There are about 20,000 assisted living residences in the United States, housing over one million Americans.
Assisted living facilities can be called many different things, including residential care, adult congregate living care, adult living facilities, board and care, or enhanced care.
Many facilities stand alone, but there are also assisted living facilities that are part of a retirement residence. The assisted living part of the retirement community cares for people with a higher level of need. Assisted living facilities can also be connected with a nursing home, or all three may be in the same facility. This combination of more than one type of facility is called a "continuing care retirement community."
Since people in assisted living facilities have widely different needs, it is common for the facility to create a service plan for each individual resident upon admission. This service plan addresses the resident's specific needs and details the services that the facility's staff will provide for him or her.
A common term used in such service plans is "ADLs," which stands for "activities of daily life." One resident might receive help with such ADLs as bathing, dressing, and eating, while another might only need help with housekeeping, laundry, and managing medications. The plan is updated regularly to reflect any changes in the resident's condition and needs.
An assisted living facility differs from a nursing home because nursing homes are designed to help very frail people who have many healthcare requirements and cannot care for themselves. Assisted living facilities, on the other hand, help elderly people who can basically care for themselves, but need help with a few specific activities.