Every Type of Senior Care, Explained in Plain English

The senior care industry has a vocabulary problem. Six different things have overlapping names, every company describes them slightly differently, and families are expected to already know the difference at the exact moment they are least equipped to learn it. Here is all of it in one place.

Independent living

An apartment or cottage in a community of other older adults, with meals, housekeeping, activities and maintenance handled. No personal care. This is a lifestyle choice, not a care decision: the resident is fully capable and is trading home upkeep for convenience and company. Median published starting price in our directory: $3,100 per month.

In-home care (home care)

A caregiver comes to the house: help with bathing, dressing, meals, errands, companionship. Sold by the hour, typically $28 to $38 per hour depending on market. The math matters: at 4 hours a day it is often cheaper than a community, and at round-the-clock coverage it is usually far more expensive. Note the difference from home health, which is medical care (nursing, physical therapy) prescribed by a doctor and often covered by Medicare in short spells; non-medical home care almost never is.

Assisted living

An apartment in a staffed community, with help built into the day: bathing, dressing, medication management, meals, and someone there at 3am. The resident keeps as much independence as they can handle, and care flexes up as needs change. This is the middle of the market and the fit for most families who reach the point of moving; browse assisted living communities here. Median published starting price in our directory: $4,000 per month, though the final figure depends on how much care is added.

Memory care

Assisted living purpose-built for dementia: secured doors, staff trained in cognitive care, higher staffing ratios, and days structured to reduce anxiety. Many memory care communities are wings of assisted living campuses, which lets a couple stay on one campus when only one partner has dementia. Median published starting price in our directory: $4,000 per month, reflecting the higher staffing.

Adult family homes (board and care)

A licensed ordinary house caring for two to six residents. The trade is scale for intimacy. One caregiver looks after a handful of residents, meals are home-cooked, and there is one shared living room, in exchange for fewer activities, no bistro and no bus. Often meaningfully cheaper than a large community in the same town, and often the best fit for someone who would find a big community overwhelming.

Skilled nursing (nursing homes)

Licensed nurses on site around the clock, for people whose needs are genuinely medical: wound care, feeding tubes, two-person transfers, complex conditions. Also where short-term rehab happens after a hospital stay, which Medicare covers in limited spells. Nobody chooses skilled nursing for lifestyle; it is chosen when the medical need requires it.

Continuing care (CCRC / life plan communities)

One campus with independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing side by side, so a resident moves across the hall instead of across town as needs change. Usually involves a substantial entrance fee. The appeal is never having to search again; the caution is that the contract deserves a lawyer's read.

How to choose between two that both fit

Tour one of each and compare afternoons, not lobbies. Ask both the same question: "what happens when her needs increase?" The answer tells you whether you are buying a place or a plan. And if you are torn between in-home care and a community, count the hours honestly: families consistently underestimate the hours they are already providing free.