I'm caring for someone
Assisted living, nursing home or home care — what's the difference?
Photo: Wheeleo Walker / Pexels
Home care brings help to the house by the hour; assisted living is housing with meals and help with daily tasks. A nursing home has nurses around the clock for people who need medical care every day.
What to do
- Write down what your parent needs help with today: bathing, dressing, meals, medications, walking, memory, nursing tasks.
- Match the need to the setting: a few hours of help means home care; help through the day in a safer place means assisted living; daily nursing means a nursing home.
- Ask how each is paid. Home care and assisted living are mostly paid privately. Medicaid may pay for a nursing home and, depending on the state, some care at home or in assisted living.
- Visit more than once, at different times of day, and read a nursing home's inspection results on Medicare.gov Care Compare.
What to say
What would have to change in my mother's condition for you to say she can no longer stay here? And who makes that call?
Ask this at every place you visit. The answer tells you how long the option will really last.
What to watch out for
This is a sensitive stepSmall details here can change the outcome, and some mistakes are hard to undo. We highly recommend a free 15-minute call with us before you decide.
Choosing by the lobby. A nice building tells you little about the nursing care inside. If your parent needs daily medical care and the place can't give it, they may have to move again, which is costly and hard on them.
Better done together
We’re here to help
Choosing the right setting depends on your parent's needs today and what may come next. We help you compare the options, understand what each costs and covers, and plan ahead so you don't have to decide in a rush.
Every situation is different, and these are sensitive moments, so we look at yours with care. We often see what others miss, and we never take commissions from insurance companies: the only thing we are working for is what is right for you.
Free · 15 minutes · No pressure
The rule behind it
Nursing homes that take Medicare or Medicaid must meet federal standards, are inspected by the state, and their results are public on Medicare.gov Care Compare. Assisted living is licensed and regulated by each state, so the rules differ from state to state. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care in any of these settings; it pays for short-term skilled care at home or in a nursing facility when a doctor orders it.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home
- Medicare.gov — Long-term care
- Medicaid.gov — Home & Community-Based Services 1915(c)
- HHS ASPE — Guide to Assisted Living and State Policy
- Medicare.gov — Home health services
Amanda Alcodia
Education, not medical, legal or insurance advice.
Useful next steps
Start with the free Kit. If your situation needs a person, the intro call is free too.