Winston-Salem Senior AdvisorWho regulates assisted living and nursing homes in Winston-Salem, NC?
The state does, not the city or the county: the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation licenses adult care homes (10A NCAC 13F), family care homes (10A NCAC 13G) and nursing homes, and certified nursing homes must also meet federal CMS standards.
Last verified: November 2026Winston-Salem and Forsyth County handle zoning, building permits and fire code, and the county department of social services employs adult home specialists who monitor the homes. The license that allows a building to care for residents, though, comes only from the state's Division of Health Service Regulation.
Does North Carolina publish ratings for assisted living homes?
Yes. DHSR scores every adult care home and family care home on a zero-to-four star scale built from inspection results, and posts each home's survey documents and any fines from the last 36 months next to the rating.
Of the 55 homes the state has rated in the five counties, 25 have four stars, 24 three, 4 two, 2 one and 0 zero. Learn how to read the rating and the survey behind it.
Where does a Winston-Salem family report a problem in a care home?
Licensing complaints go to DHSR's Complaint Intake Unit at 1-800-624-3004; residents' rights concerns can go to the regional long-term care ombudsman through Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging ((336) 904-0300); and suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation goes to Adult Protective Services at the county department of social services.
County APS numbers: Forsyth 336-703-3503, Davidson 336-242-2500, Davie 336-753-6250, Stokes 336-593-2861, Yadkin 336-849-7910. Call 911 first if anyone is in danger right now.
All north carolina rules pages
The state license behind every assisted living home in Winston-Salem
How the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation licenses assisted living in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes and Yadkin counties: adult care homes (13F), family care homes (13G), annual renewal, operators and monitoring.
Read it →How North Carolina regulates memory care, and what to ask in Winston-Salem
Memory care around Winston-Salem happens in special care units inside licensed adult care homes and nursing homes: the 13F .1300 rules, the G.S. 131D-8 disclosure, staffing questions, the Special Assistance Enhanced Rate and what to check on a tour.
Read it →Reading a North Carolina star rating and survey report
How DHSR's 0-4 star rating for adult care homes and family care homes works, where the survey documents and 36-month penalties are posted, and how families in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County should read them.
Read it →Getting in, staying in, and the contract in between
Adult care home admission in North Carolina (the FL-2, the assessment and care plan), the residency agreement, residents' rights under G.S. 131D-21 and the 30-day discharge notice, explained for Winston-Salem families.
Read it →Who works in a North Carolina adult care home, and who gives the medications
North Carolina adult care home staffing (10A NCAC 13F .0605/.0606), third-shift supervision, aide training, criminal record checks under G.S. 131D-40 and medication aide rules, with the questions Winston-Salem families should ask.
Read it →Where to take a complaint about a care home in the Winston-Salem area
How families in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes and Yadkin counties report care home problems: the DHSR Complaint Intake Unit, the regional long-term care ombudsman, community advisory committees and county Adult Protective Services.
Read it →How nursing homes in the Winston-Salem area are licensed and inspected
Nursing home oversight in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes and Yadkin counties: the DHSR nursing home license, CMS certification and Care Compare ratings, standard surveys, complaint surveys, fines and the Special Focus program.
Read it →What it is, and what it is not
| North Carolina's rules do | North Carolina's rules do not | |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living | License it as an adult care home or a family care home | Use a license called assisted living |
| Ratings | Give adult care homes a state rating of zero to four stars | Leave assisted living to CMS's five-star system |
| Dementia | Approve special care unit beds on an existing license | Issue a stand-alone memory care license |
| Money | Pay Special Assistance toward an adult care home | Run a Medicaid waiver that pays assisted living rent |
