Nursing Home vs. Assisted Living
August 25, 2023
As you or a loved one grow older, it becomes important to know what options are available for long-term housing and care.
What is a Nursing Home?
Nursing homes are institutions designed to provide high-level of hands-on care for seniors who have severe mental or physical conditions. Nursing homes focus on fulfilling the medical needs of seniors so that they can live quality lives.
What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living facilities provide a community for seniors who cannot live completely on their own, yet do not suffer from any medical conditions which require extensive, constant care. There are medical staff employed at assisted living communities to assist with activities of daily living.
Which One Should I Choose?
Determining whether a nursing home or assisted living is an appropriate care facility for you depends on your current health and your level of independent functioning. Measuring your level of independent functioning is done through observing your activities of daily living or ADLs. ADLs are a list of basic activities that most people are able to do without any support or assistance.
The main 6 ADLs are:
Dressing- the ability to dress oneself and not struggle with buttons or zippers
Bathing- the ability to bathe oneself, get in and out of the shower/tub, and perform other hygiene activities such as brushing teeth
Eating- the ability to feed oneself by eating from plates, bowls, cups, or a feeding tube
Transferring- the ability to walk and move oneself from one place to another, such as from a bed to a chair
Toileting- the ability to get on and off a toilet and perform related hygiene activities
Continence- the ability to control one’s bladder and bowel movements
If you currently have a medical condition that makes most or all daily activities difficult or impossible on your own, then a nursing home may be the fit for you. If you are able to perform most or all daily activities with additional support, then an assisted living community might be your new home.
Understanding long-term care options can be overwhelming. Our experienced attorneys at Ball Eggleston are here to guide you or your loved ones in various areas of elder law, including finding long-term housing and care to meet all your needs.