What is the Difference Between a Nursing Home and Assisted Living?

When a loved one can no longer live on their own, it can be overwhelming to navigate and decide what’s best. Compare nursing home care and assisted living to understand the key differences.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes provide medical and personal care in a clinical setting. These facilities include full-time monitoring and medical assistance from licensed nurses.

Who lives in nursing homes?

Nursing homes are usually reserved for those who need a high level of care. As such, they often have entry requirements. These usually include a physician’s prescription, physical examination, and approval.

Many residents in a nursing home:

  • Require on-going care for chronic conditions
  • Are unable to feed themselves independently
  • Have significantly limited mobility

Due to the involved care, costs associated with nursing homes are higher in comparison. Nursing homes have a lesser focus on recreational activities. In a nursing home, the goal is to maintain the comfort and safety of residents.

Assisted Living

Assisted living, by comparison, provides support for daily tasks within a home environment. These communities resemble apartment complexes, but with support staff on-site.

Who lives in assisted living?

Assisted living is a good fit for loved ones who cannot live alone, but want to maintain an active, sociable lifestyle. Many residents in assisted living need support for their daily routine, such as:

  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Household maintenance (laundry and cleaning)
  • Cooking
  • Mobility and/or transportation
  • Medication management
  • Incontinence

Staff provides support as needed for all daily tasks. Community spaces create opportunities for interaction and enjoyment.

What do community spaces look like?

Amenities and activities differ between facilities, but assisted living communities may offer:

  • Restaurant-style dining
  • Organized transportation to shopping and recreation in their local area
  • On-site entertainment through group activities, theaters, or outdoor spaces
  • Housekeeping and laundry services

Residents have the support they need but are independent and can create a social calendar like they would in any prior living conditions. Community events create natural opportunities for finding friends within a close-knit community.

senior living dining room at The Inn at Belden Village

Like many apartments, assisted living has community spaces to mingle with neighbors. Gardens, libraries, courtyards, and seating areas are common. This maximizes one’s daily experiences without requiring them to personally clean or maintain a larger home, garden, or yard. The specific amenities will different between facilities, but all will have some form of community space to enjoy.

At The Inn at Belden Village, we have a wide variety of community spaces for residents to make their own.

  • Multimedia room (with big-screen television)
  • Fireside seating room
  • Corridor lounges
  • Spa with whirlpool bathing
  • Waterfall garden
  • Outdoor walking trail
  • Beauty and barbershop
  • Chapel
  • Library

senior living patio and waterfall at The Inn at Belden Village

Residents enjoy a multitude of spaces depending on what they enjoy, but there’s always medical and personal care from staff available when they need it. See more of our facility!

In assisted living, the goal is to provide support for health concerns or limited abilities while maximizing independence. Compared to nursing homes, assisted living has a major focus on lifestyle. Recreation is a huge part of daily life and is a priority for assisted living facilities.

Which is best?

Nursing homes provide a higher level of medical care than assisted living facilities.

For those who do not need that level of care, assisted living allows for a more diverse and enjoyable lifestyle. Residents continue living life as independent, diverse individuals, just with extra support.

If you’d like to see assisted living first-hand at The Inn at Belden Village, please contact us. We’ll schedule a free lunch and tour of our facility!