Long-Term Care Insurance

Independent or retirement living focuses on a self-sufficient lifestyle for seniors. These residences might be part of self-contained retirement communities or high-rise apartment complexes, among other models.

Independent living communities primarily focus on serving the social needs of residents and many of the residents typically live there independently without needing much support.

Another popular option is active adult communities, or “55-plus” communities. These are designed for seniors who live independently and want to live near or with other seniors. They also offer some social outings and group events for residents. They're lifestyle-focused and typically do not offer meals or health care.

Someone who wants to age in place in independent living, but who eventually may need greater care, could hire more hands-on type of assistance while remaining in the same community, just like they would if they were in their own home.

Assisted living facilities offer assistance with daily personal care within a supervised setting, as well as meal preparation and housekeeping services. Assisted living is known for its community-based approach, with a focus on group and individual activities and efforts by staff to prevent residents from feeling isolated.

Assisted living may also have different levels of care that someone would buy into.

Residents who need lighter care, for instance, might opt for medication management, check-in services and morning assistance in getting out of bed and showering. Assisted living may also provide 24/7 caregiver support on-site.

Another level of care involves respite units, a recent innovation in some assisted living facilities. In these transitional units, residents can benefit from medical services, such as physical therapy and nursing care, while still experiencing the amenities and attractive setting of assisted living. These units may serve residents coming from a hospital or rehabilitation center, for example.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities offer a tiered approach for aging adults. Typically, residents move into single-family apartments or condominiums designed for independent, healthy adults. As their needs change, residents can transition to on-site assisted living or nursing home facilities.

These communities are intended to be the last place a person lives, but that streamlined convenience comes with a price — entering a CCRC typically requires a significant financial investment with hefty upfront entrance fees and monthly charges.

For more affordable “homelike” options, more and more states are licensing group homes. Typically, they are privately owned, so the services and support each offer may vary. The focus, though, is primarily the living space.

Also known as “group homes” or “residential care homes”, these neighborhood-based dwellings are run by licensed caregivers. Group homes have far fewer residents than nursing homes, perhaps four to 10 at a time, with caregiver support on-site.

However, unlike nursing homes, this option does not promise any medical or skilled nursing coverage. Instead, residents are there mostly because they need care with some day-to-day activities of living: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting.

For military veterans with chronic medical conditions that meet a nursing home level of care, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) oversees a Medical Foster Homes Program. These facilities are a lot like adult family homes in that they’re private homes in which a trained caregiver provides support to a small number of people.

Considered an alternative to a nursing home, these homes are a good option for veterans who need nursing home care but don’t want to be in an institutional setting and would prefer a place with fewer residents.

The VA reports that veterans are responsible for paying for the care they receive at a medical foster home out of pocket or via long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance benefits or another applicable benefit program.

Nursing homes provide medical and personal care services beyond what's available in assisted living. Nursing care, around-the-clock supervision, assistance with activities of daily living and three daily meals are standard.

Most nursing home residents have chronic physical or mental health conditions that require a more intensive level of care than what can be handled in an assisted living community, and they can receive prescribed treatment and personal care as needed.

As with any type of long-term care facility, it's essential to do some research and ask critical questions before choosing a nursing home. You can find information on Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes on Medicare.gov.

For people with Alzheimer's disease, other types of dementia, or serious memory problems, memory care communities come with an extra level of care and supervision. Memory care offers a safe, structured environment with more gentle sensory stimulation that people with dementia can benefit from.

Memory care communities are similar to assisted living, but they are secured for patients with dementia who are at risk for wandering. Someone who has gotten lost in the past or who is at high risk of wandering out of a facility and getting lost may benefit from moving to a secured memory care unit.

These units are located within many nursing homes and assisted living communities. Staff members receive special training to provide 24-hour care and daily assistance to this group of residents.

In nursing homes, memory care usually goes by a different name, such as the Alzheimer's unit. The atmosphere can differ by type of facility.

The terms “nursing home” and “skilled nursing facility” are often used interchangeably because the types of care involved often overlap. However, they aren't identical.

Skilled nursing facilities are more likely to have a consistent presence of nurses and/or physicians and offer rehabilitation services, such as occupational, physical and speech therapy. SNFs and nursing homes also fall under different sets of regulations.

An individual who truly qualifies for care at a skilled nursing facility typically requires an increased amount of assistance. Typically, they require the assistance of two individuals to move them and often are bedbound and they have other skilled care needs.