Assisted living is a residential option for older adults who want to live as independently as possible but need a hand with some everyday tasks. Residents have their own apartment or room, eat in a shared dining room, and get help from trained staff with things like bathing, dressing, medication reminders and getting around. It sits between living at home with occasional help and the round-the-clock medical care of a nursing home.
Who assisted living is for
Assisted living suits people who are largely mobile and alert but find daily routines harder than they used to, or who feel isolated at home. Common reasons families start looking are a fall, a hospital stay, a spouse's death, or simply the strain of cooking, cleaning and keeping up a house. Most communities also welcome couples where only one partner needs support.
What is included
Typical services are three meals a day, housekeeping and laundry, scheduled transport, social and fitness programmes, 24-hour staff on site and an emergency call system in every apartment. Help with personal care is usually priced in tiers according to how much support a resident needs, so it pays to ask exactly what the base rate covers. Many communities also run a secure memory care wing for residents with dementia.
How it differs from a nursing home
Assisted living is a social model of care, not a medical one. Staff can help with daily tasks and manage medications, but residents who need skilled nursing every day, such as wound care, injections or ventilator support, are generally better served in a skilled nursing facility. Licensing and the exact level of care allowed vary from state to state.
Paying for it
Most families pay privately, sometimes with long-term care insurance or veterans' benefits. Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Medicaid may cover some services in communities that accept it, through state waiver programmes, though availability varies widely by state.
Choosing a community
Visit more than once, including at a mealtime, talk to residents and ask to see the state inspection report. Check how care needs are assessed and reassessed, what happens if a resident's needs increase, and the notice period and refund terms in the contract. Use the state and city pages on this site to compare the assisted living communities near you.