With that being said, let’s start there…

“Nursing Homes” (also commonly referred to as “Skilled Nursing Facilities” have evolved significantly since their inception. Long ago when someone was aging and needed help, they typically wouldn’t have many other options other than to move to a nursing home. However over the years, the role of a “Skilled Nursing Facility” has evolved from a place someone who needs care might live to more commonly a place that someone who needs rehabilitative services goes for a short-term stay while they heal and get better from an injury or health event. As Nursing Homes have become more short-term, and healthcare overall has evolved and improved with the utilization of technology, assisted living facilities have become the primary place that a senior requiring 24-hour care/assistance will move to. There are many diseases that could not be managed many years ago without the assistance of a licensed nurse that now do not require 24-hour nursing supervision. With these advances, assisted living has slowly become the most popular location for seniors who are aging, suffering from dementia or Alzhiemer’s Disease, or suffering from many other ailments associated with the aging process.

So when a family asks us if their loved one requires 24-hour nursing care, obviously that’s hard for us to answer without actually meeting their loved one… however more often than not, the answer is “no”. That doesn’t mean that their loved one doesn’t require 24-hour CARE, however that is far less expensive and typically much more flexible than requiring placement into a skilled nursing environment.

So does assisted living have 24-hour CARE? Yes! Most facilities will offer multiple forms of their services, and most offer services available all the way up to 24-hour supervision if that is necessary.

Still, there are a number of standard services provided to residents at the vast majority of assisted living communities across the U.S. These include personal care services in the form of assistance with activities of daily living such as: