But what kind of residential care community?
All of the options can be overwhelming.
For a long time I didn’t know the difference between, say, Memory Care and Assisted Living; I thought that they were just marketing terms.
They aren’t.
Many types of communities are specifically defined by each individual state, but this is an overview of some terms that you’re likely to hear.
Some common options include:
Independent Living
As the name implies, this is a place where you live independently. Housing options include apartments, houses, and duplexes. Independent Living communities may be a part of a larger community that offers progressive levels of care. Some offer meals, opportunities for recreation, and social activities.
“Board and Care” Home
Also known as Residential Care Homes or Group Homes. Family-style care, they provide room, meals, some assistance with daily activities, and may provide social activities. Generally these are smaller than Assisted Living communities and designed to feel like a family.
Assisted Living
If you’re having some difficulty living at home but don’t require extensive care or help with most daily activities, Assisted Living might be the choice for you. Generally, Assisted Living communities offer residents independence and some assistance with daily tasks. They may offer social activities, recreational activities, assistance with certain tasks, and meals. The level of care provided in Assisted Living varies widely across communities and states.
Skilled Nursing Center
If you require 24-hour care and help with daily activities. Skilled Nursing provides “the highest level of supervision and medical services for residents compared to other facilities.” (Caregiver.org: Nursing Homes)
Skilled Nursing centers will have either a Registered Nurse or a Licensed Practical Nurse on staff. They will offer some combination of medical care, rehabilitation, and personal care.
Alzheimer’s (or other dementia) Special Care Unit
Also known as Memory Care. Somewhere between Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing centers, a Memory Care’s special services may include secured grounds, trained staff, special architectural design, and therapeutic activities.
Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)
With a variety of housing options and levels of care, CCRCs provide a community you can remain in as your needs change. CCRCs will often have Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing. Some will also offer memory care or rehabilitative care.
Generally the price structure of CCRCs is different from that of other Senior Living options. CCRCs often require that you pay a relatively large entry fee, then a monthly fee that stays they same regardless of the level of care you require.
A word of caution
Finding the right community can feel overwhelming and you might look to a senior living referral service to help you. A word of caution: some “free” community locaters only list the communities that pay a fee to be included. As a result, good residential care options could be overlooked.
For more information, I recommend reading the post A Helping Hand, Paid on Commission (Paula Span, 9/2/2011) from The New York Times’ blog The New Old Age.
Additional resources
- Caregiver.org’s Family Care Navigator
- Alzheimer’s Association’s Senior Housing Finder
- Nursing Home Compare, a Medicare.gov resource, provides detailed information about every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country.
- LeadingAge.org (formerly The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)) is a non-profit that lets you search for a state’s affiliated organization; often the affiliate is a great resource.
- Care Conversations
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