What Is the Difference Between Long Term Care and Assisted Living?

Keeping up with all the different types of care available to our elderly loved ones can be a challenging prospect. This is especially true if the entire scenario is one that is new for you. Some people use the terms long term care and assisted living interchangeably, but this isn’t accurate. Assisting living has many similarities to long term care, but they are two very different things.

What Is Assisted Living?

When a loved one is residing at an assisted living home in Castle Rock, Colorado, they will have availability of staff who can help with certain services. This might include supervising and managing medication or offering certain personal care services by skilled professionals. These facilities are built for those who need a moderate amount of care. There will be meals, transportation, and activities that the residents can partake in. This type of environment is the right choice for an older loved one who needs some assistance, but prefers to live mainly independently.

What Is Long Term Care?

Someone who needs full-time care and monitoring is a long term care patient. These facilities are often referred to as nursing homes and are staffed by medical professionals like social workers, nurses, aides, and dieticians. The staff at long term care facilities can provide clinical care and some specialty medical care, as well. Many patients who move into long term care will remain there until their death. Most nursing homes offer both long term care and skilled nursing, which allows them to admit patients who need specialized care.

Choosing the Right Facility

When choosing the right facility for a loved one who is no longer able to care for themselves at home, it’s important to consider options on a basis of restrictions while considering the abilities of the individual. An assisted living facility is the answer for a person who needs custodial care but wants to have a residence that resembles that of a traditional apartment or home. Most residents of these facilities have a higher level of mental functioning than those in long term care.

Consider Your Options

At Country Home Assisted Living, we offer an assisted living home in Castle Rock, Colorado. We provide home cooked meals, pet therapy, daily housekeeping and laundry, group outings, and much more. We pride ourselves on providing care for a small number of residents in a country atmosphere that many patients prefer. To learn more, you can reach our office at 303-840-1986.