Senior Assisted Living vs. Nursing Home Care

If you or a loved one can no longer live independently, an assisted living home or nursing home may be the next logical step. But the two are not synonymous, and the differences a clear enough that choosing one over the other can be a very straightforward process.

Simply put, senior assisted living is best suited for people who are generally in good health, but need help with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, housekeeping or meal preparation. Nursing homes are the better option if someone requires significant medical care.

If a person needs 24-hour nursing supervision, or intensive rehabilitation services after a stroke or a fall, a nursing home is the right choice. If someone is still relatively active and would like to maintain the autonomy and independence they currently enjoy, assisted living homes are the way to go.

By law, an assisted living home must fulfill a few standard requirements. It must provide at least two daily meals for its residents, have a daily resident check-in system, offer weekly housekeeping services and assist with daily living activities. At a minimum, it must also offer health services related to the administration of medication.

Beyond these basic rules, senior assisted living homes vary widely, and finding one that caters to your individual tastes and enthusiasms will usually not be a problem.

You might prefer living in a cozy bed & breakfast atmosphere with six or seven seniors, or alternatively enjoy a large apartment complex on a golf course. Whatever the size and setting, these facilities focus on personal privacy and self-sufficiency. You (or you and your significant other) will have your own room or apartment, and complete discretion as to how and with whom you spend your days. You will have access to a kitchen (communal in a house or your own in an apartment) and if you'd rather not cook, the facility will offer a range of menu choices for each meal.

Additional amenities might include things like a fitness center or pool, onsite physical therapists, planned outings, spa treatments and in-house hair salons. Many facilities allow residents to have cars if they are able to drive, or provide transportation services for seniors who don't. As with a hotel, these services are usually a la carte, and you will generally pay for things like personal trainers, parking spaces, spa treatments and haircuts.

Even including the extra fees for many amenities, the cost of senior assisted living homes is half what it is for nursing home care because the residents do not require the expensive skilled nursing services that nursing homes provide. This, though, does bring up one of the drawbacks of senior assisted living. The overall level of staffing is much lower than what you would have available to you in a nursing home environment. You will always have access to assistance with your daily routine, and assistance with laundry and housekeeping, but if you need a high level of care and attention throughout the day, and this care requires nursing or medical expertise, often a nursing home will be the better choice.

Related to this, another potential drawback of senior assisted living is that the home will usually retain the right to discharge a resident if his or her health deteriorates. Understanding and comparing the discharge terms is a vital part of any search for a senior assisted living facility.