EXHIBIT 5.1

                             HOUSE & INGERSOLL, PLLC
                                3325 Healy Drive
                       Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103

July 29, 1999
Diversified Senior Services, Inc.
915 West Fourth Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Re: DIVERSIFIED SENIOR SERVICES, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for Diversified Senior Services, Inc., a North Carolina
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the the issue of 1,903,125
shares of Common Stock of the Company, no par value per share (the "Shares"), to
be issued upon conversion of the Company's outstanding Series B Preferred Stock,
and the proposed sale of the Shares by stockholders of the Company (the "Selling
Shareholders").

As such counsel, we have examined copies of the Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws of the Company, each as in effect as of the date hereof, and the
Registration Statement. In such examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of
all signatures the conformity to original documents of copies of documents
supplied to us by the Company.

The opinions set forth herein are limited to matters governed by the laws of the
State of North Carolina and the federal laws of the United States of America and
no opinon is expressed herein as to the laws of any other jurisdiction.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares
to be issued to and offered by the Selling Shareholders, when sold under the
circumstances contemplated in the Registration Statement, will be legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to us in the prospectus forming a
part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not admit
hereby that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required
under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.

Sursum Corda,

HOUSE & INGERSOLL, PLLC

Don R. House