A Guide to Deciding Between Assisted Living and Nursing Homes in Los Angeles

Sarah OrdoverMar 14th, 2024

We get many phone calls from people who are confused thinking their loved one needs to move to a nursing home instead of an assisted living facility. We know that in other states nursing homes play a larger role in caring for seniors who need help with the activities of daily life. In California, most care needs can be handled in an assisted living or memory care community, through the end of life. A person never needs to go to a nursing home.

Assisted living facilities, including board and care homes, are licensed to manage a resident’s activities of daily life (ADLs). The activities of daily life include, but are not limited to:

• Assistance with transferring in and out of bed, chair or wheelchair
  
• Supervision walking with a walker or in use of a wheelchair
  
• Help with feeding including preparing specialized diets such as pureed food
  
• Incontinence management, ranging from escorting someone to the bathroom to full incontinence care
  
• Standby or full assistance with dressing, grooming and showering
  
• Caring for persons who are bedbound
  
• Dementia care
  
• End-of-life hospice care
  
• Medication management

Does My Loved One Need to Go to a Nursing Home? Quick Explanation!

There are two types of nursing homes: skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and long-term care nursing homes. Often, they are two separate wings of the same building.

Patients are sent to SNFs after hospitalization when they need continued short-term physical or occupational therapy or continued sub-acute treatment post-surgery or after an in-patient occurrence. In general, a stay at an SNF in California is covered by Medicare or an individual’s private insurance.

People who live in permanent long-term care nursing facilities either have a condition that cannot be serviced at an assisted living facility due to California licensing, such as being on a ventilator, or they are low-income and pay for long-term care through Medi-Cal.

Assisted Living Communities versus Board and Care Homes in Los Angeles

If someone does need a higher level of care and/or 24/7 supervision, often they go to a board and care home, rather than a larger assisted living community. In Los Angeles, most board and care homes are licensed to care for a maximum of six residents, allowing the facility to provide a very high level of oversight. The ones that we recommend to our clients will have at least two caregivers working during the day to care for the six residents. That’s a ratio of 1:3, almost like having a private duty aide. Board and care homes are small, many times converted houses, so caregivers can see and hear what is going on in each room.

Board and care homes are appropriate for bedbound residents, residents who need care with most of their activities of daily living, residents who are unable to transfer on their own, and residents with mid to late-stage dementia.

Which Type of Assisted Living in Los Angeles is Right for Your Loved One?

When you call Assisted Living Locators Los Angeles, we’ll have a straight and candid talk with you about your options, help you analyze the best fit for your situation, and make sure you are being steered to reputable providers. Evaluating the differences between a nursing home, assisted living, or board and care home is not easy. Our service is provided free of charge to our clients and we are considered one of the top senior living advisory companies in the Los Angeles area.

Call Assisted Living Locators at 310-853-8282 or visit our website at www.assistedlivinglocatorsla.com.