Types of senior care
Senior care runs along a spectrum, from active, maintenance-free housing to round-the-clock skilled nursing. Choosing the right level comes down to how much help with daily activities and medical care a person needs, and how the care is paid for. Here are the six kinds, what each provides, who it suits, and what Medicare or Medicaid will and will not cover.
The care spectrum, lowest to highest level of support
Housing with help for daily activities (bathing, dressing, medication, meals) for older adults who do not need full-time medical care. Assisted living is usually paid privately (out of pocket or with long-term care insurance).
Assisted living designed for people with Alzheimer's or another dementia: secured environments, trained staff, and structured activities. Memory care is typically private pay and usually costs more than standard assisted living.
Skilled nursing facilities providing 24-hour nursing care and rehabilitation for people with significant medical or daily-care needs. Medicare covers a short, skilled nursing or rehabilitation stay (up to 100 days per benefit period, with conditions) after a qualifying hospital stay.
Medicare-certified agencies delivering skilled nursing, therapy, and aide services in a person's own home. Medicare covers medically necessary, part-time skilled home health care ordered by a doctor for a homebound patient.
Comfort-focused care for people with a terminal illness, provided at home, in a facility, or in a hospice center. The Medicare Hospice Benefit covers hospice care in full for eligible patients, including medications and equipment related to the terminal illness.
Age-restricted communities for active older adults who live on their own but want amenities, social life, and a maintenance-free home. Independent living is private pay; it is housing, not health care.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?
Assisted living helps with daily activities (bathing, dressing, medication, meals) for older adults who do not need full-time medical care, and it is paid privately or through a state Medicaid waiver. A nursing home (skilled nursing facility) provides 24-hour nursing care for people with significant medical needs, is rated by Medicare's Five-Star system, and is the level Medicaid most often covers for long-term care.
What is the difference between assisted living and memory care?
Memory care is assisted living designed for people with Alzheimer's or another dementia: a secured environment, staff trained in dementia care, and structured activities. It usually costs more than standard assisted living.
Does Medicare pay for senior care?
Medicare covers medically necessary care: a short skilled nursing or rehab stay (up to 100 days with conditions), home health, and hospice in full. It does not pay the room and board for assisted living, memory care, or independent living, which are housing.
How do I know which type of care a parent needs?
It depends on how much help with daily activities and medical care they need. Independent living suits an active adult; assisted living adds daily help; memory care adds dementia support; a nursing home adds 24-hour skilled care; home health and hospice bring care to wherever they live. Tour, ask about staffing, and use the CMS ratings on this site to compare.