Retirement Living

Are you looking for an active adult, independent living or retirement community for yourself, or an assisted living community, nursing home, or a long term care facility for a loved one?  It can get confusing deciding what kind of care, the costs involved, and where.  Below is a quick information guide for each kind of retirement living.  Many of the terms refer to the same type of retirement living.  For more information please download our Retirement Living Information Guide by clicking here.

Active Adult Communities
Active adult housing refers to communities either age-targeted or age-restricted to people aged 55 or older and sometime 50 and older.

Retirement Community
A retirement community, or active adult community, is a very broad, generic term that covers many varieties of housing for retirees and seniors – especially designed or geared for people who no longer work, or restricted to those over a certain age.

Assisted Living
This senior housing option for older adults combines housing, personal care services, and light medical care in an atmosphere of safety and privacy. Based on a monthly fee, basic services typically include meals, laundry, housekeeping, recreation and transportation.  Usually does not cover nursing care.

Nursing Home
A facility for the care of individuals who do not require hospitalization and who cannot be cared for at home. A nursing home provides nursing, personal, custodial, and rehabilitative care. Nursing homes are freestanding, which means they are not part of a hospital.

Long Term Care
Provides personal care and some medical care to someone who is unable to carry out the activities of daily living. Long term care is provided either in a person’s home or in a long term care health facility. Care provided for persons with chronic diseases or disabilities. Includes a range of health and social services provided under the supervision of medical professionals.

To find a retirement community or facility please use our nationwide search tool.