Little Rock Senior AdvisorWhat is the difference between assisted living and a residential care facility?
Assisted living is built around private apartments with services and comes in two levels, while a residential care facility is an older congregate-care license with shared rooms and common areas, frozen by a moratorium on new beds since 2005.
Both are licensed by the Office of Long Term Care, and neither provides 24-hour nursing. The day-to-day feel differs most: an apartment with a door that locks versus a shared room in a smaller household.
How many of each are there around Little Rock?
The six counties have 31 assisted living facilities with 2,442 licensed beds and 7 residential care facilities with 369 beds, according to the state's July 2026 Bed Need Book.
Residential care facilities are concentrated in Pulaski County, with a couple in Faulkner and Lonoke counties.
Which costs less?
Residential care facilities usually quote less than new assisted living buildings, but no published Arkansas median separates them, so compare written rates.
Remember that Living Choices waiver services apply only in Level II assisted living, so an RCF resident who later needs Medicaid help may face a move.
Who is each one a good fit for?
Residential care suits someone who wants company and supervision at a lower cost and does not mind shared space; assisted living suits someone who values privacy and may need more care as time goes on.
Tour one of each if you can; the difference is easier to feel than to describe.
Why are there so few residential care facilities left around Little Rock?
Because Arkansas froze new residential care beds in 2005, and many RCF operators converted to assisted living after 2007, when the state's assisted living rules made apartment-style buildings more attractive.
Several of today's Pulaski County assisted living buildings, including Parkway Heights and Willow Grove of Maumelle, are recorded by the state as former RCFs. The remaining RCFs are long-established, and some have closed or shrunk in recent years.
What should we ask when touring either kind of building?
Ask which license the building holds, how many residents share a room or bathroom, how many staff work overnight, what the monthly rate includes, and what happens if your parent's needs grow.
For an assisted living building, also ask whether it is Level I or Level II and whether it participates in Living Choices. For an RCF, ask when the Office of Long Term Care last visited and what it found.
Side by side
| Assisted living | Residential care facility | |
|---|---|---|
| Living space | Private apartments as a rule | Shared rooms and common areas |
| Levels | Level I or Level II | One RCF license |
| New beds | Possible with a permit of approval | Frozen since July 1, 2005 |
| Living Choices | At participating Level II buildings | Not available |
Sources: Arkansas Office of Long Term Care assisted living rules, the Health Services Permit Agency's Bed Need Book, Arkansas DHS waiver and PACE fact sheets, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables, each cited in the text. Our editorial standards explain how we check them.
