Assisted living and other residential settings represent a critical component of the long-term services and supports (LTSS) system for older adults who cannot live alone, but do not require the skilled care provided by nursing homes. In 2010, states reported a total of 51,367 licensed residential care settings with a total capacity of 1,233,690 beds—a dramatic increase from an estimated 1,046,631 beds in 2007.

This report, produced by the AARP Public Policy Institute with support from The SCAN Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund as a follow-on piece to Raising Expectations: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers,  provides additional discussion of assisted living and residential care in the states, and presents more detailed data on assisted living and residential care capacity.