Four Seasons Retirement Center

Each state licensing agency has its own definition of the term it uses to describe assisted living. A nursing home may be a good choice if both medical and personal care needs have become too great to handle at home. Assisted living is a philosophy of care and services promoting independence and dignity. Assisted living residences or assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living. A place in a retirement home can be paid for on a rental basis, like an apartment, or can be bought in perpetuity on the same basis as a condominium. A retirement home differs from a nursing home primarily in the level of medical care given. Other licensure terms used for this philosophy of care include Residential Care Home, Assisted Care Living Facilities, and Personal Care Homes.