Assisted Living: What It Is, What It Offers and Who It's For

What it is

Assisted living combines housing and services for people who need some help with daily care — dressing, bathing, taking medicines, cleaning — but not the medical care a nursing home provides. It lets residents live more independently.

How facilities vary

• Names: also called adult care facilities or residential care facilities.
• Size: from as few as 25 residents to 120 or more.
• Living space: residents usually have their own apartment or room and share common areas.
• Levels of care: most offer a few; higher levels cost more.
• By state: the services offered can differ from state to state.

Services often provided

• up to three meals a day;
• help with personal care — bathing, dressing, eating, getting in and out of bed or chairs, moving around, using the bathroom;
• help with medicines;
• housekeeping and laundry;
• 24-hour supervision, security and on-site staff;
• social and recreational activities;
• transportation.

Who lives there

Residents are usually older adults, including people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. Sometimes they are younger people with mental illness, developmental disabilities or certain medical conditions.

Sources

Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Assisted Living," National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Institute on Aging; a work of the United States government in the public domain.