January 2010

Dear Consumer:

Welcome to the Consumer Guide to Michigan Assisted Living Communities.

The Michigan Center for Assisted Living is proud to offer the Guide exclusively online.  We understand your need for convenient and quick access to information, and that's what this online Guide provides.  At the same time, you will find this online Guide is a wonderful research tool in your search for a home-away-from-home for you or a loved one.

The Guide offers a breakdown of Michigan's assisted living communities by county. So you can search this Guide by county, by facility name or by city.

In this Guide, you will find a checklist of questions to ask when visiting a community. Take this list with you and use it! A visit to an assisted living community - and the observations you make there - is the best predictor of whether the community meets your needs. We hope you use this Guide on your visits and throughout your decision-making process.

This is an online edition of the Guide, and like the first edition, it is based on a great deal of research and discussion with assisted living residents and their families. The information in this Guide will arm you with the education and information you need to evaluate assisted living communities. And it will help you sort through complex issues, such as paying for assisted living.

We wish you the best of luck in your search for a new home. If you have any questions about assisted living, please contact the Michigan Center for Assisted Living at (517) 627-1561 or via e-mail at info@hcam.org.