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Types of senior care in your area

Six categories, and your state's specific licensing approach changes how families should compare them.

Quick answer

Wisconsin licenses senior care through four types -- CBRF, RCAC, adult family home, and nursing home -- and does not certify memory care separately.

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Home›Types of senior care in your area
Short answer

Wisconsin regulates senior care through four license/certification types -- CBRF, RCAC, adult family home, and nursing home -- rather than one single assisted living license, and it does not certify memory care as its own category.

Assisted Living

Help with daily activities in a Wisconsin-licensed Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF) or Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC), with meals, housekeeping and medication assistance included.

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Memory Care

Secured, dementia-specific care. Wisconsin does not license memory care as its own category -- it is almost always a CBRF or RCAC that has designated dementia as an admissible client group in its DHS program statement.

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Nursing Homes

Skilled nursing facilities licensed under Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 132, a separate rule chapter from assisted living, providing 24-hour licensed nursing care and short-term rehabilitation.

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In-Home Care

Caregivers and skilled clinicians who come to the home, from a few hours a week to around-the-clock support.

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Independent Living

Age-restricted apartments and campuses with dining, activities and light services, for adults who do not need daily hands-on care.

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Hospice Care

Comfort-focused care for a life-limiting illness, delivered at home, in a facility, or in a dedicated inpatient unit.

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How Wisconsin licenses assisted living. Wisconsin uses four separate license types -- CBRF, RCAC, adult family home, and nursing home -- rather than one single assisted living license. Read the full explanation →
Memory care regulation in Wisconsin. Wisconsin requires neither a separate memory-care certification nor a dementia-specific disclosure form -- memory care is a CBRF or RCAC that has documented dementia as an admissible client group in its DHS program statement. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

Does Wisconsin have one 'assisted living license' like some other states?

No. Wisconsin runs four separate license/certification types -- Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF), Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC), Adult Family Home (AFH), and nursing home -- each licensed by the DHS Division of Quality Assurance, Bureau of Assisted Living, under different rule chapters. There is no single umbrella 'assisted living' license the way some states use the term.

What is a CBRF in Wisconsin?

A Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF) is a residential setting where 5 or more unrelated adults live together and receive room and board, supervision, and support services, plus up to 3 hours of nursing care per week per resident. CBRFs are licensed under Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 83 by the DHS Bureau of Assisted Living.

What is an RCAC and how is it different from a CBRF?

A Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC) offers independent apartment units, not shared rooms, where residents receive room and board, personal care, and nursing services -- up to 28 hours per week of supportive care per resident, a materially higher ceiling than a CBRF's 3 hours. Both are licensed/certified by the DHS Bureau of Assisted Living.

What is an Adult Family Home (AFH) in Wisconsin?

An Adult Family Home is a private home where 3 or 4 unrelated adults reside and receive care, including up to 7 hours per week of nursing care per resident, licensed by the DHS Bureau of Assisted Living. Smaller 1-2 bed adult family homes are regulated separately, under DHS's Division of Medicaid Services rather than DQA licensing.

Does a Wisconsin nursing home need a different license than assisted living?

Yes. Skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes) are licensed under a separate rule chapter, Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 132, distinct from the CBRF, RCAC, and AFH chapters that govern community-based settings, and provide 24-hour licensed nursing care.

How do I check whether a Milwaukee-area facility's license is current?

Use Wisconsin DHS's DQA Provider Search on the ForwardHealth portal, the state's public tool for looking up a facility's license status and survey/inspection history. It's free and does not require creating an account.

Who licenses and regulates senior care facilities in Wisconsin?

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Quality Assurance (DQA), Bureau of Assisted Living (BAL) licenses and regulates CBRFs, RCACs, adult family homes, and nursing homes statewide. General licensing contact: 608-266-8482.

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