Arkansas assisted living rules: what you must document about each resident

This page sets out what Arkansas's assisted living rules require you to learn about each resident and write down, from the needs assessment and service plan to the activity program and the Alzheimer's special care unit rules. The rule text quoted here was checked against the official Office of Long Term Care rulebooks on September 28, 2026.

Arkansas splits the picture in two. For a general assisted living resident, the rules talk about "needs and preferences" and activities that fit each person's interests, without naming life history. In an Alzheimer's special care unit, they are among the most explicit in the country: a social history on admission, a family and social history in the plan, and reminiscing as a planned need.

Who these rules cover

Arkansas licenses assisted living facilities at two levels, each with its own rulebook from the Office of Long Term Care. Level I facilities provide direct care services such as help with activities of daily living. A Level I resident whose assessment shows health care service needs is "not appropriate for Level I assisted living unless the health needs can be met by a licensed home health agency."² Level II facilities can also provide health care services under the direction of a registered nurse, and each Level II resident must be examined by a physician, advanced practice nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant within 60 days of admission.¹

An Alzheimer's Special Care Unit is "a separate and distinct unit" within an assisted living or other HCBS facility that provides a special program for residents with probable Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia and markets itself that way. Both rulebooks contain the ASCU rules in their 800 sections. Arkansas also licenses residential care facilities under separate rules, which this page does not cover.

The needs assessment

"An initial needs assessment or evaluation is to be completed for each resident to identify all needed services. Subsequent needs assessment or evaluation is to be completed on each resident at least annually and more often as changes occur."Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level I, § 703.1.1

The rules do not set a day count for the initial assessment, beyond making it the basis of the service plan in the occupancy admission agreement signed at move-in. They also do not prescribe a form. The Level II rules use the same approach for direct care needs and add a separate nursing track for health care needs:

"Assessment of the health care services needs of all residents in the facility shall be performed at least annually, except that those residents who have a health care services plan portion of the occupancy admission agreement shall be reassessed quarterly and revisions made as needed."Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 702.2.4

The service plan

In Arkansas the service plan is not a stand-alone document. It is a portion of the resident's occupancy admission agreement. The Level II definitions describe it this way:

"A written plan for direct care services that is developed to meet the needs and preferences of the resident or his or her representative through a negotiated process that becomes a part of the resident's occupancy admission agreement."Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 300 (Direct Care Service Plan)

The health care services plan is defined the same way. Two features stand out: the plan is built around "needs and preferences," and it is negotiated with the resident. The plan must cover the resident's needs for assisted living services, including help with activities of daily living.¹

"Direct care services needs of all residents in the facility shall be reviewed at least annually, and the services plan portion of the occupancy admission agreement revised, if necessary."Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 701.1(b)

Any significant enduring change triggers a revision of the services plan within 14 days. If a resident has no direct care needs, the facility still documents how and where the evaluation was done.¹

Activities

For general assisted living, activities live in the residents' Bill of Rights. Each resident must:

"Be provided a schedule of individual and group activities appropriate to individual resident needs, interests and wishes;"Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level I, § 603

At a minimum the facility provides in-house activities and programs, described in writing to prospective residents during the application process, plus group recreation and socialization. Residents may join social, religious, or community groups and practice the religion of their choice.² Matching activities to "interests and wishes" implies you know what those are.

Alzheimer's Special Care Units

This is where Arkansas asks directly for life history. Before admission, the resident needs a physician's diagnosis of Alzheimer's or a related dementia and receives a psychosocial and physical assessment covering family support, ADL function, cognitive level, and behavior. Then:

"Within 30 days after admission, the IAT shall prepare for each resident an individual support plan."Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 802(b)(1)

"The ISP shall include a family and social history. If the family and social history is unavailable, the ASCU personnel shall document attempts to obtain the information,"Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 802(c)(1)

The documentation of attempts must include names and phone numbers of the people contacted and the date and time. The plan needs input from the resident or responsible party and the resident's family. A social worker or other licensed professional must:

"1. Complete an initial social history evaluation on each resident on admission;"Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 805(a)

That professional also helps develop the ISP, including:

"A. Assuring that verbal stimulation, socialization and reminiscing is identified in the ISP as a need; B. Defining the services to be provided to address those needs identified above; and, C. Identifying the resident's preferences, likes, and dislikes."Rules for Assisted Living Facilities Level II, § 805(a)(4)

Activities are required every day. Each resident's routine must be structured "so that activities are provided seven days a week," and four types must be offered daily: gross motor, self-care, social, and "Sensory enhancement activities (e.g., reminiscing, scent and tactile stimulation)."¹ Residents are encouraged to decorate their rooms with personal items "as documented by the ASCU in the social history." The ISP is reviewed at least quarterly, and reassessed annually and on a significant change. The same ASCU text appears in the Level I rulebook.²

What surveyors tend to look for

Based only on what the rules tell you to document, expect questions about:

• A needs assessment in the file for every resident, with a service plan portion in the occupancy admission agreement, or documentation that no services were needed.
• Annual reviews, quarterly health care reassessments for Level II residents who need them, and revisions within 14 days of a significant enduring change.
• An activity schedule and evidence it reflects residents' interests and wishes.
• In an ASCU: the social history evaluation on admission, an ISP within 30 days signed by each IAT member, a family and social history in the ISP or dated records of attempts to get one, family participation or documented attempts, and quarterly ISP reviews.
• ASCU daily activities across all four required categories, seven days a week.

Gathering preferences and life history well

• Start in the first two weeks. In an ASCU you have 30 days for the ISP, but the social history evaluation happens on admission. Ask open questions: "Tell me about your family growing up." "What work did you do?" "What music did you dance to?"
• Bring family in early. Arkansas requires family input into the ISP. Families often hold the names, places, and stories a resident with dementia can no longer supply.
• Record likes, dislikes, and what brings comfort. The rule asks for "preferences, likes, and dislikes" in so many words. Include what to avoid: topics, noises, or times of day that upset the resident.
• Turn history into reminiscing. Reminiscing must be identified as a need in the ISP and offered daily. A written social history gives staff real material, not generic prompts.
• Keep your attempts log. If family cannot be reached, the rule expects names, numbers, dates, and times of each attempt.
• Revisit each quarter. Use the quarterly ISP review, or the annual review outside the ASCU, to add what staff have learned.

How Porchlight can help

Porchlight gives residents a simple way to tell their own stories. A resident taps one large button on a tablet, and a life question is read aloud and shown in large type. They talk, and the answer is recorded and transcribed. More than 800 human-written questions are organized by life chapter, any question can be skipped, and nothing is scored. Staff can record profile facts, including topics to avoid, and receive a "Know Your Resident" briefing with conversation starters, story highlights, a printable life-story biography, and a Monday email digest. Family get a private page to listen, leave voice replies, and add their own questions and photos.

It helps you gather and keep the social history, preferences, and reminiscing material the rules ask for, in the resident's own words. The assessments, the plans, and meeting Arkansas's rules remain the facility's responsibility.

Frequently asked questions

When must an Arkansas assisted living facility assess a new resident?

The Level I and Level II rules require an initial needs assessment or evaluation for each resident to identify needed services, which becomes the basis of the service plan in the occupancy admission agreement. The rules do not set a specific day count for it. In an Alzheimer's Special Care Unit, the individual support plan is due within 30 days after admission.

How often are Arkansas assisted living residents reassessed?

At least annually and more often as changes occur. Level II residents with a health care services plan are reassessed quarterly, and service plans are revised within 14 days of a significant enduring change.

Do Arkansas rules require a social or life history?

For Alzheimer's Special Care Units, yes. A social history evaluation is completed on admission, and the individual support plan must include a family and social history, or documented attempts to obtain it. The general assisted living rules do not require a life history.

What activities must an Arkansas Alzheimer's special care unit offer?

Activities must be provided seven days a week, and four types must be offered daily: gross motor, self-care, social, and sensory enhancement activities such as reminiscing and scent and tactile stimulation.

Do Arkansas rules mention resident preferences?

Yes. Service plans are defined as plans developed to meet the needs and preferences of the resident through a negotiated process, and residents have a right to activities appropriate to their needs, interests and wishes. In special care units, the plan must identify the resident's preferences, likes, and dislikes.