What Five Star Senior Living Is

Five Star Senior Living is a for-profit company that operates assisted living facilities and memory care communities across multiple states. It is not a government program — it is a private business that charges residents monthly fees in exchange for housing, meals, personal care, and activities. If you are looking at Five Star as an option for yourself or a family member, you are choosing between a specific company's facilities, not between Five Star and other types of care.

Five Star operates under different brand names depending on the region and the type of community. Some facilities are marketed under the Five Star name itself, while others operate as Sunrise Senior Living, Atria Senior Living, or other subsidiary brands. The company manages hundreds of communities, but each one is a separate physical location with its own staff, pricing, and availability. Calling the corporate office will not get you into a specific community — you need to contact the location directly.

Key Takeaways

  • Five Star is a private company, not a government program, and you pay monthly fees directly to the facility rather than receiving government funds.
  • Each Five Star community sets its own pricing, which typically ranges widely by location and level of care, and you should ask for a written cost breakdown before committing.
  • Some residents may use Medicaid to pay for Five Star care if the facility is Medicaid-certified and the resident meets income and asset limits, but Medicare does not cover assisted living.
  • You should visit the facility in person, meet the staff, review the service agreement, and confirm what is included in the monthly fee and what costs extra.
  • State licensing and inspection records are public and can show you whether a facility has had complaints or violations — your state health department website has this information.

How Monthly Costs Work at Five Star Facilities

Five Star communities charge a monthly fee that covers room, meals, and basic services. The exact amount varies dramatically by location, type of community (independent living, assisted living, or memory care), and the level of care provided. A facility in a rural area may cost significantly less than one in a major city. A memory care unit costs more than a standard assisted living floor because residents require more supervision and specialized programming.

The monthly fee is not the only cost. Most communities charge additional fees for services beyond what is included in the base rate — things like medication management, wound care, transportation, laundry, or activities outside the facility. Some charge a one-time entrance or community fee when you move in. You should ask for a written list of what the monthly fee includes and what each add-on service costs before you sign anything. This prevents surprises later.

Five Star communities do not typically increase fees on a fixed schedule — increases happen when the company decides to raise rates, which can be annually or at other intervals. Your service agreement should spell out how much notice the facility must give before a rate increase and whether you have the right to leave without penalty if costs rise beyond what you can afford.

Using Medicaid to Pay for Five Star Care

Some Five Star facilities are certified to accept Medicaid, which means residents who meet Medicaid's income and asset limits may have some or all of their care costs covered by the state program. Medicaid coverage for assisted living varies by state — some states cover it broadly, others cover it only in certain situations, and a few do not cover assisted living at all. You cannot assume a Five Star facility accepts Medicaid just because it is a large company.

If you think Medicaid might help pay for care, contact your state Medicaid office or a local Area Agency on Aging to find out what your state covers. Then call the specific Five Star community you are interested in and ask whether they are Medicaid-certified and whether they currently have openings for Medicaid residents. Some facilities limit the number of Medicaid residents they accept, so availability matters.

Medicare does not pay for assisted living, even if the resident recently left a hospital. Medicare covers skilled nursing facilities (which are different from assisted living) for a limited time after a hospital stay, but assisted living is considered long-term residential care, not medical care. If someone tells you Medicare will cover Five Star, that is incorrect.

What to Look for When Visiting a Five Star Community

A visit to the facility should answer basic questions about daily life there. Walk through common areas and resident rooms. Ask to see a sample meal. Talk to current residents if possible — they will tell you honestly whether the staff is responsive and whether activities are meaningful. Check whether the facility feels clean, whether staff members seem engaged, and whether residents appear content or isolated.

Ask the admissions staff specific questions: What is the staff-to-resident ratio? How are emergencies handled at night? What happens if a resident's care needs increase — can they stay in the community, or will they have to move? What is the process for ending the service agreement if the resident or family wants to leave? What happens to the resident's belongings if they pass away?

Request a copy of the service agreement before you commit and read it carefully or have someone you trust review it. The agreement should clearly state what services are included, what costs extra, how much notice is required for rate increases, and under what circumstances the facility can ask a resident to leave. If anything is unclear, ask for clarification in writing.

Checking State Inspection Records and Complaints

Every assisted living facility is licensed and inspected by the state health department or a similar agency. Inspection reports and complaint records are public documents that you can access for free. These reports show whether the facility has violated state regulations, what those violations were, and whether they were corrected. A facility with no violations is rare — most have minor issues that were fixed. What matters is the pattern: are violations serious or minor, are they repeated, and does the facility respond quickly?

To find inspection records, go to your state health department website and search for the specific Five Star community by name and location. You can also call the state licensing office directly and ask them to mail or email you the most recent inspection report. If you see serious violations — things like inadequate staffing, medication errors, or failure to provide required care — ask the facility directly how they addressed the problem and what changes they made.

Understanding Service Agreements and Resident Rights

Before moving into a Five Star community, you will sign a service agreement that is a legal contract between you (or the resident) and the facility. This agreement spells out what the facility promises to provide, what you promise to pay, and what happens if either side breaks the agreement. Read every page, even the fine print. Many residents and families sign without reading and later discover terms they did not expect.

State law requires that residents in assisted living have certain rights — the right to privacy, the right to make decisions about their own care, the right to receive visitors, the right to manage their own money (unless they choose not to), and the right to file complaints without retaliation. The service agreement cannot take away these rights. If a facility tries to restrict these rights in the agreement, that is a red flag.

Ask the facility for a copy of your state's assisted living resident bill of rights and compare it to what the service agreement says. If there is a conflict, the state law wins — the agreement cannot override it. Some facilities also have arbitration clauses that require disputes to go to arbitration instead of court; understand what this means before you sign.

What Happens If Care Needs Change

Residents' health and care needs change over time. Someone who moves into assisted living may eventually need memory care, or their medical needs may become too complex for the facility to handle. Before you move in, ask the facility what happens in these situations. Can the resident stay and receive higher-level care, or will they have to move to a different community? If they have to move, does the facility help with the transition, and is there a waiting list for the higher-level care unit?

Some Five Star communities have multiple levels of care on the same campus — independent living, assisted living, and memory care — which means a resident can move between levels without leaving the community. Others are single-level facilities, which means a resident whose needs exceed what the facility can provide will have to transfer elsewhere. This is an important question to ask early, because moving is disruptive and emotionally difficult.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Five Star accept Medicare or Medicaid?

Five Star facilities do not accept Medicare for assisted living costs, because Medicare does not cover assisted living. Some Five Star communities are certified to accept Medicaid, but this varies by state and by facility. You must contact the specific community you are interested in and ask whether they are Medicaid-certified and whether they have openings for Medicaid residents.

What if I cannot afford the monthly fee?

If cost is a barrier, explore whether the resident qualifies for Medicaid in your state, whether they have long-term care insurance that covers assisted living, or whether they have Veterans benefits (if they or a spouse served in the military). Some communities offer financial information or sliding-scale fees, though this is less common at large for-profit companies. Ask the admissions office directly what options exist.

Can Five Star force a resident to leave?

Yes, but only under specific circumstances spelled out in state law and the service agreement. A facility can ask a resident to leave if the resident's care needs exceed what the facility can provide, if the resident does not pay, or if the resident violates community rules. The facility must give written notice and a reasonable time period to leave. If you are concerned about this, ask the facility in advance what situations would trigger discharge.

How do I know if a Five Star community is safe?

Check the state inspection report, visit the facility in person, and talk to current residents and their families. Ask about staffing levels, training, and how the facility handles emergencies. Look at the inspection report for patterns of violations related to safety or care quality. No facility is perfect, but you should feel confident that the staff is trained, responsive, and takes safety seriously.

What if I have a complaint about the facility?

Start by talking to the facility management directly — many issues can be resolved quickly. If the problem is not resolved, contact your state health department's licensing office and file a formal complaint. Complaints are investigated, and the results are added to the facility's public record. You can also contact your state's long-term care ombudsman, an independent advocate who helps residents with complaints and disputes.