How it really works, what the phone calls are like, what 38% of families find out too late, where it falls short for low-income seniors, and the questions worth asking before you give anyone your number.
The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging launched a formal investigation into A Place for Mom’s business practices, accusing the company of steering families toward facilities with documented safety violations while collecting referral commissions — and of discouraging referrals for Medicaid-dependent seniors. The probe also found 38% of families paid roughly $1,000 more per month than their stated budget, and 55% exceeded their memory care budget. An internal FAQ was cited as actively encouraging facilities not to worry if they exceed what a family said they could afford.
The moment you enter your contact information on A Place for Mom’s website, you will typically receive calls — from A Place for Mom advisors and from the communities they’ve matched you with — within minutes. Not hours. Minutes. Many families report receiving 10 or more calls within the first 24 hours, calls at odd hours, and contact continuing even after they’ve asked to stop. If you’re not ready for that volume of outreach, browse without submitting your details. Consider creating a separate email address just for senior care research before you begin.
A Place for Mom is the largest senior care referral service in North America, with more than 14,000 communities and home care providers in its network. Founded in 2000, it connects families with local advisors who help match seniors to care options at no charge to the family. The service earns its revenue through referral commissions paid by the communities it recommends — and that single fact shapes everything about how the service works, who it helps most, and where its recommendations fall short. Here are the questions that matter most, answered without spin.
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Is A Place for Mom really free to use? Yes — free to families · Paid by communities through referral commissions · Actual care costs are paid by the family as normalA Place for Mom charges families nothing — no fee to search, consult, or receive referrals. The service is funded through referral commissions paid by the senior living communities and home care providers in its network when a family moves in or signs up. A Place for Mom also requires partner communities to agree that referred families cannot be charged more than families who found the community independently — the commission is absorbed by the community, not added to your bill. That said, “free to use” doesn’t mean “free of consequence.” The trade-off is your contact information, which will be shared with multiple providers before you’ve had a chance to assess any of them.
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Who owns A Place for Mom? Sold in 2017 to private equity firms Silver Lake and General Atlantic · Founded in 2000 by Garth Fundis and Karen Fundis in Seattle after struggling to find care for an aging parentThe origin story is genuine — the service began as a real caregiver experience, born from the frustration of navigating senior care options without guidance. The 2017 acquisition by Silver Lake and General Atlantic brought private equity ownership, which critics argue has reinforced the commission-driven incentive structure. The company has approximately 1,777 employees and more than 400 local advisors. It previously settled a class action lawsuit for $6 million in 2019 related to alleged Telephone Consumer Protection Act violations — the same aggressive call volume that remains the most consistent complaint in reviews today.
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What are the most common complaints? Overwhelming call volume immediately after submitting contact information · Contact shared with communities without explicit consent · Calls that continue even after bereavement · Limited help for Medicaid-eligible seniorsThe complaint pattern is documented and consistent: families describe receiving 10 or more calls within 24 hours, calls from numbers they don’t recognize (communities in the network), and calls at hours that feel inappropriate. Some of the most distressing reviews describe continued calls after a loved one has passed — families grieving while being asked about assisted living options for someone who has already died. The Better Business Bureau shows 122 complaints over three years. On Yelp — an independent platform — the rating sits at 1.5 stars from 355 reviews. On ConsumerAffairs and Trustpilot, ratings are 4.7–4.8 out of 5, based on over 387,000 reviews. That contrast reflects two genuinely different groups of people having two very different experiences.
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How much does assisted living cost? National median: $5,419/month · Las Vegas area: $3,500–$5,900/month · Memory care: $8,800+/month · Nursing home private room: $10,000+/month · In-home care: ~$24–$33/hourSenior care costs are genuinely high and vary significantly by location. A Place for Mom’s own pricing data puts the national median for assisted living at $5,419/month — up from $5,190 in earlier reporting, reflecting ongoing cost inflation. In the Las Vegas area, costs generally run lower than the national average, with base assisted living ranging from roughly $3,500 to $5,900/month depending on the community and care level — though one-time community fees of $2,500–$5,000 are common at move-in and medication management fees can add $300–$600/month on top. Memory care is consistently more expensive due to 24-hour supervision requirements. The gap between what families have budgeted and what they end up paying is well-documented: the Senate investigation confirmed that 38% of families paid around $1,000 more per month than their stated limit, and 55% exceeded memory care budgets.
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Are A Place for Mom’s “Best of Senior Living” awards trustworthy? Not reliably · A Washington Post investigation found 37.5% of award recipients across 28 states had been cited for serious care violations in state inspection recordsThe Best of Senior Living awards are based on ratings submitted through A Place for Mom’s own review system — a setup that gives providers an incentive to generate positive reviews. A Washington Post analysis reviewed 863 award recipients and found 324 — more than a third — had been cited for serious violations including medication errors, bedsores, falls, and staff misconduct. A Place for Mom has stated it is working to improve review processes. Until independent verification catches up with that claim, treating Best of Senior Living as a quality signal rather than a quality guarantee is the prudent approach. Always check state inspection reports directly — the instructions for doing this are in the FAQ section below.
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Does A Place for Mom help low-income seniors who rely on Medicaid? Poorly · Internal policy reportedly limits referrals for Medicaid-reliant families · The Senate investigation specifically cited this as discriminatory · Better resources for Medicaid seniors existThis is where the honest answer diverges most sharply from the service’s marketing. Medicaid-accepting facilities typically cannot afford the same referral commissions as private-pay communities. As a result, families whose senior needs Medicaid-funded care routinely find the referral list thin, and some report being told they need $5,000+ monthly income before the service can be fully helpful to them. Senator Bob Casey’s investigation letter specifically flagged this as a form of discrimination against low-income families. If your loved one relies on Medicaid or has limited income, start with your local Area Agency on Aging (eldercare.acl.gov or 1-800-677-1116) — it’s a free government service with no commission conflicts and full access to the Medicaid-accepting options in your area.
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What is the cheapest way for a senior to live? Aging in place with family — least expensive · HUD Section 202 subsidized housing — rent capped at 30% of income · Adult day programs + home care — $800–$2,500/month · Residential care homes — $3,000–$5,000/monthMore than 17 million Americans age 65 and older have monthly income below $2,608 — a figure A Place for Mom’s own data acknowledges, alongside a median assisted living cost of $5,419/month. The math leaves most of that population relying on combinations of Medicaid, veterans benefits, HUD housing programs, family support, and Social Security. The cheapest workable options, from least to most expensive: living with family (cost of care hours only); HUD Section 202 (subsidized; apply early, wait lists are long); adult day programs combined with home care; residential care homes or board-and-care homes (smaller, often lower staff-to-resident ratios, typically $3,000–$5,000/month); and standard assisted living. Many families don’t realize that assisted living communities — particularly family-owned ones with vacant rooms — will often negotiate on rate. A Place for Mom’s own guidance acknowledges this: an empty room earns nothing.
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How do I deal with the guilt of putting a parent in a nursing home? Guilt is nearly universal among family caregivers making this decision · It doesn’t mean the decision is wrong · More than one in three Americans over 65 will need nursing home care at some pointGuilt and relief often arrive at exactly the same moment — and that’s normal, not a contradiction. The decision to move a parent into residential care typically comes after months or years of caregiving, interrupted sleep, medical emergencies, and the slow grief of watching someone you love lose independence. Feeling guilty usually reflects how much you care, not that you failed them. One in three Americans over 65 will need nursing home or residential care at some point — this isn’t abandonment, it’s one of the most common family transitions in modern life. Many families report that after the initial adjustment period, their parent’s health, medication management, social connection, and safety all improve in a well-run facility. Give yourself permission to visit as a son or daughter now — rather than as a round-the-clock caregiver — and let the professional staff do what they’re trained to do.
- 🆓Completely free to families — no fees at any point
- 🗺️Local advisors who know your area, current availability, and real pricing
- ⏱️Cuts weeks off a search you’d otherwise do alone in crisis
- 🌐14,000+ communities — the widest single referral network available
- 📋Covers every care type from in-home to memory care to nursing homes
- 🐾Can search specifically for pet-friendly senior living
- 😊Net Promoter Score of 72 among families who completed a placement — genuinely high
- 🏙️Especially valuable in rural or unfamiliar areas where online resources are thin
- 🔄Continues supporting families if needs change after initial placement
- 📞Immediate, high-volume calls after any contact submission — 10+ in 24 hours reported
- 💰Only shows communities that pay commissions — less than half of all available facilities
- 🏥Medicaid-reliant seniors get limited referrals — internal policy restricts low-income placements
- ⚠️37.5% of “Best of Senior Living” recipients had serious state inspection violations
- 📢Contact info shared with multiple facilities simultaneously before you consent
- 📈Senate probe found 38% of families paid ~$1,000/month more than their stated budget
- 🔍Does not independently inspect or visit partner facilities
- 💬1.5 stars on Yelp — sharp contrast with managed platforms
- ⚖️$6 million TCPA settlement in 2019 related to call practices
Apartment-style living with help for bathing, dressing, meals, and medication. For seniors who need daily support but not 24-hour skilled nursing. The most common A Place for Mom referral. Base cost often doesn’t include community fees, medication management, or additional care tiers.
Specialized 24-hour care for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Secured environment, structured routines, and staff trained specifically in dementia care. Higher cost reflects increased staffing ratios. 55% of families exceed their memory care budget according to the Senate investigation.
The highest level of residential care — 24-hour skilled nursing for complex medical needs. Required after some hospital stays for short-term rehabilitation. Medicare covers short-term stays only (up to 100 days after a qualifying hospitalization). Long-term costs are paid by Medicaid for qualifying low-income seniors.
A professional caregiver comes to your parent’s home. Ranges from companion care to skilled nursing visits. Allows aging in place and avoids the trauma of relocation. Full-time 24/7 home care typically exceeds the cost of assisted living — part-time care is where it becomes cost-effective.
Community living for active seniors 55+ who need no daily care assistance. Provides social connection, maintenance-free living, and activities without the care overhead. Some communities allow in-home care services to be added later as needs increase.
Small private homes with 6 or fewer residents — more personalized than large facilities, often with higher staff-to-resident ratios. Often the best value for assisted-living-level care. Frequently not in A Place for Mom’s network. Ask a hospital discharge planner or local social worker instead.
- Medicare: Does not cover long-term assisted living, memory care, or nursing home stays beyond a short-term rehabilitation period. Many families are surprised to discover this too late. Medicare is health insurance, not long-term care coverage.
- Medicaid: The primary public payer for long-term care for low-income seniors. Most states have Medicaid waiver programs that help cover assisted living costs for qualifying seniors. Eligibility rules vary by state. Contact your state Medicaid office or local Area Agency on Aging first.
- VA Benefits: Eligible veterans and surviving spouses can access Aid and Attendance benefits of up to approximately $2,600/month, plus access to VA Community Living Centers and home-based care programs. Call 1-800-827-1000 or visit va.gov.
- HUD Section 202: Federally subsidized housing for very low-income seniors 62+. Rent is capped at 30% of income. Wait lists can be 1–3 years — apply early at hud.gov.
- Long-Term Care Insurance: Covers a range of care services if purchased before health needs develop. Significantly more affordable when bought before age 60.
- Negotiation: Many assisted living communities — particularly family-owned ones with vacant rooms — will negotiate on monthly rate. An empty room earns nothing. Ask directly whether the listed price is the only option.
A Place for Mom is a legitimate business — not a scam. It has been operating since 2000, has helped hundreds of thousands of families, and earns a Net Promoter Score of 72 among families who completed placements. “Legitimate” and “without serious limitations” are two different things, though. The service has been investigated by the U.S. Senate. A Washington Post analysis found meaningful quality gaps in its award recommendations. Its internal policy reportedly limits referrals for Medicaid-dependent seniors. And its 2019 TCPA settlement demonstrates that its contact practices have previously been found legally problematic. Use it as one tool — not as the final word on care quality in your area.
Ask explicitly — by phone and in writing — to be added to their do-not-call and do-not-email list. Be aware that many reviewers report calls did not stop promptly despite requests. Document every contact attempt and every opt-out request with date and time. If contact continues after a documented, explicit request, you may have grounds to file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint or your state Attorney General’s consumer protection office. The 2019 TCPA class action settlement demonstrates that documented complaints about call practices do have legal weight.
Six alternatives worth knowing: Caring.com — browse communities by zip code without submitting contact information first. Your local Area Agency on Aging — government resource, completely independent, no commission conflicts; find yours at eldercare.acl.gov or call 1-800-677-1116. Your state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman — provides unbiased facility quality information including complaint history; find yours at ltcombudsman.org. Medicare’s Care Compare at medicare.gov/care-compare — government inspection records for nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospice. Hospital discharge planners and social workers — know which local facilities are well-run without commission motivations. Local independent placement advisors — smaller agencies often have deeper knowledge of specific local options and more time per family.
Four steps that take less than an hour and can save enormous regret: First, search the facility name on your state health department’s website for inspection reports and complaint history — every licensed facility in the U.S. is inspected and the results are public record. Second, use Medicare’s Care Compare tool at medicare.gov/care-compare for standardized ratings of nursing homes. Third, visit in person at an unannounced time — ideally during a meal or activity — and watch how staff interact with residents. Fourth, call your state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman (ltcombudsman.org) and ask if there have been recent complaints about the specific facility. A Place for Mom’s license review twice per year is a starting point, not a substitute for these steps.
Four questions that cut through the sales conversation: First, ask directly how many facilities in your area accept Medicaid — if the number is very small or the advisor deflects, you’re getting a partial picture. Second, ask whether any of the recommended facilities have had state inspection citations in the past two years, and how the advisor verifies facility quality before recommending. Third, ask what the total monthly cost looks like including medication management fees, community fees, and care tier pricing — not just the base rate. Fourth, ask whether the advisor is aware of any complaints or lawsuits involving the specific facilities being recommended. A confident, knowledgeable advisor should be able to answer all of these without hesitation.
The process is designed to be simple and fast. You complete an online quiz of roughly 10 minutes covering who needs care, what type of care, location preference, timeline, and budget. The quiz generates a list of local community options sorted by rating. To see actual pricing and availability, you’ll need to speak with an advisor — prices shown online consistently run lower than actual rates, per multiple independent reviewers. An advisor then calls to discuss your situation, learn more specifics, and introduce you to selected communities in the network. Those communities typically follow up directly as well. If you proceed, the advisor coordinates tours and helps with the move-in logistics. The process works fastest and smoothest when you have a clear timeline, a realistic budget, and the time to evaluate multiple options before deciding.
The buttons below use your location to find senior living communities, government resources, veterans services, and low-cost senior care near you — including options that operate entirely independently from commission-based referral services.
This guide is independently written and has no affiliation with, sponsorship from, or compensation from A Place for Mom, Silver Lake, General Atlantic, or any senior living community. All cost figures reflect publicly available data and may vary significantly by location, care level, and community. Senior living costs, network details, and company policies change — always verify current information directly with A Place for Mom and any facility you consider before making decisions. This is general information, not legal, financial, or medical advice. For clinical guidance about your specific loved one’s care needs, consult a licensed healthcare professional or geriatric care manager. If you believe you have experienced deceptive marketing or excessive call practices, you may file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.