Home

How is Assisted Living Different from a Nursing Home

Caring for your loved ones is a part of life and something you may wish to do yourself or at least in your own home. However, sometimes this may not be possible due to the time constraints of your daily life and lack of experience in tending to some special needs your senior may require. If you still try in home care, the lack of similar company may leave your senior bored and depressed. Hence it may be time to help your loved one find a place they can be happy in along with being cared for. This may leave you with two options – nursing homes and senior assisted living. Here is what makes assisted living different from a nursing home:

Medical Services

The biggest difference between the two types of caring facilities arises in the level and complexity of their medical services. In a nursing home, the residents are monitored 24×7 which makes it more suited for seniors with serious medical issues. These nursing homes often have skilled medical professionals on-site to help assist your loved one and look after them during their daily schedule. They also have various therapists ready for daily activities.

On the other hand, an assisted living residence is more about custodial care. If your loved one is just going through normal symptoms of aging such as dementia and memory loss, then they can still reside in one of these. They do however, have an on-site medical team ready in case of any emergencies and the carers will take care of the pill and eating schedules of your senior.

The Community and Architecture

The aesthetics of a nursing home and an assisted living residence will contrast greatly. This is because nursing homes are designed like medical institutions and have their own rules and guidelines that the seniors living there must follow. In nursing homes, it is not uncommon for seniors to share rooms in nursing homes.

On the other hand, an assisted living residence is more of a community driven residence with every senior having their own room and carer, along with plenty of socialization and events. You may find a ton of board games or other senior-sports for keeping your loved one entertained in the company of their fellow seniors. This social living helps maintain happiness in the seniors living their and gives them more freedom than a nursing home would.

Related Articles