Most people use “Assisted Living” and “Nursing Home” interchangebly. There are several distinct differences.
Assisted Living facilities are non-medical facilities that provide room, board and assistance with activities of daily living (ADL’s) which may include dressing, grooming, bathing, eating and toileting. Nursing facilities are medical facilities which provide medical care in addition to services Assisted Living facilities provide.
Medicare does help with the cost of nursing facilities care but doesn’t pay anything toward Assisted Living care. Assisted Living care costs are either private pay or are covered by long term care insurance policies, if the Assisted Living facility is licensed by the state. Nursing facility care is usually more expensive than Assisted Living care.
There are also independant senior living communities which are small apartments where meals are often provided in a central dining area. These are more cost effective than Assisted Living or Nursing facilities. It is important to recognize the time when it is unsafe for someone to remain by themselves in an indepentant senior living community.
More on the differences later.