Understanding the difference between Assisted Living and a Nursing Home is essential to effectively weighing your senior living options.

Assisted Living promotes independence and emphasizes wellness in a warm, dignified, community setting. Residents live in their own private apartment that they can furnish and decorate as they choose. Residents choose what they want to eat at meals in restaurant style dining rooms, and they have the freedom to decide which activities they want to participate in or how they want to spend their day.

Nursing homes take care of people who are sick and need round-the-clock nursing care. Often, their institutionalized settings are not conducive to encouraging independence. Health care experts estimate up to 30% of elders residing in nursing homes do not need round-the-clock care. Assisted Living offers these elders a place to call home which offers more cheerful surroundings, privacy, space and dignity than is typically found in a nursing home, and at a lower cost.

More on Assisted Living Vs Nursing Homes at our AgeRight Blog.

Assisted Living Costs. The cost of Assisted Living, which varies from community to community, is based on the type and size of the rental apartment, as well as the level of care needs and the service options chosen by the resident. In New England, Assisted Living monthly rates typically fall within the range of $7,000 to $9,000 per month. Alzheimer’s and dementia care is more expensive, with a typical range of $8,000 to $9,500 per month.

Nursing Home Costs. In comparison, Nursing Homes in New England average $11,000 to $14,000 per month. If you need 24-hour nursing care to handle a variety of complex medical issues, this is the option you need.

Home Health Care Costs. Many people also assess the cost of Home Health Care (HHC) when deciding which option to choose – staying at home with services or moving to an Assisted Living community. HHC is usually based on an hourly rate. In New England, this rate ranges from $26 to $30 an hour, depending on the geographic area and the type of home health care services being contracted for. It’s important to compare apples to apples. You should look at the 24-hour staff/support that Assisted Living provides to the same level of HHC services: “live-in” caregivers who sleep at night charging 12 hours per day (in New England on average $9,000/month) and 24-hour awake staff coverage with 2-3 shifts of different caregivers (on average $17,000/month).

Just 6 hours a day of HHC can cost over $6,000 per month. Compare that to Assisted Living monthly fees of $7,000 to $9,000 per month which ALSO includes all housing costs (property tax, utilities, maintenance, housekeeping), groceries and meal preparation, transportation, security with 24-hour awake staff, and personal care services. We know we are biased! but we believe that Assisted Living offers you so much more than you get living at home alone with services – an active social setting that eliminates your isolation, a variety of enriching, educational and fun programs, comprehensive wellness services to help you maintain your independence, and all the privacy you want in your own apartment home.

Having said that, if you need just a little assistance with personal care and medications and you don’t mind living at home alone, a limited amount of HHC to supplement family support may be a good financial option.

More Information. For more about available financial options that help pay for the cost of Assisted Living, please visit our Paying for Assisted Living section.

Assisted Living is a wonderful option for seniors for a variety of reasons.

Seniors who are frail but not sick and who need some help with daily activities such as housecleaning, meals, dressing, and medication reminders and monitoring, are appropriate for Assisted Living. Geriatric experts estimate that nearly 1/3 of people age 85 and older need some assistance with these types of daily living activities.

Seniors who want peace of mind, who don’t want to rely on family for assistance or care, are appropriate for Assisted Living as well. Additionally, many seniors simply want to live independently without the worries of home maintenance, shopping and cooking on a daily basis or just do not wish to live alone any longer.

The average Assisted Living resident:

Most Assisted Living residents lived within 3-5 miles of the community prior to moving in, or have family who live close by. The average age of an Assisted Living resident is 84. Approximately 80% are women and 20% men, although that differs from community to community. Approximately 90% are widowed or single, although more and more married couples are choosing to live in Assisted Living. They are independent and active, participating in the community’s social, educational and wellness programs. Many of them take advantage of the community’s personal care assistance and benefit from medication reminders and monitoring (the average resident takes at least two medications daily). Those residents who don’t need personal care assistance enjoy Assisted Living’s other services, such as housecleaning, laundry, meals, and a dynamic social, cultural and wellness activities program.

“Who is Right for Assisted Living” from our AgeRight Blog »

We believe they are and recent research studies agree! There are four major reasons:

Companionship, Independence and Home-Like Surroundings: Assisted Living encourages companionship and a sense of independence in a place that feels like home. Residents have their own private apartments they can furnish and decorate however they choose. Every day is filled with choices from which activities they want to participate in to the favorite dish they want to have for lunch. Good friends, a strong sense of self-worth and comfort are the best medicines of all.

Personal Wellness Care: We have professional nurses and a trained staff to supervise and assist with the self-administration of medications. We keep track of changing medications and dosages and watch for reactions to medications. When appropriate, we contact our residents’ families and personal physicians and keep them informed about any medication-related concerns and changes in health. More important, we have professional staff that interacts with residents throughout each day noticing both subtle and significant changes that should be brought to the attention of family or a doctor.

Healthy Diets: Too often, people living alone fail to cook or eat properly nutritious meals. At our Assisted Living communities we home-cook all our meals under a menu approved by our Registered Dietitian to ensure nutritional balance. We also have offerings on our daily menus from our Brain Healthy Cooking Program, a researched-based nutrition program designed to improve cognitive function for people of any age through a flavorful, healthful diet.

Recreational Activity: Active, involved people are more alert and healthy, which is why we offer a comprehensive array of recreational and social activities for our residents.

Your Assisted Living apartment is your home. Visitors are welcome at any time.

Our residents’ health and safety is our primary concern – we have an emergency call system in every apartment in every community we manage with 24-hour awake personal care staff and trained healthcare professionals on-call 24 hours a day.

There are many services available and residents get to choose which services they need and want (and pay for).

Assisted Living provides meals, personal care assistance (help with showering, dressing and personal hygiene), medication reminders, weekly laundering of towels and bed linens, trash removal, weekly housekeeping and apartment maintenance, social and cultural activities, transportation, wellness programs including daily exercise classes, and more!

Download our free ebook, What Services Assisted Living Can & Cannot Provide

Residents plan their day to the fullest by selecting from a wide array of activities and enjoying entertaining and educational events. At Senior Living Residences communities our EnrichedLIFE and ConnectedLIFE Programs, developed with resident input, offer many opportunities for residents to spend time with each other, pursue individual interests and host their families and friends at our special gatherings. However, it is up to the individual to decide how to spend their day – that is always a personal choice, respected by our staff.

Some of the activities you’ll find in our communities include: musical entertainment, shopping and sightseeing excursions, intergenerational programs with local schools and  scout troops, daily exercise classes, spiritual discussion groups, men’s and women’s clubs, educational programs, current event group discussions, painting, cooking and computer classes, and gardening!