Assisted Living communities provide personal care with medication management, bathing, dressing and dietary requirements. Amenities typically include three meals a day, social activities, transportation, housekeeping and laundry. Most living spaces are designed for safety with walk-in showers, handrails, wide doorways for wheelchair access and emergency call services.

Memory care is designed to support the specific needs of residents with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss and dementia. Many memory care facilities develop innovative educational and social programs that engage residents in the daily activities that slow memory loss and provide continuity through structured support. Some memory care facilities have distinct locations for programs that address the wide range of resident memory loss. Although memory care facilities should be secure in order to prevent residents from wandering, part of the secured area may be a landscaped courtyard or garden so that residents have access to the outdoors..

Independent living communities are very similar to assisted living communities, providing neighborhoods where seniors can meet new people and live in a safe environment. They work well for people who are able to live at home on their own, but don’t have family nearby or want to be surrounded by a group of like-minded individuals in the same stage of life.

A nursing home is a residence for seniors who don’t need ongoing medical care like in a hospital or skilled nursing facility but can’t live independently because they need help available at the push of a button 24 hours a day. Some nursing homes have on-site medical care available, while others don’t. The following overview will take you through the different services available at nursing homes, eligibility requirements, and popular payment options.

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) provide a continuum of care and housing for those who require independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing home care. Some continuing care retirement communities also have a wing dedicated to memory care, and can, therefore, accommodate seniors with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment.