When you are considering a senior care center for an aging loved one, you may be faced with deciding between a nursing home and an assisted living facility. While there are similarities between the two options, there are a few distinct differences that can sway your choice. Below is a breakdown of what each has to offer.

Nursing Home vs. Assisted Living Facility: Which Is Better for Your Loved One?

Nursing Home

• Care: Nursing home residents require round-the-clock, advanced medical care as well as help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, and meals. Licensed nurses and doctors are onsite to assist with complicated health concerns.
• Appearance: Because of the type of care received, nursing homes may appear more like a medical facility. Residents may also share living space with other seniors and typically don’t have private rooms.
• Safety: Safety is a priority, and every area is designed with handrails, grab bars, and other features to make movement easier. Many residents use walkers, wheelchairs, and other medical devices. There is also an emergency call system to ensure every resident can reach someone at all times.
• Medical Care: Medication is organized, managed, and administered by professional staff to reduce confusion, mistakes, or missing a dose. Nurses and doctors are also ready to assist with major injuries, surgery procedure care, and respiratory treatments.
• Social: Social and spiritual activities as well as entertainment to keep residents happy are typically held onsite due to residents’ limited mobility or delicate health.

Assisted Living

• Aesthetic: Assisted living facilities look like a residential community with apartment buildings and clubhouses. Residents usually have their own suite and enjoy a level of independence based on their relative health. Some are even pet-friendly, allowing your loved one to keep a furry companion. 
• Independence: Residents are mostly independent but may need help with dressing, bathing, meal prep, and other personal care tasks. Certified caregivers provide housekeeping, laundry, and other services for comfortable daily life.
• Safety: Grab bars, hand rails, and emergency call systems ensure residents have access to help at all times.
• Medicine: Some senior care facilities have an onsite clinic to help with daily medication to ensure proper dosage and avoid overdosing mistakes.
• Entertainment: Various social, physical, and spiritual activities are available, such as shopping trips, tours, exercise classes, movie nights, book clubs, and dance lessons.

Montana’s BeeHive Homes of Columbia Falls offers the community a comfortable assisted living facility where residents have private rooms and the help they need to maintain their independence, no matter their age. Their slogan “never get lost in the crowd” ensures that each resident has the personalized care they need to maintain a high quality of life. They also have a doctor on hand and 24-hour staff for extra security. To learn more about this intimate, family-owned senior care center, call (406) 261-2388 today or visit them online.