Exhibit 99.1


ADVOCAT INC.
277 MALLORY STATION ROAD, SUITE 130
FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE 37067
(615) 771-7575

                                                                  NEWS RELEASE

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Contact:  William R. Council, III
          Chief Executive Officer

         ADVOCAT ANNOUNCES NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND NEW DIRECTOR

Franklin, Tenn. - (December 9, 2002) - Advocat Inc. (Nasdaq OTC:AVCA) announced
today the appointment of L. Glynn Riddle as Chief Financial Officer of Advocat.
The Company also announced the appointment of Richard M. Brame as a new
Director. With the appointment of Mr. Brame, Advocat's Board of Directors
increases to five members.

Commenting on the appointments, Chief Executive Officer William R. Council, III
said, "We are extremely pleased with the addition of Glynn Riddle to our
management team. Mr. Brame is also a welcome addition to our Board with his
wealth of experience in the long term care industry."

A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Riddle (age 43) came to Advocat from Envoy, a
division of WebMD Corporation and a leading provider of healthcare transaction
processing services, where he was Vice President of Finance from February 1998
through March 2001. Prior to that, Mr. Riddle served as Senior Vice President
and Controller of Comdata, a subsidiary of Ceridian Corporation, for ten years.

Mr. Brame (49) is the Chief Executive Officer of Regency Health Management, LLC,
a privately-held senior living management company based in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
He has served in this capacity since July, 1999. Regency manages facilities in
Florida, and Mr. Brame owns and manages other communities in Georgia, Tennessee,
and Texas. Prior to forming Regency, Mr. Brame served as Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of a number of
Southeast-based senior living companies.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS RELEASE INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE COMPANY'S
ABILITY TO RESTRUCTURE OR REFINANCE ITS DEBT, THE IMPACT OF UNDER INSURED
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY CLAIMS, FACTORS AFFECTING THE LONG-TERM CARE INDUSTRY IN
GENERAL, GOVERNMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT, GOVERNMENT REGULATION, HEALTH CARE REFORMS,
THE IMPACT OF FUTURE LICENSING SURVEYS, CHANGING ECONOMIC AND MARKET CONDITIONS
AND OTHER RISK FACTORS DETAILED IN THE COMPANY'S SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION FILINGS. ADVOCAT INC. IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UPDATING THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE BEYOND THE PUBLISHED DATE, OR FOR CHANGES MADE
TO THIS DOCUMENT BY WIRE SERVICES OR INTERNET SERVICES.

Advocat Inc. operates 100 facilities including 37 assisted living facilities
with 3,664 units and 63 skilled nursing facilities containing 7,198 licensed
beds as of September 30, 2002. The Company operates facilities in 10 states,
primarily in the Southeast, and three provinces in Canada.

     For additional information about the Company, visit Advocat's web site:
                            http://www.irinfo.com/avc

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