How to File a Complaint About a Tennessee ACLF or Nursing Home

If you have concerns about care, safety, resident rights, or staffing at a Tennessee Assisted-Care Living Facility (ACLF) or nursing home, you can report it to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities.

How to file

• Online: Submit through the TDH complaint portal at tn.gov/health
• Phone: TDH Health Care Facilities complaint line: 800-778-4504
• In writing: Tennessee Department of Health, Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities, 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243

What happens next

TDH is required to investigate complaints within set timeframes depending on severity. An unannounced survey visit is conducted for credible allegations. TDH can issue deficiencies, require a plan of correction, impose fines, or revoke a license for serious violations.

For nursing homes: CMS complaint pathway

Nursing homes are also federally regulated. You can file a complaint with the TDH survey agency (same line above) or directly with CMS. CMS Five-Star inspection records are public at medicare.gov/care-compare.

Ombudsman: a different role

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a resident-advocate role, not a regulator. The Ombudsman can help resolve issues informally inside a facility and advise you on whether a formal TDH complaint is warranted. For the Nashville metro, the regional Ombudsman program operates through the GNRC Area Agency on Aging & Disability (615-255-1010).

Adult Protective Services: abuse or exploitation

If you suspect abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, contact Tennessee APS at 888-277-8366 — a separate process from the TDH complaint line. APS investigates community and facility settings.

Free help from a local Nashville advisor

Nashville Senior Advisor connects families across Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, Maury, Robertson, and Dickson counties with a free local advisor — no fees, ever. We help you understand your options, compare licensed providers, verify TDH and CMS credentials, and coordinate the move. Tell us your situation →

Common questions

Getting senior-care help in the Nashville metro

If you're starting a senior-care search in the Nashville metro, the process is simpler than it looks. It begins with an honest assessment of what your parent actually needs day to day, followed by a realistic budget and a look at how to fund it — savings, long-term-care insurance, VA Aid & Attendance, or Tennessee's TennCare CHOICES for those who qualify. Only then does it make sense to tour communities, because the care level determines which licensed options can legally serve your parent.

Nashville metro families also have free public resources. The GNRC Area Agency on Aging & Disability (615-255-1010 / 866-836-6678) screens seniors for meals, in-home support, caregiver respite, and benefits counseling. Much of it is free or sliding-scale and doesn't require Medicaid. A single call can unlock several programs at once.

The Tennessee safety net behind your decision

Tennessee licenses and inspects senior care through TDH (Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities) (look up any provider at tn.gov/health), funds in-home and community services through the regional Area Agency on Aging — the GNRC AAAD in the Nashville metro — and covers long-term care for those who qualify through TennCare CHOICES. The Ombudsman and TDH Adult Protective Services safeguard residents. These are the same programs we help families navigate for free.

Why families choose a local Nashville metro advisor

National senior-living websites are essentially lead brokers: enter your information and a dozen communities call you within minutes, whether they fit or not. A local advisor works differently. We focus only on the Nashville metro — Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, Maury, Robertson, and Dickson counties — so we know the buildings, the directors, and which providers are genuinely strong for memory care versus assisted living versus Residential Homes for the Aged. We shortlist two or three real fits instead of selling your contact details to the highest bidder.

Both models are free to families, because communities pay a referral fee only when someone moves in. The difference is depth and trust: we verify every option against the TDH license database and CMS Nursing Home Compare, we tell you about good providers that don't pay us, and we stay reachable after the move. That local, lighter-touch approach is why families across the Nashville metro start with us rather than a national 800 number.

Free help from a local Nashville advisor

Nashville Senior Advisor connects families across Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, Maury, Robertson, and Dickson counties with a free local advisor — no fees, ever. We help you understand your options, compare licensed providers, verify TDH and CMS credentials, and coordinate the move. Tell us your situation →

What to do next in the Nashville metro

Senior-care decisions rarely improve by waiting, but they don't have to be made in a panic either. The most useful first step is a short, no-pressure conversation that turns a vague worry into a concrete plan: what level of care fits, what it will realistically cost in the Nashville metro, and which licensed communities or services are genuine candidates right now. From there, touring two or three real fits beats wading through dozens of listings.

• Free assessment. A 15-minute call to pin down care needs, budget, and timeline.
• A real shortlist. Two or three TDH-licensed options that actually fit — not a dozen sales calls.
• Hands-on help. We help you tour, compare itemized pricing, and coordinate the move.
• Always free to families. We're paid by the community only if you choose to move in.

Whether you need help this week or are planning months ahead, a free the Nashville metro advisor can save you days of research and a costly mismatch. Tell us what's going on — there's no obligation.