Assisted-Living: An Overview

Assisted living facilities (ALFs) largely began to be recognized as a separate type of senior care facility in the mid to late 1980s. Since they are regulated primarily by state rather than federal law, it is difficult to define what is normally included in assisted living services. It may be easier to define them by what they are not: They are neither nursing homes nor skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), nor are they independent living communities. They serve the segment of the senior population that cannot or chooses not to live independently, but who do not require skilled nursing care (Marak).

Most assisted living facilities offer at least the following (Marak):

Additional services offered by some assisted living communities may also include (Marak):

ALFs should not normally provide skilled nursing services. If a patient requires skilled nursing care, the organization should consider moving the patient to a higher level of care.

Skilled nursing services include the following, which apply to both...