Assisted living
Residential housing with meals, activities, and varying levels of help with daily activities. Care services and fees differ by community and state.
Care options
Compare senior care options by the support a person may need.
Senior care settings are not interchangeable. This overview can help families learn the usual purpose of each option, then verify services, licensing, and total costs with official sources and individual providers.
Compare the major care settings
Memory care
A structured residential setting or specialized program for people living with memory or cognitive changes. Program design, staffing, and licensing categories vary.
Nursing homes
Facilities that provide nursing care and assistance with daily activities, including short-term rehabilitation in some locations and longer-term care in others.
Independent living
Age-oriented housing for people who generally live independently and want amenities, social opportunities, or fewer household responsibilities.
Continuing care
A campus or community offering more than one level of living or care under a contract whose services, fees, and transition terms require close review.
Home care
Non-residential help such as companionship or personal assistance delivered at home. It is different from skilled home health care.
Use these labels as a starting point
The same label can describe different service packages in different states or organizations. A care-type name alone does not establish whether a provider can meet a person's needs.
Families can compare each provider's written service agreement, staffing approach, limits, emergency procedures, current license, and inspection or complaint information where available.
Look beyond a starting price
- Housing or hourly base charge
- Care-level, assessment, or service-plan charges
- Room or unit type
- Meals, transportation, housekeeping, and activities
- Medication support or other separately priced services
- One-time, minimum-service, cancellation, or contract fees
Verify the rules that apply
Residential care, housing, home-care agencies, and professional services can fall under different authorities. State terminology and licensing rules vary, and not every senior-living setting is licensed as a health care facility.
Nursing homes that participate in Medicare or Medicaid also follow applicable federal certification requirements. Medicare-certified home health is distinct from non-medical home care.
What LookupCare is building toward
LookupCare is building clearer senior-care research that helps families understand options, costs, and licensing context before they decide whether to contact a provider.
Official sources and next checks
- National Institute on Aging: Assisted living and nursing homes — Federal overview of residential long-term care and selection resources.
- Administration for Community Living: Eldercare Locator — Federal service connecting older adults and families with local resources.
- Medicare: Care Compare — Official comparison information for Medicare-approved provider types, including nursing homes and home health agencies.