Many people will need some form of long-term care in their lifetime. When that time comes for your family, you’ll want to know which senior living option is the best fit. If your loved one needs some level of daily assistance, you may be wondering whether assisted living or a nursing home is the right choice.
While some people use “nursing home” to describe any type of senior living community, the truth is that nursing homes and assisted living communities are not the same!
What’s the Difference Between an Assisted Living Community and Nursing Home?
Both assisted living communities and nursing homes are types of long-term care communities for older adults. The difference between them is the type of care residents receive, with nursing homes providing a higher level of care than assisted living. Which care option is right for your loved one depends on his or her health care and personal care needs.
About Assisted Living
Also called:
- Assisted living facilities
- ALFs
Assisted living is a senior living option that offers assistance to residents with activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing and dressing. Residents may have some mild cognitive impairment or slight physical limitations. However, they can mostly get around on their own. Residents simply live in a location where they can get a little extra help but otherwise live each day with a fair degree of independence.
Assisted living offers long-term residential care as a standard, but sometimes communities may offer short-term respite care services to family caregivers who need a break from their caregiver responsibilities.
Assisted Living Residents:
- Need help with activities of daily living (ADLs)
- Have no cognitive impairment or are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease
Avista Assisted Living Services and Amenities:
- Well-appointed common areas
- Choice of private or shared rooms
- Calendar of social activities
- Regularly scheduled outings
- Assistance with ADLs
- Medication management
- Mouthwatering meal preparation services
- On-site hair salons/barber shops
About Nursing Homes
Also called:
- Skilled nursing care communities
- Skilled nursing care facilities
- Skilled nursing facilities
- SNFs
“Nursing home” is the common term for a skilled nursing facility, or SNF. Nursing homes are for older people who have severe health issues and/or cognitive impairment, requiring 24/7 supervision from staff members.
Nursing homes provide long-term residential care and, in some cases, short-term rehabilitation services to people recovering from recent injuries or hospital stays.
Skilled Nursing Residents:
- Need around-the-clock care
- May have late-stage Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia
- Have severe chronic conditions
- Can receive specialized care like wound care
- Can receive short-term rehabilitation services like speech therapy and physical therapy
Common Skilled Nursing Services and Amenities:
- Choice of private or shared rooms
- Calendar of recreational activities
- On-site medical supervision from healthcare professionals
- Personal care services
- Spacious common areas
FAQs
How does a nursing home differ from assisted living?
Both assisted living facilities (ALFs) and nursing homes are long-term care communities that deliver specialized senior care services to older adults. The key difference between nursing homes and assisted living communities is the level of care provided. Typically, nursing homes provide a higher level of care than assisted living communities do. Nursing home care can involve not just personal care services and help with daily tasks, as is the case with ALFs, but also specialized medical services and full-time supervision by caregivers and other staff members.
Is it cheaper to live in assisted living or a nursing home?
Nursing home and assisted living costs can vary depending on location and the type of care services received. On average, however, assisted living costs are less than nursing care costs are.
How much does assisted living cost?
According to Genworth Financial’s “Cost of Care” survey, the 2023 national monthly median for a private room was $5,350 for an ALF and $9,733 for a nursing home.
Does Medicare pay for assisted living?
No, Medicare does not typically pay for assisted living or long-term stays in a nursing home. That said, sometimes Medicare may cover short-term costs for skilled nursing care services as part of a rehabilitation or recovery plan for qualifying patients.
The most commonly accepted forms of payment for these communities are private pay, either out of pocket or through long-term care insurance.
When will Medicaid pay for an assisted living facility or nursing home?
Short answer: Medicaid will pay for senior living depending on the recipient’s eligibility, which is based on strict financial and medical needs. The exact financial and medical requirements vary by state. Many times, though, Medicaid can cover most or all costs in nursing homes but may not cover all costs in assisted living communities.
Long answer: Medicaid programs are managed on a state-by-state basis, although they all have to follow federal guidelines. That means that what Medicaid will cover and who meets eligibility requirements for receiving aid will vary based on the state someone lives in. Furthermore, some senior living communities—including certain assisted living and nursing home options—do not accept Medicaid.
The best way to determine when Medicaid will pay for your loved one’s care is to check his or her enrollment and eligibility for Medicaid on your state’s official Medicaid site and to contact the senior living community your family member is interested in.
How do I find senior living communities near me?
An easy way to find local senior living options is to simply search for the type of senior care you want online. For example, if your loved one needs memory care, you can enter a search into Google for “Memory Care Near Me.” The key here is to be specific about the level of care your family member needs; don’t just Google “Local Retirement Community.”
If you live in the Southwest or Western US and are looking for assisted living, memory care, or respite care services, you can use our Community Locator tool to find an Avista Senior Living community near you.