Are all assisted living facilities the same?

An assisted living facility can be a high-rise apartment building with many residents or a small home with as few as four people. Living units may mean a single or double room with or without a shared bathroom or a full apartment, which can be private or shared. Units may have kitchenettes and private baths. Facilities may be freestanding or physically connected to a nursing home or hospital. They may also be part of a campus, which includes independent living apartments, assisted living, and nursing facility services.

Some facilities provide only basic housekeeping and limited assistance with activities of daily living and personal care, such as bathing, dressing and grooming. Facilities are not required to provide meals, but most do.

Other facilities go beyond these services, offering more extensive assistance with daily activities and personal care. They may also provide or help arrange for transportation and certain health services.

There are also assisted living facilities that primarily serve persons with:

• mental illness,
• Alzheimer's disease,
• dementia, or
• physical disabilities.

There are not separate assisted living licensing categories for such specialty areas. All assisted living facilities fall under the same licensure laws.