Resources

What You Should Know About Assisted Living in Arizona

Arizona’s Department of Health Services defines assisted living as residential care that provides continuous supervision, personal and directed care. It recognizes several types of AL communities based on scale:

  • Adult foster care homes provide care for up to four residents.
  • Assisted living homes provide care for up to 10 residents.
  • Assisted living centers provide care for 11 or more residents.

With 300 days of sunshine a year, Arizona affords plenty of opportunities for elderly residents to be as active as their health and circumstances allow, but the extreme heat of summer months warrants caution — and close attention to an AL community’s air conditioning resources.

Cost of living is reasonable through much of the state, and while certain cities have a reputation for high crime rates, that’s a highly localized phenomenon. Research any community you choose carefully to ensure you’re comfortable with these variables.

Crisis Hotlines

Crisis services are available to any Arizona resident, regardless of health insurance coverage. If you or someone you know is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, please call one of these national or local crisis lines:

National 24-Hour Crisis Hotlines

Phone

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
    1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  • National Substance Use and Disorder Issues Referral and Treatment Hotline:
    1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Text

  • Text the word “HOME” to 741741

Suicide and Crisis Hotlines by County

  • Maricopa County served by Mercy Care:
    1-800-631-1314 or 602-222-9444
  • Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma Counties served by Arizona Complete Health – Complete Care Plan:
    1-866-495-6735
  • Apache, Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo and Yavapai Counties served by Health Choice Arizona:
    1-877-756-4090
  • Gila River and Ak-Chin Indian Communities:
    1-800-259-3449
  • Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community:
    1-855-331-6432

Especially for Teens

  • Teen Life Line phone or text:
    602-248-TEEN (8336)

Especially for Veterans

  • Veterans Crisis Line:
    1-800-273-8255 (press 1)
  • Be Connected:
    1-866-4AZ-VETS (429-8387)

About Arizona’s Crisis Services

Arizona has a robust behavioral health crisis services network available to any Arizona resident regardless of health insurance coverage. Services include:

  • 24/7/365 crisis telephone lines operated by trained crisis specialists.
  • 24/7 mobile teams staffed by behavioral health professionals who travel to the individual experiencing a crisis and provide assessment, stabilization and may triage the individual to a higher level of care, as appropriate.
  • Facility-based crisis stabilization centers that offer crisis stabilization and observation, including access to Medication Assisted Treatment.