Staff and Assisted Living Facility Resident walking outside the facility.
What are the differences between a nursing home and an assisted living facility?
Many people would be surprised at how these two have become more similar than different over the past 15 years, with assisted living facilities accepting residents with more physical, psychiatric, and cognitive problems than they have in the past.
Overview
In 2015 about 1.3 million U.S. adults lived in about 15,600 skilled nursing facilities. That same year, there were approximately 29,000 licensed assisted living facilities in the U.S., with about 800,000 residents.1
Nursing homes are typically best suited for people who require significant personal and nursing care, including:
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Being bed-bound
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Having fractures or wounds that are not healing
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Having multiple medical problems, like diabetes, heart disease, and congestive heart failure
Nursing homes may also be appropriate for people who need 24-hour care and supervision related to dementia. Only about 10% of nursing home residents can walk without assistance and more than 60% receive psychotropic medications.2
Assisted living facilities are best suited to people with higher levels of functioning and independence who can benefit from social activities, exercise, and wellness programs. The main philosophy of assisted living is providing residents with varying levels of choice and independence in a homelike environment.
Continue reading: https://www.verywellhealth.com/assisted-living-vs-nursing-homes-a-comparison-98197
Article submitted by Pat France, MSRN member
