The ombudsman office is independent of the survey agency and supports residents and their families through complaint processes when the issue is dignity, autonomy, or quality of life rather than a clinical or regulatory matter.
Phone coverage and admissions in Georgia senior care
Senior care admissions live on the phone, and Georgia's regulatory framework adds specific reasons that phone responsiveness matters to the community itself. State surveyors, ombudsman investigators, hospital discharge planners, and adult protective services workers all reach communities through their general intake line. A missed call from any of those callers, especially during a complaint investigation window, is a meaningful operational risk. See the senior living hub for how Jonson is built around senior admissions workflows.
Frequently asked questions about Georgia senior care regulations
What is the difference between an Assisted Living Community and a Personal Care Home in Georgia?
Personal Care Homes (PCH) serve two or more adults requiring assistance with activities of daily living. Assisted Living Communities (ALC) are typically larger and authorized to provide additional services including memory care under Memory Care Certification. Both are licensed by the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division.
What is Memory Care Certification in Georgia?
A Memory Care Certification under Chapter 111-8-63 is required for any ALC or PCH holding itself out as serving residents with cognitive impairment. It carries enhanced staff training (including 24 hours of dementia-specific training for direct care staff), physical environment standards, and resident disclosure requirements.
Does Georgia have a Certificate of Need for hospice?
Yes. New hospice service area entry in Georgia is subject to Certificate of Need (CON) review under O.C.G.A. § 31-6. Operators considering a new hospice cannot bypass the CON requirement through Medicare certification alone.
How do I check Georgia nursing home survey results?
Medicare.gov Care Compare publishes federal results. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division also publishes Georgia-specific enforcement information through its public lookup tools.
Sources and official references
- Georgia DCH Healthcare Facility Regulation
- Georgia Assisted Living Communities and PCHs
- Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman
- Georgia Memory Care Certification rules (111-8-63)
- CMS Medicare.gov Care Compare
This page summarizes commonly-referenced Georgia senior care regulatory requirements as of 2026. It is not legal or clinical advice. Verify every detail directly with the relevant state agency and consult counsel for legal questions specific to a community. The ombudsman office is the right first call when the concern is resident rights rather than clinical care.