As people age, their ability to care for themselves often decreases. Someone who was once vibrant and fully independent may find themselves needing help with tasks like cooking, cleaning, and even using the toilet. Thankfully, there are many senior care options, enough to meet every set of needs. This article will guide you through the types of senior care and highlight exactly what you can expect.
Know the specific senior care regulations in your area
It’s critical to know that senior care facility rules and requirements can vary based on state-level regulations and even facility-specific policies. The information below is common to many states, though it may vary in your specific area. You can learn more about the rules and regulations that apply to your state and the facilities you’re interested in by contacting your local Oasis Senior Advisor.
Understanding the continuum of senior care
Senior care is best viewed as a continuum, with care ranging from minimal in-home support to intensive medical care.
The level of care is influenced by both the senior’s needs and the specific type of community. Sometimes this means the senior will need to move from one kind of community to another.
Other times, they may be able to receive the support they need within a single community, as some provide multiple levels of care. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are the most famous example of this. These communities often begin with independent living and provide increasing support, all the way up to nursing home care, as the resident’s needs change.
Other communities have a primary type of care and may include support for one or more others, for example, an assisted living community with a memory care wing.
Below, we’ll explain the different types of senior care.
Types of senior care
Independent living
The term “independent living” can refer to any situation in which a senior lives without support, often in their own home.
However, in this context, we’re focusing on specialized independent living wings and communities. These environments offer services to improve quality of life and help people remain independent for longer.
Who it’s for: Seniors who are largely or entirely independent and can meet their own needs.
Level of support: Minimal.
Care setting: In a stand-alone independent living community or a specialized independent living wing of a larger senior care community.
Key services:
- Maintenance, grounds upkeep, and potentially housekeeping.
- Emergency response services and security features.
- Organized social events, classes, and wellness programs.
Costs and funding: Independent living wings and communities have fees to cover accommodation and any services used. Fees are generally paid out of pocket, with home sales and loans sometimes being used to cover costs.
Home care
Home care services come to the senior’s home, offering support with daily care and some practical tasks.
Who it’s for: Seniors who want to remain where they are and need some support with personal care or housework.
Care setting: Home care is most relevant for seniors who still live in their own homes, but it can also be provided in some senior care communities, depending on the facility’s rules.
Key services:
- Assistance with personal care, like bathing, eating, and toileting.
- Light housework.
- Companionship.
- Meal preparation.
- Transportation, if offered by the agency and the aide.
Level of support: Only provides nonmedical support.
Costs and funding: Often paid for out of pocket, as Medicare doesn’t cover home care. Financial support through Medicaid is sometimes possible, depending on the state and the senior’s needs.
Assisted living
Assisted living is the first type of facility-based care for many people. It supports daily tasks while offering a variety of activities and promoting independence.
Who it’s for: Seniors who need assistance with some daily tasks, like bathing, but are relatively independent in other areas.
Care setting: In a specialized assisted living community or facility.
Key services:
- Support with activities of daily living.
- Housekeeping, maintenance, and laundry.
- Medication reminders.
- Social activities.
- Transportation.
Level of support: Assistance with some daily tasks, but limited medical support. Seniors may also be unable to enter or remain at assisted living if their personal care needs become too great.
Costs and funding: Typically paid for privately or sometimes through long-term care insurance.
Home health care
Home health care is similar to home care in that the care services are provided in the senior’s home, but home health care focuses on skilled medical services rather than personal care tasks.
Who it’s for: People who need skilled medical care or rehabilitation, often after a hospital visit.
Care setting: In one’s home, although some independent living or assisted living communities allow residents to hire outside home health care services as needed.
Key services:
- Skilled nursing care (e.g., wound care or IV medication administration).
- Physical, speech, and occupational therapy.
- Limited home care services and medical social services (but only if skilled services are also ordered).
Level of support: Typically short-term skilled nursing care.
Costs and funding: Home health care is covered by Medicare if the senior meets requirements (including a doctor’s order, medical need, and being considered homebound).
Memory care
Memory care provides support for the unique needs of dementia. This is particularly important in the middle to late stages of dementia, where symptoms can be too much for other settings.
Who it’s for: People with significant dementia symptoms who can no longer be supported at home or in regular assisted living.
Care setting: Multiple possible environments, including:
- A memory care wing in assisted living.
- A memory care wing in a nursing home.
- A dedicated memory care facility.
The specific services provided vary somewhat depending on the care setting.
Key services:
- Assistance with daily living tasks.
- 24/7 supervision.
- Secure environments that prevent wandering and reduce injury risks.
- Housekeeping, maintenance, laundry, and meals.
- Structured activities that focus on stimulation.
Level of support: 24/7 supervision and hands-on practical care. The level of support will often be higher in dedicated memory care facilities or in nursing home-based memory care.
Costs and funding: Can be expensive. Medicare doesn’t cover memory care directly, but it may help cover some medical costs, while Medicaid coverage varies by state.
Nursing homes
Nursing homes provide the highest level of ongoing care outside of a hospital, offering comprehensive support for seniors with significant medical or daily living needs.
Who it’s for: Seniors with significant medical or personal care needs or complex medical conditions.
Care setting: A specialized facility.
Key services:
- Support with daily living needs.
- Housekeeping, maintenance, and laundry.
- Skilled nursing care.
- Planned social activities.
- Transportation.
Level of support: Considerable support for medical requirements and daily care needs.
Costs and funding: Medicare and Medicaid both cover nursing home care when the care is medically necessary, but Medicare will only do so for a short period of time after a qualifying hospital stay to help the individual recover from an injury, illness, or surgery.
Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs)
Continuing care retirement communities bring multiple levels of care together in one place, allowing residents to age in a single community even as their needs change.
Who it’s for: Seniors who wish to remain in the same community as their care needs change. Residents are often relatively healthy and independent when they move in, allowing them to make the most of the community.
Care setting: A planned community with multiple areas to support different levels of care needs.
Key services:
- Housekeeping, maintenance, and groundskeeping.
- Security features.
- Meals.
- Organized social events, tailored to different ability levels.
- Assistance with activities of daily living (at the assisted living level of care and higher).
- Skilled nursing care (at the nursing home level of care).
- 24/7 care and supervision (at the nursing home level of care).
- May also provide memory care.
Level of support: Covers the entire continuum of care needs from independence through to full nursing home level support.
Costs and funding: CCRCs can end up being a good value in the long term but have very high up-front costs. Many costs will need to be paid privately, as Medicaid and Medicare focus largely on medical care, not community living.
Comparison of services in the different types of senior care
The following table compares services across the different care types. The information represents general themes only, as there are many differences between individual communities as well as between communities in different states.
Also remember that these care types aren’t always as discrete as listed. For example, an assisted living community might have an independent living and/or memory care wing, while another community may allow short-term home health care.
Because of this, it’s always crucial to determine the exact services and care levels of the community you’re considering.
| House-keeping, mainten-ance, grounds-keeping | Assistance with daily living tasks (e.g. toileting, bathing) | Skilled nursing care | Organized social events and activities | 24/7 care and supervision | Meals | |
| Independent living | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Possibly |
| Home care | Light housework only | Yes | No | No | If paid for by the senior | Meal prep, but food is paid for by the senior |
| Home health care | No | Sometimes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Assisted living | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No, although assistance is available as needed | Yes |
| Memory care | Yes | Yes | Sometimes | Yes | Often | Yes |
| Nursing homes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CCRCs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
