What Is Assisted Living?

It is not a nursing home. That’s the first thing every family should know.

Assisted living is a residential community for older adults who need help with daily living — bathing, dressing, medications, meals — but don’t need round-the-clock medical care. Residents have their own rooms or apartments, share meals, join activities, and have trained staff available twenty-four hours a day. In Maryland, assisted living programs are licensed by the state and categorized by the level of care they’re approved to provide, so a community must actually be qualified to meet your loved one’s needs. Costs typically run several thousand dollars a month and are usually private pay — though long-term care insurance, veterans benefits, and certain Medicaid programs can help.

When living home alone stops being safe — or caregiving is consuming your whole life — assisted living offers safety plus community, without the clinical feel of a nursing home.

This has been Care Without Crisis Explains, presented by Vanguard Care Solutions.

For more free videos and family resources — or when you’re ready to talk about care at home — visit vanguardcaresolutions.com or call 301-327-1444.