Assisted living offers a similar experience to independent living on many levels — with a bit of extra help where it matters.
Standalone assisted living communities, as well as assisted living offered in CCRCs, offer dining, lifestyle and fitness programming, and social benefits similar to what you’d find in independent living.
The difference is assisted living facilities can offer their residents help with activities of daily living (ADLs).
- Walking
- Transferring, including from bed to a chair, or into a wheelchair or walker
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Bathing
- Toileting
Caregivers in assisted living can also provide help with medication management. And many facilities, whether standalone or within a CCRC, also include light housekeeping and laundry services.
In addition to personal care–focused services, assisted living facilities are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure resident safety, well-being and support.
Any senior experiencing challenges completing ADLs on their own should consider assisted living, whether through home care or at a standalone facility or CCRC. Other indicators that it may be time to consider assisted living include:
- Signs of loneliness or social isolation
- Trouble keeping the home tidy or clean
- Marked weight loss or gain (or anything that suggests poor nutrition)
- Falls
- Other noticeable emotional or physical changes
According to Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey, the national median cost of assisted living (for a private single room) was $4,500 per month. Costs vary widely: In 2021, monthly costs ranged from $3,000 in Missouri to almost $6,500 in New Jersey.
In addition to geographic location, the facility’s ratings, staff qualifications and tenure, other amenities, and whether you choose to live in a private versus semiprivate room can also impact the cost of assisted living. Outside factors that influence monthly costs include the labor supply and demand, and costs for medical care and supplies.
In Inclusive CCRCs, residents have access to assisted living (as well as the entire continuum of care) for little to no increase in their monthly fee.
Independent living vs. assisted living
Independent living and assisted living have many similarities. Both offer:
- Accessible housing
- Social opportunities
- Fitness and lifestyle programming
- Restaurant-style meals
The biggest difference between the two is that independent living is designed for older adults who are capable of living fully on their own.
Assisted living provides help with activities of daily living (ADLs), like bathing, dressing, and grooming, as well as more supervised care to ensure resident health and safety.
Because residents require less specialized care in independent living, monthly costs are generally lower in independent living than in assisted living. Keep in mind that in Inclusive CCRCs, residents can access the entire continuum of care for little to no increase in their fees!
Nursing homes vs. assisted living
The biggest difference between assisted living and nursing homes is residents in assisted living don’t require skilled nursing or rehabilitative services.
Many people conflate the two in casual conversation, but while they both offer housing and help with activities of daily living such as walking and grooming, nursing home residents require medical care and supervision 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In a Type A CCRC, assisted living residents who had greater short-term care needs could transfer to the skilled nursing unit and return to assisted living when they were ready — again, with no change in their monthly costs.
Assisted living residents need assistance with ADLs but can otherwise maintain a sense of independence.
Memory care vs. assisted living
Memory care, like assisted living, offers meals and help with activities of daily living in a residential setting.
As the name suggests, however, memory care (or memory support) facilities also offer specialized support for people with memory loss, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other cognitive conditions.
Seniors experiencing the early symptoms of these conditions may have enough help in an assisted living facility, but over time and as their conditions progress, they may need more support than assisted living can offer.
Memory support employees are specially trained to work with adults with dementia. These facilities are also equipped with enhanced features to ensure residents remain safe, including increased security.
Home care
Home care offers many of the same services assisted living does — but as the name suggests, this care takes place in the home.
It may be a good option for seniors who want to stay at home as they age, and home care can remove at least some of the pressure from family members or loved ones who have been acting as caregivers.
Home healthcare providers offer the following:
- Assistance with ADLs
- Light housekeeping or laundry
- Transportation to doctor’s appointments and errands
- Companionship
What home health care doesn’t offer, however, is the holistic wellness endeavors that assisted living facilities do; socialization and opportunities to enjoy lifestyle and educational programming are missing from home-care scenarios.
There’s also cost to consider: Depending on the number of hours you need a home health care provider, the cost can increase significantly, as they’re paid by the hour. Around-the-clock home health care had a median cost of $17,472 per month in 2020, according to Genworth’s annual Cost of Care Survey.
Keep in mind, too, that aging in place at home often comes with pricey modifications to make the home more accessible (often tens of thousands of dollars for major changes).
A 2019 CDC study found that there were nearly 30,000 assisted living facilities (and similar resident care communities) operating in the United States in 2016. That’s a lot of choices! So finding the right assisted living facility begins with making a manageable list of your options.
Your nearest Agency on Aging may be able to point you in the direction of a searchable database of assisted living facilities. Find local resources using the federal government’s Eldercare Locator online, or call 1-800-677-1116.
Once you’ve found some options within the area you want to live, it’s time to start narrowing down your list to communities that have not only the features you want, but also the services you need to stay healthy and well.
What to assess in assisted living facilities:
- Experience and training of staff
- Safety and accessibility features, such as handrails, call buttons and emergency power sources
- Security features, like well-lit stairs and hallways
- Cleanliness and upkeep of private and common gathering spaces
Vi also has a downloadable tool to help you cover all the bases during your visit to a CCRC — including what topics to bring up when you talk about assisted living or visit the care center.
Are you looking for assisted living?
If you’re making a plan for future care, you should also consider a Continuing Care Retirement Community, also known as a CCRC or Life Plan Community. In these senior living communities, residents often start in independent living, but are then able to transition to assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care as the need arises, often with little to no increase in monthly costs.
CCRCs provide the health and wellness services residents need at each level of care with the added benefit of having everything offered on a single campus. So if you need a higher level of care, you won’t have to make a move that’s more disruptive than necessary.
Vi’s team is always available to answer your questions about assisted living — even if you don’t ultimately choose to move into a Vi community.
Glad to be connected!
There’s a lot to consider when embarking on the next phase of retirement—and contacting us is a big step. (Well done!)
We’ll be in touch soon to share expert insights and resident perspectives that we hope are helpful, and one of our team members will also be reaching out to answer any questions you may have.
What is assisted living?
Assisted living facilities offer care and health services for people who need assistance with activities of daily living, also known as ADLs:
- Walking
- Transferring, including from bed to a chair, or into a wheelchair or walker
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Bathing
- Toileting
They may also offer medication management as well as light housekeeping, laundry, and other services. In a Continuing Care Retirement Community, residents transition from independent living to assisted living within the same campus. They can even transition into and out of skilled nursing care for post-surgery rehab and other elevated care needs.
What is the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?
Both assisted living and nursing homes offer housing and help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as walking, grooming, dressing, toileting, and more. But nursing home residents require around-the-clock medical care and supervision.
Because of the level of care provided, the cost of living in a nursing home can be higher compared to assisted living. Residents may also need a prescription from a doctor to access nursing care.
What is the difference between assisted living and independent living?
Independent living and assisted living both offer community living with social opportunities, fitness and lifestyle programming, restaurant-style meals, and other services and amenities.
The biggest difference between the two is that independent living is designed for older adults who are capable of living fully on their own.
Assisted living provides help with activities of daily living (ADLs), like bathing, dressing, and grooming, as well as more supervised care to ensure resident health and safety.
When is it time for assisted living?
Seniors experiencing challenges with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as toileting, dressing, grooming, and walking should consider assisted living. Other indicators may include:
- Signs of loneliness or social isolation
- Trouble keeping the home tidy or clean
- Marked weight loss or gain (or anything that suggests poor nutrition)
- Falls
And always seriously consider a doctor’s recommendation if they recommend assisted living.
What’s the difference between assisted living and skilled nursing?
The biggest difference between assisted living and skilled nursing is the level of care they provide.
Both offer housing and help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as walking and grooming, but skilled nursing residents require medical care and supervision 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Assisted living residents need assistance with various ADLs but are otherwise independent, active community residents.
In an Inclusive (Type A) CCRC, assisted living residents with greater short-term care needs — rehabilitation from a surgery, for instance — could transfer to the skilled nursing unit and return to assisted living when they were ready.
What care is provided in assisted living?
Assisted living provides help with activities of daily living, also known as ADLs:
- Walking
- Transferring, including from bed to a chair, or into a wheelchair or walker
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Bathing
- Toileting
They may also offer medication management as well as light housekeeping, laundry, and other services.
When is it time to move parents to assisted living?
Seniors experiencing challenges with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as toileting, dressing, grooming, and walking should consider assisted living.
Other indicators may include:
- Signs of loneliness or social isolation
- Trouble keeping the home tidy or clean
- Marked weight loss or gain (or anything that suggests poor nutrition)
- Falls
If you’re currently acting as a caregiver to an aging loved one and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to handle their care yourself, seeking an assisted living facility may improve their well-being as well as your own.
How do I convince a parent to go to assisted living?
Without a plan in place for your parent or other loved one to get the support they need, decisions about caregiving (or the caregiving itself) can fall to spouses, children, and other family members.
The earlier you can start the conversation about assisted living and other advanced levels of care, the better. It’s important to have a frank conversation about your parent’s condition and your own capabilities as a potential caregiver.
Looping in a trusted family doctor may provide a grounded, objective perspective. And visiting some assisted living communities early — so your parent can see what daily life is like there — may make the ongoing conversation feel a little smoother.
Can married couples live in assisted living?
Living arrangements in assisted living vary by community, so you should ask the assisted living facilities you’re considering what their policy is on two people sharing an apartment.
In Vi communities and many other Inclusive CCRCs, married couples can live together in assisted living if both people need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).
Or, if one spouse requires more advanced care, they can move to the care center while their partner remains in independent living, for little to no increase in monthly cost.
Who is a good candidate for assisted living?
Everyone is different, but you could be a good candidate for assisted living if you’re having trouble performing activities of daily living (ADLs) yourself. These include:
- Walking
- Transferring, including from bed to a chair, or into a wheelchair or walker
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Bathing
- Toileting
Other reasons to consider assisted living include increased feelings of loneliness or isolation, significant trouble keeping up with your home and propensity for falls. Your doctor can have an honest conversation with you about your abilities and whether assisted living is a good idea in the near future.
Can someone move right into assisted living at a CCRC?
If you find a CCRC that perfectly suits your needs, but you already require assisted living–level care, you may be able to move directly into the care center. Talk with a sales counselor to learn the specifics for that community.
Some Vi communities, for example, offer direct entry into the care center. In that case, costs for direct entry are charged at the current market rates.
Many seniors are choosing to make the move to a CCRC earlier so they can enjoy the benefits of independent living for longer.
Will my loved one still be independent even though they are in assisted living?
Assisted living offers a similar experience to independent living on many levels — with a bit of extra help where it matters.
As in independent living, assisted living communities offer a community feeling, restaurant-style dining, lifestyle and fitness programming, and social benefits. The difference is assisted living facilities offer their residents help with activities of daily living (ADL), including bathing, grooming, and walking.
Your loved one can still maintain a feeling of independence while they’re receiving the support they need to live a full life!
What is the maximum level of care offered in assisted living?
Assisted living offers residents help with activities of daily living (ADLs) but does not provide around-the-clock skilled nursing care.
Assisted living facilities describe levels of care based on how much help a resident needs. But those levels of care (and how a facility talks about them) vary by community, so ask the individual communities you’re considering about the maximum level of care they provide.
How do I know when it is time to transition from assisted living to skilled nursing?
It’s time to consider transitioning from assisted living to a nursing home if you or a loved one is experiencing:
- A chronic or terminal illness that requires around-the-clock supervision or care
- Worsening or debilitating emotional disorders or dementia
- Increased memory loss, confusion, or disorientation
- Increased frequency of falls, sprains, or broken bones
- Multiple medical conditions at once
- Increasing feelings of isolation or withdrawal from people and activities
- Challenges maintaining personal hygiene or home cleanliness
- Trouble managing money
Does Medicare pay for assisted living?
Medicare will not pay for assisted living facilities (nor will it pay for skilled nursing or memory care).
Medicare will cover the cost of healthcare services provided (doctor visits, hospital stays, etc.) while a resident is living in an assisted living community, but costs of living and assistance with ADLs will not be covered.
How much does assisted living cost?
According to Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey, the national median cost of assisted living (for a private single room) was $4,500 per month in 2021.
Costs vary widely: In 2021, monthly costs ranged from $3,000 in Missouri to almost $6,500 in New Jersey.
Other cost factors beyond geographic location include:
- Facility ratings
- Staff qualifications and tenure
- Availability of additional amenities
- Private vs. semiprivate room choice
- Labor supply and demand
- Other costs for medical care and supplies
In an Inclusive CCRC, residents have access to assisted living (as well as the entire continuum of care services, from independent living to skilled nursing and memory care) for little to no increase in their monthly fee.
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living?
All Medicaid eligibility and coverage vary on a state-by-state basis. Where assisted living is concerned, typically room and board will not be covered.
But some assisted living services for low-income seniors typically will be covered, at least in part. That can include:
- Case management
- Health services, like monitoring and assessments
- Personal care services
- Medication management or assistance
- Registered nurses or health aides
- Transportation
To learn more about your own eligibility and potential coverage payment for assisted living services, visit the federal government’s website Benefits.gov.
Is assisted living tax deductible?
Assisted living may be tax deductible, but in order to qualify, you must be considered “chronically ill.”
You must show that a medical professional has certified that you are:
- Unable to perform at least two activities of daily living (ADLs), such as toileting, walking, dressing, or grooming
- In need of supervision because of a cognitive issue such as Alzheimer's disease or other dementia
You must also be following a prescribed plan of care that specifically outlines the services you’re receiving on a daily basis.
But each prospective resident’s tax and financial situation is different — this is not financial advice. So meet with your tax professional to discuss how much, if any, you can deduct.
Can you drink alcohol in assisted living?
Residents are not forbidden from drinking alcohol in most assisted living facilities.
There are exceptions, including doctor’s orders that state you shouldn’t drink alcohol and prescription medications that interact with alcohol.
If enjoying a glass of wine with dinner or a beer with the Sunday football game is important to you, be sure to check the alcohol policies of any assisted living community you’re considering.
Can you have pets in assisted living?
It’s a common misconception that seniors have to give up their pets when they move into assisted living! Many assisted living facilities allow residents to bring furry companions to live with them.
But every facility is different, so you should double check on the pet policy at any assisted living community you’re considering.
Pets are welcome at every Vi community, but each of our 10 communities has a specific pet policy. Ask your sales counselor for specifics when you schedule your visit.
Do you have your own furniture in assisted living?
Many assisted living facilities encourage residents to bring their own furniture and other belongings to help them feel more at home. In Vi communities, we invite all residents to make their care center suite their own.
But as always, guidelines around furniture and decorating vary by community. Ask the assisted living facilities you’re considering what their policies are.
When is the best time to move to assisted living?
Seniors experiencing challenges with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as toileting, dressing, grooming, and walking should consider assisted living.
Other indicators may include:
- Signs of loneliness or social isolation
- Trouble keeping the home tidy or clean
- Marked weight loss or gain (or anything that suggests poor nutrition)
- Falls
And always seriously consider a doctor’s recommendation if they suggest assisted living.