Skilled Nursing Vs. Assisted Living

As people age, they may need assistance with activities of daily living, and some may need skilled nursing care. Many older people prefer to receive care in their own homes, but when that is not feasible or desirable, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities provide other options for care. Skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities provide different levels of care and offer different services, accommodations and amenities. The price tags differ, too.

Services

• Skilled nursing facilities provide things like administering medication by injection or intravenous line, dressing changes, drawing blood samples and monitoring patients with serious medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes or Alzheimer's disease. They also provide assistance with personal care, including bathing patients and changing diapers for incontinent patients. Certified nursing assistants feed patients that cannot feed themselves. Assisted living facilities, on the other hand, do not provide as much skilled nursing care. Nurses are usually available to assist with some simple medical needs, however. Assisted living facilities also provide some assistance with personal care and provide housekeeping services and regular meals for residents.

Accommodations

• Most residents' rooms in skilled nursing facilities resemble hospital rooms. Residents may have to share a room with a stranger. They usually have hospital beds and institutional-looking furniture. Residents' rooms in assisted living facilities usually look more like studio apartments or one-bedroom apartments. Residents usually have private rooms with private baths. They often have small kitchenettes for preparing light meals or snacks. Residents can furnish and decorate their rooms with their own things, although things like hospital beds are provided when needed.

Amenities

• Skilled nursing facilities usually offer some activities for residents but not many amenities. Assisted living facilities, on the other hand, often offer a number of amenities, such as transportation to shopping and community events, social clubs for residents, an on-site beauty and barber shop and an on-site gift shop.

Cost

• Skilled nursing care costs more than assisted living. According to the Assisted Living Federation of America, in 2009 the cost of assisted living care averaged $2,575 per month. Pacific Life reports that in 2010, skilled nursing facilities charge an average of $5,040 per month.

Paying for It

• Medicare pays for skilled nursing care under certain circumstances but does not pay for assisted living. Medicaid coverage varies from state to state but may cover assisted living under some circumstances. Regular health insurance policies may cover skilled nursing care for limited periods under certain circumstances but usually will not cover assisted living or any long-term care. Long-term care insurance usually covers nursing homes and assisted living, but policies vary.