If your loved one can no longer safely stay at home, it may be time to place them in a nursing home or assisted living facility. These situations are not always easy, so knowing the differences between nursing homes and assisted living facilities can help ease the process for you and your loved one. Here are the differences between nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Nursing Home Vs. Assisted Living

A nursing home provides care for people who can no longer safely stay at home. This may be due to safety concerns, medical conditions, or difficulty with memory. Nursing homes often have certified nursing assistants and skilled nurses on site all day. Some nursing homes have memory care units to provide care for those who have Alzheimer’s or dementia.¹ On average, nursing homes have 106 to 109 beds in private and semi-private rooms.²

Assisted Living facilities provide care for those who need help with activities of daily living, ADLs, but do not need 24-hour nursing care. There are certified nursing assistants and skilled nurses on site during the day, and LPNs and RNs on call. However, there are always staff members on site 24 hours a day. Typically, assisted living facilities have between 25 and 100 residents in private and semi-private rooms.^{3, 4}

Who Would Benefit from a Nursing Home or Assisted Living?

Residents who live in a nursing home can often have similar medical conditions as those who live in assisted living. For example, residents may need help managing:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Dementia
• Depression⁵
• ADLs
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Transfers
  • Ambulation
  • Hygiene⁶

The major difference between who would benefit from a nursing home and who would benefit from assisted living depends on the level of care the resident needs. If the resident needs 24-hour care and clinical supervision, then a nursing home may be the best option for them. On the other hand, if the resident is able to manage their conditions on their own, then assisted living may be more appropriate.³

Services Provided at Nursing Homes Vs. Assisted Living

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities provide a variety of services to the residents they serve. For example, the staff provides assistance with:

• ADLs
• Wound care
• Feeding tube care
• Pain management
• Medication distribution
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapies⁷

It is important to note that the main difference between the services at nursing homes versus assisted living is that assisted living does not provide 24-hour nursing care.³