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Assisted living and memory care community
The Citadel Senior Living Mesa, AZ
520 S Higley Rd, Mesa, AZ 85206
- Licensed for 150 residents
- Directed care
$5,700 to $7,400 a month
Estimated
Reina McRae
Integrity Senior Placement
Want to know if The Citadel Senior Living has a room?
Learn about
The Citadel Senior Living
From its state license
- Licensed by Arizona for 150 residents at directed care, the highest of the state's three assisted living care levels.
From the home's website
- Room sizes: 384 sq. ft. studio to 576 sq. ft. one bedroom (assisted living)
- Meals: Three daily meals, with accommodations made for dietary restrictions or preferences.
- Activities: Movie nights, Fitness classes, Day trips, Arts and crafts, Gardening clubs, Holiday events
- Visiting: flexible visiting hours
- Outdoor space: outdoor patios and gardens
Also on the home's website
- Memory care
- Respite stays
- Nurse on staff
- Medication management
- Several levels of care on one campus
- Shared rooms
- Transportation
- Pets allowed
- Outings
- Salon
- Chef prepared meals
Address
Location
520 South Higley Road, Mesa, AZ 85206Maricopa County
- A park0.1 mi
- TransAfrican Food Store0.7 mi
- Walgreens1.3 mi
- Banner Gateway Medical CenterClosest hospital, with an emergency room1.6 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).
The state cited nine deficiencies at its last routine inspection (September 18, 2025, a visit that also looked into a complaint). 55% of similar communities had 1 or fewer at theirs.
3 deficiencies cited at the routine inspection before it, in 2024.
Nine complaint inspections in the past two years led to a citation, and 15 others found nothing to cite. 50% of similar communities had 2 or fewer.
ADHS took three enforcement actions in the past two years, with civil penalties of $1,500 in all. 33% of similar communities had none.
Cited at more than one inspection since August 2023: Medication (six inspections), Service plans (six inspections), Admission and residency agreements (four inspections), and seven other areas.
ADHS accepted its plan to correct each of the 39 deficiencies cited in the past two years.
Last updated September 24, 2026.
License detailsLicense AL12140C, valid to March 14, 2027
- License number
- AL12140C
- Facility type
- Assisted living and memory care community
- Name on the license
- The Citadel Assisted Living Facility
- Licensed capacity
- 150 residents
- Care level
- Directed care
- Effective
- March 15, 2026
- Expires
- March 14, 2027
- Licensed since
- March 15, 2022
- Manager of record
- Cory Williams
- Chief administrative officer
- Karina Villacorta
- For residents and staff
- (480) 832-7600
The full inspection record36 inspections on file since August 2023, 13 with deficiencies cited.
Last updated September 24, 2026.
2026
April 3, 2026
- Personal care services R9-10-814.EPlan of correction accepted
- Directed care services R9-10-815.E.1-2Plan of correction accepted
March 19, 2026
- Medical records R9-10-811.C.14Plan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.bPlan of correction accepted
2025
December 10, 2025
- Admission and residency agreements R9-10-807.A.1-2Plan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-820.A.1.aPlan of correction accepted
November 17, 2025
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.10Plan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.3.cPlan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.a-gPlan of correction accepted
- Resident rights R9-10-810.B.1Plan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.a-cPlan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-820.A.1.aPlan of correction accepted
September 18, 2025
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.8.a-bPlan of correction accepted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.10Plan of correction accepted
- Admission and residency agreements R9-10-807.A.1-2Plan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.3.fPlan of correction accepted
- Resident rights R9-10-810.B.1Plan of correction accepted
- Directed care services R9-10-815.C.3Plan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.bPlan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.cPlan of correction accepted
- Building and rooms R9-10-821.C.3.a-gPlan of correction accepted
July 1, 2025
- R9-10-819.D.1Plan of correction accepted
- R9-10-819.D.2.a-fPlan of correction accepted
- R9-10-820.A.1.aPlan of correction accepted
April 21, 2025
- Opioid medication R9-10-120.F.4.a-cPlan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.J.1-6Plan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.3.cPlan of correction accepted
- Directed care services R9-10-815.F.2.a-cPlan of correction accepted
- Food service R9-10-817.A.1.a-ePlan of correction accepted
- Emergency and safety R9-10-818.D.2.a-fPlan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-819.A.11Plan of correction accepted
- Building and rooms R9-10-820.C.3.a-gPlan of correction accepted
April 17, 2025
- Medication R9-10-816.B.3.bPlan of correction accepted
2024
December 2, 2024
- Admission and residency agreements R9-10-807.B.1.a-bPlan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.gPlan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-816.B.3.bPlan of correction accepted
October 21, 2024
- Admission and residency agreements R9-10-807.B.1.a-bPlan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.gPlan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-816.B.3.bPlan of correction accepted
February 6, 2024
- Personal care services R9-10-814.EPlan of correction accepted
January 19, 2024
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.3.cPlan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.gPlan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-819.A.1.bPlan of correction accepted
- Upkeep and hazards R9-10-819.A.3.aPlan of correction accepted
Show older inspections (1)
2023
August 23, 2023
- Administration R9-10-803.J.3.a-cPlan of correction accepted
Enforcement actions
September 24, 2026
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on September 24, 2026, opens in a new tabSeptember 24, 2025
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on September 24, 2025, opens in a new tabMarch 25, 2025
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on March 25, 2025, opens in a new tabJuly 8, 2024
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on July 8, 2024, opens in a new tabJuly 8, 2024
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on July 8, 2024, opens in a new tabJuly 8, 2024
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on July 8, 2024, opens in a new tab
What was cited on April 3, 2026, in plain words
Personal care services
Hands-on help such as bathing and dressing, skin care to prevent sores, and a call bell or intercom a resident can reach.
It is the help a resident needs every day, and how fast they can get it.
Cited at 14% of similar communities in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How does a resident call for help at night, and how fast does someone come?
Directed care services
Care for residents who cannot direct their own care, such as many people with dementia: closer care planning, weight checks, and exits that are safe for them.
These rules protect residents who cannot speak up for themselves.
Cited at 26% of similar communities in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How do you keep residents with dementia safe without locking them in?
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 Citadel Senior Living
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 Citadel Senior Living is a 150-resident assisted living center at 520 South Higley Road in Mesa, licensed by ADHS under the name The Citadel Assisted Living Facility. Its license is at the directed care level, the highest of the state's three assisted living care levels, and of those 150 beds, 36 are for directed care and 114 for personal care.
According to the community's website, staff are there 24 hours a day, with access to a licensed nurse, medication management, and a memory care program for residents with Alzheimer's and other dementias, run by staff trained specifically in memory care. The site also mentions respite stays of 5 to 30 days, chef-prepared meals from a rotating menu, scheduled activities and outings, transportation, and a pet-friendly policy for dogs and cats.
Per the community's website, it is set up as a continuum of care, so residents can move to assisted living or memory care if needed, with the memory care program serving people with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Drive to Mesa at the time your family would usually visit, so you know how long it takes. See who is up and about at that hour.
Highlights
- The state's license record, current as of September 2026, shows room for 150 residents at the directed care level.
- ADHS's facility record splits capacity into 36 beds for directed care services and 114 for personal care services, plus supervisory care services with no separate capacity listed.
- Respite stays run from a minimum of 5 days to a maximum of 30, the community's website says.
- It appears in the ALTCS networks of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (list dated July 28, 2025) and Banner-University Family Care (list dated July 2026).
The details
- Other names
- Citadel Assisted Living
- Blackbird Senior Living, INC
Care and services
In our words
ADHS licenses The Citadel Senior Living at the directed care level, the top of the three assisted living levels, which is meant for residents who cannot direct their own care because of dementia or other cognitive impairment. The website describes staff around the clock, medication reminders, dispensing and monitoring under each resident's care plan, access to a licensed nurse (LPN), and a pendant emergency call system. It adds a memory care program for Alzheimer's and other dementias, with staff trained specifically in memory care, and respite stays of at least 5 and at most 30 days.
The details
- Services offered
- Care levels licensed
- Directed care
- Personal care
- Supervisory care
Daily life
In our words
The community's website describes three meals a day, prepared by a chef from a rotating menu, with accommodations for dietary restrictions or preferences. Between meals it lists movie nights, fitness classes, day trips, arts and crafts, gardening clubs and holiday events, along with outings to local attractions and transportation to appointments and shopping. Dogs and cats are welcome, and visiting hours are flexible.
The details
- Amenities
- Meals
- Three daily meals, with accommodations made for dietary restrictions or preferences.
- Activities
- Movie nights
- Fitness classes
- Day trips
- Arts and crafts
- Gardening clubs
- Holiday events
- Visiting
- flexible visiting hours
- Outdoor space
- outdoor patios and gardens
Rooms
The details
- Room features
- Room sizes
- 384 sq. ft. studio to 576 sq. ft. one bedroom (assisted living)
Pricing and payment
Prices
- Assisted living community
- $5,700 to $7,400 a monthEstimated
- Memory care
- $5,500 to $6,600 a monthEstimated
Estimates, not this home's own prices. Based on the published prices of 102 comparable communities, 11 in Mesa. 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).
The details
- Payment and what is included
- How pricing works
- Base rent plus a care level fee
- ALTCS networks
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (ALTCS)
- Banner-University Family Care (ALTCS)
Hospitals and the area
In our words
The home is in Maricopa County, and its website places it near the Superstition Springs Mall. In CMS hospital data, Banner Gateway Medical Center is the nearest hospital, about 1.57 miles away as the crow flies, and Banner Baywood Medical Center, Banner Heart Hospital and Arizona Spine & Joint Hospital are each under 2 miles off. For errands, OpenStreetMap data shows a TransAfrican Food Store about 0.74 miles away and a Walgreens pharmacy about 1.28 miles away, and an unnamed park sits about 0.12 miles away in a straight line.
The details
- Nearest emergency room
- Banner Gateway Medical Center, 1.6 miles
- Nearest hospital
- Banner Gateway Medical Center, 1.6 miles
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens, 1.3 miles
- Nearest grocery
- TransAfrican Food Store, 0.7 miles
- Nearest park
- Unnamed park, 0.1 miles
- Hospitals within 10 miles
Name Miles Drive time Banner Gateway Medical Center 1.6 mi about 6 min Banner Baywood Medical Center 1.8 mi about 7 min Banner Heart Hospital 2.0 mi about 7 min Arizona Spine & Joint Hospital 2.0 mi about 8 min Agave Ridge Behavioral Hospital 5.9 mi about 16 min Arizona General Hospital 6.1 mi about 15 min HonorHealth Four Peaks Medical Center 6.3 mi about 14 min East Valley ER & Hospital 6.6 mi about 21 min Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center 8.5 mi about 25 min Oasis Behavioral Health 8.7 mi about 24 min Banner Goldfield Medical Center 8.8 mi about 17 min Banner Desert Medical Center 9.1 mi about 15 min Drive times are typical, without traffic. Routing © openrouteservice by HeiGIT, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More details
The details
- Features
- Altcs plans stated
- Banner LTC
- UnitedHealthcare LTC
- Mercy Care LTC
- Assisted living studio price
- $3,800
- Care types offered
- Independent living
- Assisted living
- Memory care
- Respite care
- Common areas
- Library
- Billiards room
- Washer/dryer access
- Memory care staff training
- Staff undergo specialized training in memory care
- Nearby landmarks
- near the Superstition Springs Mall
- Second person fee
- $1,500
Questions families ask
In our words
- What level of care is The Citadel Senior Living licensed for?
- ADHS licenses it at the directed care level, the highest of the three assisted living care levels, for residents who cannot direct their own care because of dementia or other cognitive impairment.
- How many residents can it serve?
- The ADHS license record lists room for 150 residents: 36 for directed care services and 114 for personal care services.
- Does it offer memory care?
- Its website describes a memory care program for residents with Alzheimer's and other dementias, with staff trained specifically in memory care.
- Is respite care available?
- Yes, the website lists respite stays of at least 5 days and no more than 30.
- Does it accept ALTCS?
- It is listed in the ALTCS networks of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (list dated July 28, 2025) and Banner-University Family Care (list dated July 2026). The company's website also names Banner LTC, UnitedHealthcare LTC and Mercy Care LTC as ALTCS plans it accepts.
- Are pets allowed?
- Yes. Per the community's website, dogs and cats are welcome.
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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