Skilled nursing care centers are licensed health care facilities that offer around-the-clock nursing care and are inspected and regulated by a state’s department of health services. Skilled nursing care involves trained professionals performing services that are needed due to temporary or permanent injury or illness. Staff also provide custodial or personal care that focuses on helping residents with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, eating, maneuvering in and out of bed, walking and incontinence. Seniors who require a skilled nursing setting can no longer live alone and need more help than their family or present care giver can provide.

Assisted/Supportive living combines housing, support services and health care, as needed, for older adults who are still active and vital but can no longer live independently. Those that need assistance with everyday activities such as bathing, eating and dressing may find that assisted/supportive living is a good option for them. Personal care services in assisted living often include transportation and medication assistance, and certain services are available around the clock. Assisted/supportive living centers typically do not provide direct nursing care, but help seniors obtain that care when needed. Seniors in assisted/supportive living usually have the option of a private room or shared space in an apartment, depending on their preferences and budget, and the biggest difference between the two types of centers is how the residents pay. Supportive living offers many of the same services and benefits as assisted living, but allows residents to use financial assistance from Medicaid, unlike assisted living centers. These facilities are not federally regulated but are often licensed by the state in which they are located.

Supports and Services for the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (ID/DD) in these programs/facilities include person-centered care, giving individuals a chance to reach their highest possible potential and goals in areas that would seemingly be impossible. ID/DD facilities and organizations provide a complex multidisciplinary approach, which includes professional nursing and advancing medical technology, as well as adaptive games and activities that assist with social and emotional aspects of an individual’s life. Also included are many therapies that work on physical limitations like range of motion, strength, and ambulation, along with speech and language via communication devices. Person-centered planning and choices for real life goals are of the utmost importance for each ID/DD individual, and are reviewed by a team of professionals to ensure personal progress, quality of life and safety. 

Short-stay rehabilitation programs provide therapy for individuals recovering from a surgery, illness or accident, helping them to achieve their maximum functional capacity and get back to their homes. Short-stay rehab patients are not necessarily frail or elderly. They may simply require physical, occupational, speech therapy or a skilled service following time in a hospital. The length of stay for those needing short-term, in-patient rehabilitation can range from a couple of days to several weeks. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) offer short-term rehabilitation services that may be covered by Medicare for up to 100 days. Dedicated, skilled therapists are part of an interdisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses, social workers and nutritionists, who work with the patient and family members to develop an individualized plan of care focused on returning the person to their community at their optimal functional level.

Memory care is a distinct set of services that specifically caters to patients with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other types of memory problems. Alzheimer’s and dementia pose unique care challenges. In addition to providing assistance with activities of daily living, the staff in memory care are specially trained to assist people with dementia or impaired cognition. Communities that provide memory care often have a neighborhood solely for residents requiring this kind of care and incorporate design elements that research has shown to lower stress in individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Outdoor and indoor spaces are designed to be both secure and soothing. In addition to the general state-level licensing of care facilities, memory care can be further regulated by special laws requiring care providers to perform certain additional tasks and disclose the special services they offer.