AHCA Form 1823: Florida Assisted Living Health Assessment
Families hear "we need the 1823" from a discharge planner and then search AHCA Form 1823 from the hospital hallway. The form is the health picture a Florida assisted living facility uses to say yes or no. It is not a lease, and it is not a Medicaid application. Missing or incomplete paperwork is the most common reason a Friday move-in slips.
What the form is for
AHCA publishes Form 1823 as the Resident Health Assessment for Assisted Living Facilities. A licensed practitioner records the face-to-face exam, diagnoses, and a medication and self-care picture. The administrator then matches that picture to the community's license. A standard ALF cannot keep every medical profile. Bedridden status, stage pressure injuries, 24-hour nursing, or a two-person lift the staff will not provide can force a no, even when a room is empty.
The current AHCA edition is the April 2021 form. Practitioners can also use their own exam form if it covers the same items. If pieces are missing, the facility has to obtain them and document the record. Do not treat a half-blank PDF as done.
Timing and who can sign
Florida law generally requires the medical examination within 60 days before admission or within 30 days after. Hospital and rehab teams can start it before discharge. That is the faster path. An exam older than the 60-day window usually has to be redone. Confirm live timing with the administrator. Rules live in statute and in Chapter 59A-36 of the Florida Administrative Code.
Only an MD, DO, PA, or APRN can complete the practitioner sections. Ask the hospitalist or the rehab medical director, not the case manager, to sign. Attach a medication list that matches the discharge summary: name, dose, route, and schedule.
Use the form to pick the right license, not only a bed
If the 1823 shows oxygen, insulin, wandering, or a two-person transfer, read our license-types guide and the matching condition pages before you tour the first empty apartment. A pretty lobby does not change what the license allows.
Take the free care assessment so a licensed advisor can send the same care picture to communities that can actually admit, at no cost to the family. Keep the residency contract checklist open so speed on the 1823 does not become a personal guarantee you did not mean to sign.
Common questions
- What is AHCA Form 1823?
- It is Florida's Resident Health Assessment for Assisted Living Facilities. A physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse records diagnoses, medications, and daily-help needs so the ALF can decide whether it can legally and safely admit the person.
- Who can complete Form 1823 for a Florida ALF?
- A medical doctor, osteopathic physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse. A social worker, therapist, or facility nurse cannot sign it as the examining practitioner. Faxed or electronic copies are usually acceptable once they are complete.
- When does Form 1823 have to be done?
- Florida rules generally allow the face-to-face exam within 60 days before admission or within 30 days after. Communities still want it in hand before move-in week. Confirm the current timing with the administrator and AHCA. An exam that is too old will need a new one.
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