With age, life becomes more difficult. Even as the pace slows down in retirement years, day to day tasks can become a challenge. For those who have extensive medical needs, it’s important that effective and readily available care is at hand.
Many elderly individuals and their families consider assisted living, to make the golden years comfortable, happy, and healthful. Assisted living creates an environment where essential care and support for day to day activities are provided. Assisted living facilities also come with the advantage of communities where people of the same age group can socialize and bond.
If you’re worried about an elderly family member, you are not alone. People over the age of 55 are at increased risk of suffering from accidents around the home. As they get older, the risk increases.
Falls are common in the elderly population. In developed countries, it is estimated that injuries from falls are treated every 13 seconds. Serious falls can claim three lives every hour. One third of all elderly people will suffer a fall this year. Sadly, less than half of them will tell their doctor or family members about incidents.
It’s not just accidents. Physical conditions and even mental conditions make life harder each year. Some of the simplest daily tasks that you don’t even think twice about could be a major chore for your parent, grandparent, or other elderly family member.
You want your loved ones to be as safe as possible, without taking away their comfort or what independence they have left. Assisted living could be the perfect solution.
Learn about assisted living vs nursing home, and other key information that helps you to get the right care for loved ones.
An Introduction to Assisted Living
Seniors have several options when deciding on residences for easy post-retirement living. Assisted living is one of the most popular options, followed by nursing homes.
Nursing homes are designed for people who have medical needs and a requirement for regular care. Living in a nursing home provides easy access to trained medical staff as well as general caregivers.
So what is assisted living? It’s a little different from living in a nursing home…
The focus is not on medical care but instead on making life easier and more comfortable. A nursing home can offer elements of assisted living, but an assisted living community will not offer the same features as a nursing home.
You want the best for your parents, aunts, uncles, and other elderly family members. In the following sections, we’ll break down assisted living vs nursing home, so that you can make an informed choice.
Retirement Home vs Nursing Home – What Makes a Nursing Home Unique?
As you continue to build an understanding of the types of elderly housing facilities available, it’s important to break down the differences between the terms that are out there. The concept of a ‘nursing home’ is often applied to all types of elderly care and residential facilities. However, there are some important differences that will be important as you decide on the best residence for your parents or a relative who is close to you.
Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities, are designed for elderly people who have significant physical or mental health care needs. The residents of nursing homes are unable to care for themselves when living alone. They may currently live with family members who are unable to keep up with their health care needs. The staff at skilled nursing facilities are highly trained to provide complex medical care to elderly patients.
A nursing home will ensure that someone you love gets consistent and expert care or support to make life as comfortable as possible.
Take a look at these statistics for a baseline understanding of the care needs that are addressed in a nursing home:
- 96% of residents require assistance when bathing.
- 90% require assistance with dressing, grooming, etc.
- 86% require assistance with toilet and hygiene needs.
- 56% require assistance with eating and general nutrition.
While there is some area of overlap, nursing homes typically offer a higher level of care for residents who have extensive medical needs.
There’s also a difference in how the facilities are billed. Assisted living, because it is not strictly medical in nature, is offered through the private healthcare system. Nursing homes are also privately operated but can accept Medicaid and Medicare patients.
What are the Differences Between a Retirement Home or Assisted Living vs Nursing Home?
When looking from the outside, a retirement home and a nursing home appear to be very similar. They serve similar functions in that they have communal facilities and provide care for elderly people. However, these types of facilities are designed to meet different needs for people at different stages of their lives.
In a retirement home, people live largely independently. In contrast, residents of nursing homes receive daily assistance and even medical support as part of their personal care.
Retirement homes and villages provide living for people over the age of 55. These people may be healthy and able, but want to take advantage of medical services, leisure and socialization programs, and other support services. You could compare a retirement home to a campus-type living arrangement. Units are often self-sufficient, providing a level of independence that many people above the age of 55 want.
Nursing homes, sometimes referred to as aged care facilities are designed for people who need frequent care and support and who cannot live alone. Services range from laundry, cleaning, and meals, to personal care and medical care.
There are qualifications that must be met to live in a nursing home. These are usually assessed based on need. People that are able to live alone with a moderate or high level of independence will not be admitted as residents into a nursing home.
Understanding the difference between a retirement home (assisted living) vs nursing home is important. It will help you to make the right decision for anyone in your life who needs a greater level of care and comfort in their golden years.
What are the Qualifications for Assisted Living?
The entry qualifications for assisted living all vary to some degree. While there’s an underlying similarity between all facilities, particularly in the way that they are designed to provide care for adults and seniors who are disabled or otherwise unable to live independently, each organization creates its own rules and requirements for residents.
Through research, it’s possible to identify a list of the most important qualifications for assisted living, all of which are shared between unique facilities.
Generally, for someone to be admitted to an assisted living unit, they must:
- Be able to eat and drink with little or no assistance.
- Be able to move between different areas within the facility with little or no assistance.
- Be able to take care of their own toileting needs.
Although the above qualifications are fairly standardized throughout assisted living organizations, there may be some exceptions. Some facilities may provide a higher level of care that is similar to that of a nursing home.
It’s important to consider the entry requirements in detail before settling on any particular facility. Keep in mind our previous section on assisted living vs nursing home, and you’ll be able to make the right decision for parents, relatives, or anyone who you are helping to find an assisted living residence.
Gaining More Perspective: The Similarities of Assisted Living vs Nursing Home
It’s clear that there are significant differences in assisted living vs nursing home living. The medical element is one major difference, with a nursing home providing more services for patients with high needs.
Even so, there’s quite an overlap in what is offered. Understanding these areas could give you more perspective to make the right decision within your own family.
- Both nursing homes and assisted living communities offer support for daily living. This can include bathing, grooming, dressing, and other tasks. The level of care offered can vary from facility to facility.
- Both types will provide medication management. More than half of seniors take more than five medications per day. Staying on top of medications and when to take them can be confusing. For patients with dementia or memory loss, help in this area is essential.
- The physical environment in both settings is designed to be easy and safe for seniors. Accessibility ramps, emergency call buttons, handrails, and other features make it easier to move around.
- Nutrition becomes key in the senior years. A balanced diet is important and some elderly people have specific dietary needs. Assisted living and nursing home facilities provide meals that are specially formulated based on individual needs.
- Social programs are common throughout assisted living and nursing homes. These programs aim to keep people happy and well-integrated with peer groups. Loneliness and depression are sadly very common in seniors. The programs offered by both nursing homes and assisted living homes can help prevent or treat depression.
If Assisted Living Makes Sense Today, Should a Nursing Home Be Considered Later?
Assisted living could meet the needs of an elderly family member today, but there’s a chance that a nursing home could be necessary in the future. We’ve discussed how the two facilities differ, and how a nursing home provides more medically-focused care.
Consider the following:
- Declining health could create the need for frequent or even round the clock care. A nursing home can offer physical therapy, respiratory care, and other areas of medical care that aren’t provided by an assisted living facility.
- When considering dementia assisted living vs nursing home, you will likely find more value from the latter. Dementia can become a debilitating condition with care needs that go beyond what an assisted living facility can provide.
- The key to assisted living is all in the name. Assisted means that your loved one will retain some of their independence. However, if they can no longer safely take care of themselves, due to either physical or mental conditions, a nursing home will be the better option.
Even if you and an elderly family member decide that assisted living is the best option today, you will need to be prepared to ask hard questions in the future. Evaluate living conditions regularly, talk to your family members, and ask caregivers for updates on physical and mental health.
Assisted Living vs Long Term Care
We’ve discussed aspects of assisted living in detail, but there’s still an important option to consider.
Long term care is a form of both assisted living and nursing home care. It can be provided at a facility, or in the home. Home-based care may be more affordable, depending on where you live, your insurance, and other factors.
Assisted living vs long term care is easily understood with the following points:
- Long term care often focuses on serious medical needs where independence is not an option.
- Care is provided by a trained medical professional, which could be a registered nurse or a CNA (certified nursing assistant).
- Long term care also incorporates daily support services with nutrition, medication, bathing, dressing, and general mobility.
Long term care may last throughout life, or, it may be used temporarily (over months or years) as a condition is overcome. The physician of your loved one can provide guidance on whether long term care, assisted living, or a nursing home would be most suitable.
Making a Decision on Assisted Living vs Nursing Home
There’s a lot of information to digest here, so let’s recap some of the key points.
- Assisted living offers support for daily activities but offers independence where possible.
- The difference between nursing home and assisted living is the amount of medical care that is offered. A nursing home provides more medical services.
- There are qualifications for assisted living, most people wanting to live in this type of facility will need to maintain some level of independence in daily activities.
- If you’re considering elderly living at home vs nursing home, you need to think about medical needs and the ability for a loved one to care for themselves. The risk of home injuries and accidents increase with age.
Now that you understand more about assisted living vs nursing home, you can make the best decision for the people who are close to you. While it can be hard to see a family member moved into a care facility, what ultimately matters is that they are comfortable, protected from injury and that they have access to daily assistance or medical care when they need it.