Baton Rouge Senior AdvisorWhat is the difference between a Level 3 and a Level 4 ARCP?
Both serve 17 or more residents in apartments, but only a Level 4 ARCP may provide intermittent nursing services, must have a registered nurse as nursing director on call 24 hours a day, and may give time-limited IV therapy under RN, physician or nurse practitioner supervision (LAC 48:I.6843, 6845, 6865).
Neither level may keep a resident who needs continuous monitoring by licensed staff; that is a nursing home's job.
How does a Level 3 resident get nursing care?
From outside providers: a Medicare-certified home health agency for skilled visits, a hospice for end-of-life care, or private-duty nurses, with the ARCP coordinating the services.
This works well for short-term needs after a hospital stay. It works less well when a resident needs nursing tasks every day indefinitely, which is where Level 4 earns its place.
Are there many Level 4 ARCPs around Baton Rouge?
The November 2026 Licensed Providers Report shows 31 adult residential care providers across the ten parishes: 5 Level 1, 4 Level 2, 19 Level 3 and 0 Level 4, plus 3 with no level in LDH's records; 21 of them have East Baton Rouge Parish addresses.
Level 4 licenses are uncommon in Louisiana generally. If your parent needs ongoing nursing, ask each Level 3 building how it handles nursing through outside agencies, and compare that with a nursing home.
Who should look for a Level 4 ARCP?
Residents with ongoing but stable nursing needs, such as regular injections, catheter care or wound care that is not on the prohibited list, who do not need a nursing home's continuous monitoring.
Ask a Level 4 provider which nursing tasks are in the base rate and which are billed per visit, and how many licensed nurses work each shift.
Does a Level 4 cost more than a Level 3?
Usually, because nursing staff cost more, but no separate median is published; compare each building's written price sheet against a Level 3 base rate plus the expected cost of outside nursing.
Medicare may cover outside skilled home health in a Level 3 building for short periods, which can make Level 3 cheaper for a short-term need and Level 4 cheaper for a long-term one.
Side by side
| Level 3 ARCP | Level 4 ARCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | Through outside agencies only | Intermittent nursing by the provider |
| Nurse leadership | Not required | RN nursing director on call 24/7 |
| IV therapy | Not by staff | Time-limited, under supervision |
| Director training | Level 3/4 education and experience | Plus a 12-hour approved course |
Sources: LAC 48:I.Chapter 68 for adult residential care, Louisiana Department of Health (Health Standards Section and Office of Aging and Adult Services) program pages, the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs, CareScout and VA rate tables, each cited in the text. Our editorial standards explain how we check them.
