Assisted Living

Who They Are and What They Do…

An assisted living facility (ALF) provides supervision or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs); coordination of services by outside health care providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Assistance may include the administration or supervision of medication, personal care services provided by trained staff, and basic services such as meals, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation. Assisted living as it exists today emerged in the 1980s as an eldercare option for those whom independent living (IL) was no longer appropriate. It is the step between IL and the 24-hour medical care provided by a skilled nursing facility. Assisted living is a philosophy of care and services promoting independence and dignity. Each state licenses its ALFs, making them subject to the state’s laws and regulations. ALFs can range in size from a small residential house for three residents up to large facilities providing services to hundreds of residents. Assisted living falls somewhere between an independent living community and a skilled nursing facility in terms of the level of care provided. Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) combine independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care in one facility or campus. *