Every Detroit-area senior community must hold an active LARA license — and the LARA/BCHS licensing search is the public tool to check it. This walks you through pulling the record, reading the inspection findings, and spotting red flags before you sign.
By Detroit Senior Advisor Care Team · May 4, 2026
A senior care license is the legal floor: it confirms the community is authorized to operate and subject to inspection. In Michigan, that license comes from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS), and each community is licensed as either a Home for the Aged (HFA) under the Public Health Code (1978 PA 368, Part 213) or an Adult Foster Care (AFC) home under the Adult Foster Care Facility Licensing Act (1979 PA 218). Nursing homes are licensed separately by LARA under the Public Health Code (1978 PA 368, Part 217) and are also certified by CMS.
A community operating without a current, active license is a serious problem, and residents there are at risk. Every Metro Detroit facility — whether in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, or Washtenaw county — is licensed and inspected by the same statewide regulator, which makes verification straightforward: there's one system to check, not several.
Go to the LARA/BCHS Adult Foster Care & Homes for the Aged licensing search at michigan.gov/LARA and search by facility name or location. Review the license type — Home for the Aged, or Adult Foster Care classified by size (family home, small group, large group, or congregate) — along with the current license status, licensed capacity, and inspection and citation history. You can also cross-check nursing homes on Medicare's Care Compare.
LARA conducts periodic and complaint-driven surveys and publishes findings publicly. Check the date of the last survey, and note any repeat citations in areas such as medication management, resident rights, supervision, or staffing. When the same category draws citations across successive inspection cycles, that points to a systemic problem rather than a one-time slip. Weigh the most serious findings — those involving resident harm or safety — most heavily.
A provisional or restricted license, or a facility currently under enforcement action or a hold on admissions, means LARA identified compliance problems serious enough to limit operations — a significant warning sign that deserves a direct explanation before you place a loved one there. A suspended or revoked license means the community should not be operating; if you encounter one, report it to LARA.
A community that won't show you its current license, or becomes defensive when you ask about inspection findings, is telling you something. Always pull the LARA record before considering any community, and read the actual citations, not just a summary. If you ever suspect abuse or neglect, Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Adult Protective Services takes reports 24/7 statewide at 855-444-3911. A free local advisor who works Metro Detroit facilities regularly can check the LARA licensing search, interpret the findings in plain language, and flag anything that should give a family pause before signing.
Free and no pressure. We answer to families, not facilities.
Or call (313) 513-4054