As a person ages, his or her body becomes weaker and less immune.

People naturally become weaker when they are past their prime. Sometimes, however, such weakness can also be accelerated by poor health. Elderly people are also more likely to develop illnesses because of a weak immune system. Sometimes the body can also be weakened by injuries that a senior may have encountered in his or her early life.

At old age, people require more care because in most cases, they are too weak to do things by themselves or have a poor memory. Poor memory, for instance, can lead to failure to take medication that is critical to the person’s health. To ensure that the seniors are healthy and safe, it is essential to provide them with everything they need whenever they need it by ensuring that they are living in a specialized facility.

Two main facilities take care of the elderly in USA: assisted living facilities and nursing homes. In assisted living facilities, most of the residents are mobile and are able to move from one place to the other without assistance.

In a nursing home, however, most of the patients are not able to take care of themselves. In fact, according to a survey, more than half of the people in nursing homes spend most of their time in a bed or a wheelchair. Either of the facilities is okay for seniors, but those who can take care of themselves are better off in an assisted living facility as compared to a nursing home.

Nursing homes are more appropriate for seniors who cannot take care of themselves and need high levels of assistance. In a nursing home, residents receive help with their daily activities such as moving, eating, bathing, and toileting. The difference between staff in a nursing home and in an assisted home is the level of their medical expertise. In nursing homes, most of the residents receive medical care services.

 

What are the benefits of nursing homes and assisted living centers?

Assisted living centers are specially built for seniors who need some level of assistance but can do most of their daily activities such as feeding and taking their medication with minimal assistance. Assisted living centers, therefore, are more like community homes for the elderly.

While in assisted living facilities, residents spend most of their time socializing, fulfilling appointments, or relaxing. The residents also take part in fun social activities such as going out on movie nights, learning yoga and meditation, date nights, and sightseeing. In the centers, residents are encouraged to socialize with each other as a way of building communities and their well being.

A nursing home has an underlying mood that feels like a hospital. The difference between staff here and in other senior’s facilities is the presence of adequate medical staff that provides medical care to residents. Although some assisted living facilities have nurses, they are not obliged by the law to have doctors or offer medical services.

A nursing home is required by law to have more established medical services and personnel so that they are able to attend to the residents where most of them need medical care. A nursing home, therefore, is more appropriate for older seniors who have a medical condition that require constant attention.

In terms of choosing assisted living vs nursing home, a nursing home is more appropriate for a senior who has medical conditions. Seniors who do not have a major medical condition that needs constant care, therefore, are better off in assisted living facilities.

If a resident recovers from his or her medical condition or accident, he or she can be moved to an assisted living facility. From the facility, one can be rehabilitated back to the community easily.

 

Cost of care

If a person compares assisted living vs nursing home, the cost of assisted living is less because the residents do not need a lot of attention.

The cost of nursing homes is a little higher as compared to the cost of the assisted living facility because the residents there not only require more care but also need medical services. Generally, medical care is quite costly because of high drug prices as well as the medical equipment and staff, all of which are expensive to acquire and maintain.

The cost of assisted living and nursing homes varies from one facility to the other. It is mainly influenced by the number of activities of daily living, commonly referred to as ADLs. The following are some of the main activities of daily living.

  • Medication management – can the resident remember and manage their medications
  • Eating – can they feed themselves or require assistance.
  • Personal hygiene – the resident’s ability to take care of his or her hygiene
  • Mobility – can the resident move from one place to the other by him/herself or does he or she require assistance
  • Continence – is the senior able to use the restroom and change their incontinence products.

If a resident is not able to do most of these activities by him/herself, the institution needs to hire assistants that will assist the resident. The cost of nursing home becomes higher because the residents require more staff to take care of them.

The cost of assisted living can also be influenced by the level and quality of services that the senior receives. If a resident chooses to live in a private apartment, his or her will be a little bit higher. The costs can also be influenced by the extra leisure activities that the residents sign up for.

 

Difference Between Care: Assisted Living or Nursing Home

The difference between care in an assisted living facility and that in a nursing home is that a senior in the assisted living facility is free and comfortable to explore hobbies. In some facilities, the seniors have kitchens in their facility and are able to prepare meals by themselves. This helpful extra activity not only helps to keep the resident busy but also happy because he or she will be doing what he or she likes.

Due to the difference between care in an assisted living facility and that in a nursing home, the government classifies assisted living facilities as “custodial care”. As such, the patients are required to pay for the services themselves or through their relatives. Neither Medicare nor Medicaid can cover the services. However, long term care insurance can cover these services.

Long Term Care Insurance

Long term care insurance is a wide range of services that help to meet the medical as well as non-medical needs of patients with chronic illnesses and cannot take care of themselves.

Medicare or Medicaid

Medicare or Medicaid, on the other hand, often covers the cost of nursing home because nursing homes are licensed federally and by the state. Medicaid covers the resident for the initial 100 days while Medicare advantage can offer supplemental coverage for an extended period.