Knoxville Senior AdvisorBy Knoxville Senior Advisor Care Team · October 20, 2026
Only 1 of 56 listed ACLF survey dates in the seven counties fall within 15 months; the median is 38 months old. Treat an old date as a reason to ask for the latest survey, not as proof of a missed inspection.
What the rule says
Tennessee's ACLF rule, 0720-26-.05(1), calls for an unannounced inspection of every licensed assisted-care living facility within 15 months of the previous one, and more often when needed to protect residents. Each inspection produces a statement of deficiencies if anything is cited, and the facility has ten days to answer with a plan of correction.
What the public listing shows
The Health Facilities Commission's online listing includes a "date of last survey" for each license. We reproduce it exactly on every facility page. Grouped by age at the time of this build:
| Age of listed survey date | ACLFs |
|---|---|
| 15 months or less | 1 |
| 16 to 24 months | 18 |
| 25 to 36 months | 5 |
| 37 to 48 months | 19 |
| Over 48 months | 13 |
One licensed ACLF shows no survey date at all. The median is 38 months.
Why the gap might exist
We do not know the cause, and we will not guess at one on any facility's page. Possibilities include listings that are not updated promptly after a visit, inspections recorded under a different survey type, and real scheduling backlogs at a commission that also carries out federal nursing home surveys. Any of these would produce the same pattern.
What the data cannot support is a claim that a particular building skipped an inspection or is unsafe because its listed date is old.
What families should do
Ask the administrator for the most recent statement of deficiencies and the plan of correction that answered it. A facility should have both on hand. If the most recent survey is genuinely old, ask about complaint visits since then, and ask the long-term care ombudsman whether there are concerns you should know about.
You can also request survey documents through the HFC's public records portal, which has been live since July 2025.
Complaint visits are separate
Routine surveys are not the only visits. The Health Facilities Commission also investigates complaints, and a complaint can bring surveyors to a building at any time. Complaint findings that lead to penalties show up in the facility's disciplinary actions and in the monthly Facility Action and Abuse Reports, which we match to every facility page.
So a building with an old listed survey date may still have had state visitors more recently. Ask the administrator directly.
What a statement of deficiencies tells you
When you get the survey report, read it for patterns rather than counting items. Citations about medication administration, resident assessments, staffing, fire drills and emergency preparedness are the ones most connected to daily safety. Then read the plan of correction: it should say what was fixed, who is responsible, and how the fix is being monitored.
A short, specific plan that names a person and a monitoring schedule is a good sign. A vague plan that promises to retrain staff with no follow-up is worth a second question.
How we will keep this current
The directory is rebuilt from the state's listing each time the site is built, so when the commission updates a survey date, the facility page changes with it. We do not editorialize about any single building's date, and we will not, because the public data cannot tell us why a date is old.
Questions to ask on the tour
Bring the listed date with you and ask three things: When were surveyors last in the building, for any reason? May I see the most recent statement of deficiencies and the plan of correction? Have there been any complaint investigations in the past year, and how were they resolved? Write down the answers and compare them across the communities on your list.
Where the ombudsman fits
The East Tennessee District Long-Term Care Ombudsman at ETHRA visits assisted living and nursing homes across the region and hears residents' concerns directly. The ombudsman cannot rate buildings for you, but can tell you how to raise a concern and what residents' rights cover. The number is 865-691-2551 ext. 4223.
Comparing two buildings fairly
If you are choosing between two communities, do not let one listed date decide it. Request the newest survey from both, compare the kinds of citations, and weigh them alongside staffing, price and what you see on your visits. The record is a tool for asking better questions, not a verdict.
Why this is different for nursing homes
Nursing homes certified by CMS are inspected under federal rules, and CMS publishes the dates, deficiencies and full inspection reports on Care Compare. That is why our nursing home pages can show a precise latest inspection date and deficiency count, while ACLF pages show only the state listing's date.
Frequently asked questions
How often must Tennessee inspect assisted living?
Within 15 months of the previous inspection, unannounced, under rule 0720-26-.05(1).
Does an old survey date mean a facility was not inspected?
Not necessarily; the public listing may lag. Ask for the latest survey report.
Where can I get an ACLF's inspection report?
From the facility itself, or through the HFC's public records portal.
