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Assisted living and memory care community
The Heritage at Carefree Carefree, AZ
36590 N Pima Rd #3481, Carefree, AZ 85377
- Licensed for 104 residents
- Directed care
- Private rooms
$6,500 to $9,000 a month
Estimated
Reina McRae
Integrity Senior Placement
Want to know if The Heritage at Carefree has a room?
Learn about
The Heritage at Carefree
From its state license
- Licensed by Arizona for 104 residents at directed care, the highest of the state's three assisted living care levels.
From the home's website
- Room sizes: 450 to 1100 square feet (studio 450, deluxe studio 480, one bedroom 800, two bedroom 1100)
- Meals: Three chef prepared meals a day
- Special diets: Pureed foods
- Activities: Library, Game room, In house theater, Activities throughout the day
- Outdoor space: Garden courtyard with fireplace and mature trees
Also on the home's website
- Memory care
- Hospice care in place
- Hoyer lift
- Two person transfers
- Diabetic care
- Nurse on staff
- Wound care
- Incontinence care
- Medication management
- Visiting doctor
- Therapy on site
- Staff on site around the clock
- Independent living on campus
- Emergency call system
- Private rooms
- Private bathroom
- Transportation
- Salon
- Secured perimeter
Address
Location
36590 North Pima Road #3481, Carefree, AZ 85377Maricopa County
- Carefree Desert Gardens1.9 mi
- Bashas'1.8 mi
- Walgreens2.5 mi
- HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical CenterClosest hospital, with an emergency room10.2 mi
Arizona state record
What the inspections show
In Arizona, the Department of Health Services licenses assisted living homes and communities, inspects them and looks into complaints. Its record for each one is public on AZ Care Check (this home's record, opens in a new tab).
No deficiencies were cited at its last routine inspection (February 2, 2026, a visit that also looked into a complaint). 63% of similar communities had at least one cited at theirs.
3 deficiencies cited at the routine inspection before it, in 2024.
One complaint inspection in the past two years led to a citation, and four others found nothing to cite. 50% of similar communities had 2 or fewer.
ADHS took one enforcement action in the past two years, with civil penalties of $500 in all. 33% of similar communities had none.
Cited at more than one inspection since November 2023: Service plans (two inspections), Upkeep and hazards (two inspections).
ADHS accepted its plan to correct each of the 3 deficiencies cited in the past two years.
Last updated September 24, 2026.
License detailsLicense AL9505C, valid to July 31, 2027
- License number
- AL9505C
- Facility type
- Assisted living and memory care community
- Name on the license
- Heritage at Carefree Senior Living
- Licensed capacity
- 104 residents
- Care level
- Directed care
- Effective
- August 1, 2026
- Expires
- July 31, 2027
- Licensed since
- August 1, 2014
- Chief administrative officer
- Christina D Bustamante
- For residents and staff
- (480) 488-1622
The full inspection record6 inspections on file since November 2023, 2 with deficiencies cited.
Last updated September 24, 2026.
2026
2025
2024
November 5, 2024
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.gPlan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-819.A.6Plan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-819.A.11Plan of correction accepted
2023
November 16, 2023
- Administration R9-10-803.A.9Plan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.C.1.aPlan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.C.1.bPlan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.C.1.e.i-ivPlan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.D.4Plan of correction accepted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.4.a-bPlan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.gPlan of correction accepted
- Medical records R9-10-811.C.17Plan of correction accepted
- Directed care services R9-10-815.F.2.a.i-iiPlan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-816.F.1Plan of correction accepted
- Food service R9-10-817.A.1.a-ePlan of correction accepted
- Emergency and safety R9-10-818.D.2.fPlan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-819.A.11Plan of correction accepted
Enforcement actions
January 6, 2025
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on January 6, 2025, opens in a new tabMarch 7, 2024
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on March 7, 2024, opens in a new tab
What was cited on November 5, 2024, in plain words
Service plans
Each resident's written care plan: what help they get, how often, and who gives it. Caregivers must follow the plan, record what they did, and update it when needs change.
The service plan is the day-to-day care a resident receives. Citations here are about plans missing, out of date, or not followed.
Cited at 50% of similar communities in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How often is the care plan reviewed, and can family take part?
Upkeep and hazards
A clean, safe building: chemicals locked away, hot water at a safe temperature, and nothing in the house that could cause a fall or an injury.
These are the everyday safety checks of the place a resident lives.
Cited at 42% of similar communities in the past two years.
Ask on a tour Where are cleaning products and medicines kept?
These explain the rule, not what happened. The state's own report is on AZ Care Check.
How the figures above are counted
- Routine figures: 72 licensed assisted living centers with 100 or more beds in the Phoenix and Tucson areas whose last routine inspection, between September 2024 and September 2026, also looked into a complaint.
- Complaint and enforcement figures: 84 licensed assisted living centers with 100 or more beds in the Phoenix and Tucson areas licensed for the whole period, September 2024 to September 2026.
- A complaint inspection counts here when it cited at least one deficiency.
- Most ADHS enforcement actions are civil penalties (fines).
- An area is one section of Arizona's assisted living rules, such as Medication or Service plans. A repeat can be a different problem under the same section.
- Counts only: ADHS does not rate or rank homes, and neither do we.
Our research
Learn more about The Heritage at Carefree
Open a section for the details, each with where it came from and when we read it. Checked against state records in September 2026.
Overview
In our words
The Heritage at Carefree is an assisted living center licensed by ADHS for up to 104 residents at the directed care level. That is the highest of the state's three assisted living care levels, meant for residents who cannot direct their own care, including people with dementia or other cognitive impairment. The community's website adds that the company has served Valley seniors since 1988.
The company describes a secure neighborhood for residents with dementia or Alzheimer's, set up so that residents who wander can still take part in daily activities in a safe, secure setting. Its continuum of care page lists an RN staffed wellness center, on site physician services for labs, x-rays and EKGs, physical, occupational and speech therapy, medication management, incontinence care, wound care, IV therapy, G tube care, transfers with one or two staff or a Hoyer lift, and hospice nursing for residents near the end of life. Staff are on site 24 hours a day.
According to the community's website, suites run from a 450 square foot studio up to a 1,100 square foot two bedroom, each with its own kitchen and bath. Meals are chef prepared, three a day, with pureed options, and there is group and personal transportation for getting around. The building has an on site salon, a garden courtyard with a fireplace, a library, a game room and an in house theater.
Ask who works at night and how long the caregivers have been there. You cannot tell that from a photo, so ask in person.
Highlights
- As of September 2026, ADHS licenses it for 104 residents at the directed care level, the highest of Arizona's three assisted living care levels.
- Per its website, the community has a secured neighborhood for residents with dementia or Alzheimer's who wander.
The details
- Other names
- Heritage at Carefree, LLC, the
Care and services
In our words
On its website, the community lays out a continuum of care that starts with an RN staffed wellness center, physician services on site for labs, x-rays and EKGs, and physical, occupational and speech therapy. The nursing team handles chronic conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson's and stroke, and residents near the end of life can stay on in the community and receive hospice nursing.
The details
- Services offered
- Care levels licensed
- Directed care
- Personal care
- Supervisory care
Daily life
In our words
The website lists three chef prepared meals a day, with personalized options such as pureed foods for residents who have higher nutrition or feeding needs. Along with activities throughout the day, there is a library, a game room and an in house theater, plus group and personal transportation. Outside, the garden courtyard has a fireplace and mature trees, and the salon on site is full service.
The details
- Amenities
- Meals
- Three chef prepared meals a day
- Special diets
- Pureed foods
- Activities
- Library
- Game room
- In house theater
- Activities throughout the day
- Features
- Outdoor space
- Garden courtyard with fireplace and mature trees
Rooms
The details
- Room features
- Room sizes
- 450 to 1100 square feet (studio 450, deluxe studio 480, one bedroom 800, two bedroom 1100)
Pricing and payment
Prices
- Assisted living community
- $6,500 to $9,000 a monthEstimated
- Memory care
- $10,100 to $12,800 a monthEstimated
Estimates, not this home's own prices. Based on the published prices of 103 comparable communities. Call or ask us for a verified price and whether a room is open.
Typical assisted living in Arizona: $5,500 to $9,000 a month, from our own market figures (September 2026).
Typical memory care in Arizona: $5,500 to $13,000 a month, from our own market figures (September 2026).
Hospitals and the area
In our words
The center is in Carefree, in Maricopa County. HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center in Scottsdale is the nearest hospital, about 10.22 miles away as the crow flies, according to CMS and OpenStreetMap data. For errands, the nearest grocery store is Bashas', about 1.84 miles away, and the nearest pharmacy is a Walgreens in Scottsdale, about 2.54 miles away, both measured in a straight line. Carefree Desert Gardens is the closest park, about 1.87 miles away, per OpenStreetMap.
The details
- Nearest emergency room
- HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center, 10.2 miles
- Nearest hospital
- HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center, 10.2 miles
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens, 2.5 miles
- Nearest grocery
- Bashas', 1.8 miles
- Nearest park
- Carefree Desert Gardens, 1.9 miles
More details
The details
- Features
- Company serving since
- 1988
Questions families ask
In our words
- What care level is the center licensed for?
- ADHS licenses the center at the directed care level, the highest of the state's three assisted living care levels, for up to 104 residents.
- Does the center offer memory care?
- The company's website describes memory care for residents with dementia or Alzheimer's, with a secure neighborhood for residents who wander.
- Can residents receive hospice care at the center?
- Per the company, residents approaching the end of life can stay in the community and receive hospice nursing services.
- Does the center have a nurse on staff?
- Its website lists an RN staffed wellness center, with staff on site 24 hours a day.
- How big are the suites?
- According to the community's website, suites run from a 450 square foot studio to a 1,100 square foot two bedroom, each with its own kitchen and bathroom.
Details change, so call us to check anything important.
Integrity Senior Placement is an independent placement service, not this community. Our help is free to you.
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Reina McRae
Integrity Senior Placement, based in Scottsdale
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