Senior Housing Definitions

Adult Day Care

Adult day programs provide social, recreational, and health services in a group setting. Most programs offer services five days a week. The program is provided during the day and the individual returns home for the evenings. Adult day services offer an individualized plan of care to meet the needs of each participant. Participants attend on a scheduled basis, and services may include meals and snacks, personal care management, medication management, daily exercise, social interaction, physical, occupational, and speech therapies.

Assisted Living

Assisted living is a type of long-term care facility for elderly or disabled people who are able to get around on their own but who may need help with some activities of daily living, or who simply prefer the convenience of having their meals in a central cafeteria and having nursing staff on call. It is an alternative for seniors who do not need the 24-hour care a nursing home provides, but who need help performing daily activities and therefore cannot live independently. Assisted livings are market rate rentals that provide home care services for additional cost. Some Assisted livings will accept Elderly Waiver (Medicaid) as payment, however the number of Elderly Waiver units are often limited.


Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) allow seniors a flexible choice of accommodations that are designed to meet their health and housing needs as these needs change over time or Age in Place. Residents will generally enter a self-contained, independent living unit within a community, while they are fit and healthy, safe in the knowledge that they may move to accommodation with higher levels of care, if they ever need to. Accommodations and services at a CCRC include, but not limited to, independent living, congregate housing, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. A CCRC resident contract often involves either an entry fee or buy-in fee in addition to the monthly service charges.

Home Health Care

Home health care provided medical-related services to patients in a home setting rather than in a medical facility. Basically, the home care practitioner will help patients increase their ability to tend to their everyday needs at home. Home health care may include skilled nursing in addition to speech, occupational and physical therapy. In many cases, it includes assistance with cooking and other household chores. It also includes monitoring the patient's prescriptions.

Hospice Care

Hospice care is a type of medical care provided to patients with terminal illnesses who generally have less than six months to live. It is characterized as a philosophy of care during the "end-of-life" and provides supportive care. Hospice is a Medicare benefit however most of the custodial care is not covered under Medicare.

Independent Living

Independent living is a multi-unit senior housing development for people who need minimal or no help. And independent facility may offer options for meals, housekeeping, social activities, and transportation. Independent living facilities may also be called retirement communities, senior housing or congregate living facilities.

Memory Care

Specialized programs dedicated to caring for patients needing memory care for dementia, Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairments. Usually services and amenities are on site in a self contained unit or household, with group activities and events included. May be offered in either an assisted living or skilled nursing care setting. For a helpful tool in selecting Memory care, view Choosing and Financing Memory Care: Checklist and Questions.

Nursing Home/Care Center

Nursing Homes or Care Centers are for people with serious chronic medical. By definition, a nursing home provides skilled 24-hour medical care to individuals who are unable to manage daily living activities due to debilitating or chronic health conditions. Regular medical supervision and rehabilitation therapy are mandated to be available, and nursing homes are eligible to participate in Medicaid and Medicare programs.

Rehabilitation

A rehabilitation center is a location in which rehabilitation can occur. Some individuals may experience an accident or illness that temporarily makes them unable to function the way they used to. Others may have an addiction that handicaps them. A rehabilitation center provides a support system to help restore people to their place in society. At a rehabilitation center a person may receive intensive physical, occupational, or speech therapy.

Respite Care

Respite care is the term used to refer to the act of leaving a loved one with special needs in the temporary care of another party. This is a very common custom, especially for caregivers who must attend to other responsibilities. Typical recipients of respite care are special needs children, but it is becoming increasingly common for the elderly as well as the mentally disabled.