Assisted Living Facilities vs. Skilled Nursing Homes

The term “assisted living” became popular in the 1980’s and is used within the retirement industry to refer to programs available in many retirement residences, senior apartment facilities and residential care facilities in California. Many retirement residences recognized a growing need for personal care programs. These types of programs allow residents to remain independent in their apartment. The cost of living in an assisted living facility is about $3200 a month on average, as compared to approximately $5,000 a month for a semi-private room in a nursing home.

Residents in assisted living facilities require less care than residents of nursing homes. Typically, a residence in an assisted living facility will require some assistance with one or more of the following: help with bathing or dressing, assistance with taking medication, assistance with toileting or incontinence, and special dietary requirements. Assisted living facilities are not permitted to provide skilled nursing services, such as diabetic insulin injections or colostomy care, although they may contract with an outside provider for these services.

Assisted living facilities are licensed by the Community Care Division of the California Department of Social Services http://ccld.ca.gov/. Nursing homes are licensed by the California Department of Health Services http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx and are given a higher level of scrutiny by the licensing authority since they are considered a health care facility.

As the population ages, the popularity of assisted living facilities has grown. Claims against assisted living facilities are also increasing. Some assisted living facilities have been accused of holding on to residents in declining health that should have been referred to nursing home facilities or a hospital. Unfortunately, one challenge that plaintiffs face is collecting on a judgment; assisted living facilities are often uninsured.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave a comment or reply to this posting, but keep in mind that your response will not be confidential. If you have a question or need assistance regarding a possible claim involving an assisted living facility or nursing home, contact me for help and immediate assistance.