A nursing home is normally the highest level of care for older adults outside of a hospital. There is a wide range of home care services that can help you maintain your independence within the comfort of your own home, from in home help to day care. Senior Housing - find independent and assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities, and other elderly care. Retirement villages and retirement communities, unlike retirement homes, offer separate and autonomous homes for residents. Assisted living is a philosophy of care and services promoting independence and dignity. Housing arrangements for the future can be a stressful, anxiety-provoking topic for you and your family. 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 emerged in the 1990s as an eldercare alternative on the continuum of care for seniors for whom Independent living is no longer appropriate but who do not need the 24-hour medical care provided by a nursing home. More than two-thirds of the states use the licensure term assisted 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 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 nursing home is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. A nursing home is normally the highest level of care for older adults outside of a hospital. A nursing home is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Retirement homes are privately owned rental accommodations for seniors who are able to manage and pay for their own care. Assisted Living communities are regulated and licensed at the US state level. A nursing home is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Retirement villages and retirement communities, unlike retirement homes, offer separate and autonomous homes for residents. More than two-thirds of the states use the licensure term assisted living. An assisted living facility may be a good choice if you need more personal care services than are feasible at home or in an independent living retirement community.