Editorial Guidelines
Effective date: 10/20/2026
Assisted Living Magazine is all about helping older people, their families and their carers to understand the range of senior living options available and to make the right decisions. Our editorial work pulls together local information, public records, research and practical advice so that readers can make comparisons and know what to do next.
These guidelines cover our articles, educational content, community profiles, location and listing pages, rankings, inspection information, data tools, review summaries, photos, videos and all other published content.
Who creates and reviews our content
The ALM editorial team are the ones who do the research, writing, editing and checking of the content. The team is made up of Jeremy Clerc, Jordan Weiss PhD and others. Further details on the team’s backgrounds can be found on our About Us and Meet Our Authors pages.
Jeremy is ALM’s CEO and co-founder. Jordan is a scientific writer and reviewer specializing in aging, healthspan and evidence based care. He is also an Assistant Professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
A byline or review credit simply indicates that the named individual or team has been involved in that particular page. It in no way implies that Jordan or anyone else has reviewed every community or every record on the site. A scientific review should not be construed as an individual medical opinion or as an endorsement by the institution to which an author may be affiliated.
How we create and check content
Research and sources
The appropriate sources for a care guide are different from those required for a community profile or a comparison. The sources we use will vary according to the subject matter.
- Government inspection reports, licensing records, and data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and state regulators.
- Published scientific research and information relating to aging and care for the elderly.
- Community websites, published service information, pricing materials, photographs and virtual tours.
- Resident and family feedback, third party reviews and interviews with the owners or operators of the community.
Our aim is to provide the reader with sufficient context so that they can appreciate what the information does and doesn’t establish. A resident’s experience, a community description and a regulator’s finding are all different types of evidence. A summary may help to explain what a source is, but it should be read in conjunction with the original record where possible.
Dates, location, care type and reporting period all matter. The information on one jurisdiction or one type of care may not be relevant in another. Readers should always check the source references and dates given with the material they are using.
Accuracy and editorial review
Our editorial and content team check every article and every community profile before it goes live. The ALM editorial team are responsible for the writing, editing and fact checking, with the objective of producing accurate, clear and useful information for our readers.
A review of published information is very different to actually going out and inspecting a community. The fact that a profile is on our site in no way confirms that a team member has visited it. Human review can’t possibly catch every error either, particularly where the underlying records are incomplete, out of date or inconsistent.
Rankings and comparison tools
Our Ranking Methodology explains the factors and sources used to compare communities, including the differences between nursing homes and other senior living settings.
Inspection grades, rankings and the individual comparison metrics answer different questions. A rank for a single measure (e.g. bed count or walkability) is not an overall assessment of the quality of care. The rank badge compares communities within the same state and care type using the data available for that measure. The comparison groups can therefore be of different sizes.
An ALM grade or ranking is not a government rating, not a guarantee of safety and not a promise that the community will meet the needs of any particular individual. The absence of information or an unavailable grade should not be taken as evidence of either good or poor care.
Editorial independence and funding
ALM is free for families. We receive referral fees when families we help move into partner communities. A smaller share of revenue comes from licensing anonymized market data.
As explained in How We Make Money, partner status does not determine directory inclusion, ranking position, scores, profile content, or the reviews and inspection information we publish. Commercial relationships do not influence our rankings or recommendations. Communities cannot pay for a higher ranking or suppress negative data.
Our funding disclosure also explains how third party/sponsored contributions are identified. Readers can use that page to understand our financial relationships in the same way as the information set out here.
How we use AI
We use AI to help with research, organisation, data extraction, article structure and grammar. People are still ultimately responsible for the content we publish. Our review summaries are written by people and AI-assisted community summaries are used to aid the team’s work on the profiles.
We use AI to assist with image screening, followed by human approval. We don’t use AI to edit or generate any community photographs. Some articles will contain AI-generated illustrations which should not be interpreted as photographs of actual communities, residents or events.
Our AI Policy explains these uses, human oversight, and limitations, as well as AI used in recommendations and overnight live chat.
Keeping content current
Reviews and updates
Our site is reviewed on an ongoing basis through ad hoc checks and scheduled monthly review work across community profiles, listing pages, and other content. This does not mean every page or every underlying data point is refreshed each month.
A webpage’s update date and a source’s reporting period are different. Recently updated pages may still contain older inspection records, financial reports, or research. Current prices, availability, services, and licensing details should be confirmed directly with the community or relevant regulator before a decision.
Corrections and reader feedback
If you find an error, email info@assistedlivingmagazine.com. Please include the page URL, the specific information that needs attention, and a supporting source if you have one. Avoid sending unnecessary personal or medical information.
People on our product team handle corrections. Our transparency policy commits us to publishing corrections rather than silently changing inaccurate information. Our questions and corrections guidance provides the contact details for reporting concerns.
Using our information
Our content supports research and informed conversations. It does not replace a visit, a discussion with community staff, or advice from qualified medical, legal, or financial professionals. A directory listing is not an endorsement, and a community’s suitability depends on the individual’s circumstances.
Use our resources to narrow your options, examine the evidence, and prepare questions. Before choosing care, confirm the services and terms that matter to you directly with the community and the appropriate professionals.
