The entire senior population of Nebraska is approximately 230,000 people, which is approximately 13% of the population. This ranks Nebraska as having the 17th highest percentage of senior population in the country. The cost of living in Nebraska is 10% lower than the average cost in the United States. The overall 'cost of living' index in Nebraska is 90 with a 'health care' index of 90 and a housing index of 81. These factors combine to make retirement in Nebraska a very economical option. This extremely low cost of living means that your retirement dollars will allow you to live at a higher standard. The majority of  seniors live in Omaha and Lincoln, although there is also a significant population of seniors in Kearney, Bellevue, Grand Highland and Fremont. The larger Nebraska cities offer a wider selection of senior living options including Assisted Living Facilities and they also offer more state-of-the-art medical facilities.

Assisted Living Facility Oversight In Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Regulation and Licensure, Credentialing Division is responsible for periodic inspection of assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, they only inspect facilities every five years. This means that records for some of your potential assisted living facilities can be tragically out of date. Nonetheless, you can contact the Credentialing Division at 402-471-0309 to requests copies of inspection reports and to request copies of complaints filed against assisted living facilities. There is a fee associated with copies. If you need to file a complaint, call the Credentialing Division at 402-471-0316. You may contact the Nebraska Ombudsman at:

Cindy Kadavy, State LTC Ombudsman Division of Aging Services
P.O. Box 95044 Lincoln, NE 68509-5044
http://www.hhs.st ate.ne.us/ags/ltcombud.htm
Phone: (402)471-2307 Fax: (402)471-4619

Since there is a fee associated with reports, you may want to limit your list of potential assisted living facilities when contacting these nonprofit services.

This directory includes 378assisted living options for Nebraska. Use the "Advance Search" to find the nearest 40 senior services based on your desired location or select a city and then choose a tab to see different types of senior care including nursing homes, Alzheimer's care centers, CCRCs, independent living, in-home and hospice care.

Selecting A Nebraska Assisted Living Facility

The first factor that comes in to most people's minds when searching for an assisted living facility is the proximity to friends and family. This factor should be weighed with other critical factors like the proximity to emergency medical service and specialty Senior services. Other important factors include the cost of the facility and the amenities offered by the facility and the area surrounding the facility. Although assisted living facilities need some help with daily activities, field trips or outings to this rounding area can make life in an assisted living facility much more interesting and enjoyable. Internal activities such as clubs and exercise classes can help extend the life of resident and help them enjoy their stay. Residency in an assisted living facility can be either short-term or long-term. For long-term residents these factors are especially critical. Of course the single most important factor in selecting an assisted living facility is the safety and well-being of the residents. Once you have narrowed down your selection to just a few facilities, use the information below to check on inspection reports and complaints for each potential assisted living facility.