Skip to content
Aging Well HQ Start the assessment

The six kinds of senior care, in plain language

Almost every family starts by using these words interchangeably, and the industry doesn't rush to correct them. Here is what each one actually means, who it is for, and how states license it — none of this depends on where you live.

How they relate

No daily care

Housing, not care. Meals and housekeeping are usually available to buy.

Hands-on help most days

Bathing, dressing, medications — but not daily medical care. Three settings, the same level of help: what differs is how big the place is.

Daily medical care

Wound care, injections, constant monitoring, under licensed medical staff.

Memory care lies across the middle of this, not beside it — it is a state certification added on top of a community's existing license, and a community that holds it is secured and staffed for dementia. Right when the issue is memory loss that has started to affect safety.

Many communities are licensed for more than one of these at once, so the boundaries are less firm than the picture. What happens when her needs increase is the question that finds out, and it is worth asking on every tour.

The six, one at a time

Independent living Housing built for older adults who don't need daily care — an apartment or cottage, usually with meals and housekeeping available. Right when the issue is upkeep, isolation and safety-net worries rather than health needs. Assisted living Private apartments with staff on site for help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing and medications. Right when the issue is hands-on help most days, without daily medical care. Residential care Room, meals and personal-care support in a licensed setting — similar support to assisted living, usually in a shared-building layout. Right when the issue is the same needs as assisted living, in a smaller or simpler setting. Memory care Secured communities staffed and trained for dementia, with a specific state certification on top of the base license. Right when the issue is memory loss that has started to affect safety. Nursing homes Round-the-clock skilled nursing care under licensed medical staff. Right when the issue is daily medical needs — wound care, injections, constant monitoring. Adult foster care Care in a licensed private home with five or fewer residents. Right when the issue is families who want a small household rather than a campus.

One warning about the words

Care levels are licensed by states, not by the federal government, so the same setting can carry different names and different rules depending where you are. We use the family-facing name on these pages and tell you what the category is called in each state we cover.

Not sure which of these fits? The two-minute care assessment asks five questions and tells you where to start — no email, no phone number, and the answer is on the screen.