Moving a loved one to a nursing home or assisted living facility is a significant decision that involves careful consideration of many factors. From the facility’s location to the types of care and activities available, choosing the right nursing home requires thorough research and understanding to determine if it’s a good fit for your loved one.
In this guide, learn what nursing homes are, how nursing home care differs from other types of senior care settings, why nursing homes play a crucial role in senior care, who lives in them and how much they cost.
[READ: What’s the Difference Between Memory Care and Nursing Homes?]
What Is a Nursing Home?
Nursing homes are care facilities primarily designed for older adults who need either short- or long-term care. These facilities are often divided into two categories:
— Nursing homes. Nursing homes provide round-the-clock custodial care, which includes assistance with one or more activities of daily living, or ADLs, such as eating, preparing meals, bathing, dressing, going to the toilet and managing medications. Nursing homes typically care for patients longer-term and serve as a permanent residence for individuals who need constant care. Federal law requires that all nursing homes provide enough staff to safely care for residents. A specified number of nursing caregivers, such as registered nurses, licensed practice nurses, certified nursing aides and physical therapists, must be included among staff members. Exact staffing figures vary from home to home depending on the amount of care residents require.
— Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). These facilities typically provide short-term care for acute conditions, such as recovery from an illness or surgery. They usually provide specialized services, such as physical or occupational therapy, wound care or chronic disease management. Licensed professionals provide care at skilled nursing facilities, and staff there also include registered nurses, nursing assistants, physical and occupational therapists and other caregivers.
The two terms are often used interchangeably or under the umbrella of “nursing home,” even though they offer slightly different services.
[READ: What Qualifies a Patient for Skilled Nursing Care?]
What Type of Care Do Nursing Homes Provide?
Nursing homes and SNFs provide a wide range of medical care and services, which can include:
— Dietary services and nutrition support
— Rehabilitative services, including short- and long-term care and treatment for disabilities
— Therapy services, such as speech, occupational or physical therapy
— Pharmaceutical services, including dispensing and administering medications
— Social services to support community engagement and overall well-being for residents
— Medical care, such as wound or catheter care
— Chronic disease management, such as diabetes control and blood pressure monitoring
— Psychological services to address mental health needs
— Laundry and homemaking services
— Meal services, offered at least three times per day
— Assistance with daily tasks, such as toileting, bathing and dressing
— Social activities, such as musical entertainment and art therapy
[READ: How to Choose a Good Nursing Home: Expert Tips]
How Do Nursing Homes Compare to Other Long-Term Care Options for Seniors?
Long-term care facilities provide support for older adults who can no longer live independently, offering a range of options to meet different needs, budgets and preferences.
The most common options include:
— Independent living. This level is for individuals who need minimal assistance on a daily basis but who would benefit from some light housekeeping and meal prep assistance, as well as proximity to peers for social enrichment.
— Assisted living. This second tier is for people who need more help day-to-day with ADLs, such as bathing and hygiene.
— Memory care. This type of senior care supports individuals with cognitive impairment or dementia. It’s similar to assisted living but may also mirror nursing home care in many ways as staff tailor support to those with memory issues.
— Continuing care retirement communities. These communities typically include all of the various levels of senior care so a senior can transition seamlessly from one to the next without having to move.
[READ: Nursing Homes vs. Assisted Living.]
All of these various communities may be referred to as a “care home,” in local parlance, but generally, the term “care home” refers to assisted living rather than a nursing home.
Finding the perfect senior care fit depends on various factors, including:
— The level of medical assistance your loved one requires
— Personal preferences
— Facility location and staff expertise
Below, compare various types of long-term care options and their average costs to help you understand the nuances and make an informed decision for your loved one.
Comparison of long-term care options
| Long-term care option | What it is | Average cost |
| Nursing home | Provides round-the-clock supervision and assistance with ADLs, offering a higher level of supervision and nursing care than assisted living | $10,646 per month (private room) $9,277 per month (semi-private room) |
| Skilled nursing facility | Provides short- or long-term care, including rehabilitation and medical services delivered by licensed medical professionals and often serves patients recovering from hospitalization, surgery or illness who need intensive medical monitoring or rehab | $10,646 per month (private room) $9,277 per month (semi-private room) |
| Independent living or retirement community | Self-sufficient communities where older adults don’t require daily assistance and can age in place with minimal care; often includes amenities like social activities | $3,300 per month |
| Assisted living | Offers assistance with daily personal care in a residential setting, and sometimes health care services are available | $5,900 per month |
| Continuing care retirement community | Provides a tiered approach to care for older adults, allowing residents to transition from independent living to on-site assisted living or nursing care as needs change — all within the same community | $3,747 per month (though pricing models vary and entrance fees can be steep, upward of $1 million depending on the community) |
| Memory care | Specialized unit or facility with 24/7 care and supervision for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia; includes structured activities and enhanced security | $7,500 per month (though costs may vary) |
To summarize, the table above shows that independent living is typically the least expensive of the senior living options, while CCRCs and memory care tend to be the most expensive. In short, the more services, care and support someone needs, the more expensive it will be. And this care may be more expensive in some markets with a higher cost of living than in others.
[SEE: Nursing Home Red Flags You Should Watch For]
Who Qualifies for Care in a Nursing Home?
What qualifies someone for nursing home care may vary by state. Before being admitted to a nursing home, the facility is required to conduct a thorough assessment — including an assessment of your loved one’s medical, physical and cognitive abilities — to determine the right level of care for their needs.
Their level of independence will also be considered with questions such as:
— Can they eat on their own?
— Are they mobile?
— Do they need assistance to go to the toilet or take a shower?
— Can they manage their chronic conditions and medications?
Acceptance into a nursing home or SNF requires sign-off from a medical professional, such as a geriatrician. However, this should ultimately be a joint decision that involves your loved one, family members or caregiver and medical provider.
When to Consider Nursing Home Care
When an older adult can no longer live independently, it might be time to consider a nursing home for your loved one.
Signs to look for that may signify it’s time for more intensive care include:
— Worsening medical condition
— Cognitive decline or signs of memory loss
— Noticeable changes in behavior
— Lack of mobility
— Increased falls or other injuries
— Increased frailty
— Difficulty maintaining proper nutrition
— Frequent hospitalizations or visits to the doctor
— Difficulty managing household tasks
— Difficulty keeping up with personal hygiene
— Difficulty managing finances
Beyond the state of your loved one’s health, it also may be time to consider a nursing home if they have inadequate support at home or their caregiver is overwhelmed. For older adults who live alone or lack sufficient in-home assistance, for instance, a nursing home can help ensure they’re receiving necessary round-the-clock care. Likewise, caregiver burnout is a common challenge — particularly if your loved one’s overall condition worsens and requires more intensive, continuous support.
If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed or physically unable to provide the necessary level of care for your loved one, transitioning them to nursing home care may be more sustainable and mutually beneficial for both of you.
How Many People Reside in Nursing Homes?
“More than 1.4 million people live in over 15,500 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes across the nation,” says Dr. Michael Tehrani, a geriatric physician and founder and CEO of MedWell Medical in Long Beach, California.
It’s also a common misconception that nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities care only for the elderly. Recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics notes that 82.6% of nursing home residents are age 65 or older. However, 17.4% of residents are under age 65.
Those younger residents (and some of the older residents) may not be planning to stay in a facility for the rest of their lives; rather, they may need rehabilitative care. Some younger people with certain disabilities, such as severe developmental disabilities, that require constant care may also live in a nursing home
How Long Is the Average Stay in a Nursing Home?
Because of the wide variability of care needs across such a diverse population, it can be difficult to determine how long you’ll need care in a nursing home.
The Administration on Aging, however, reports that women on average need long-term care services and support for 3.7 years, while men average 2.2. years.
Although approximately one-third of people age 65 today won’t need long-term care support at all, about 20% of today’s 65-year-olds will need more than five years’ worth of care. (Those figures include all kinds of long-term care, including assisted living communities, nursing homes and at-home care.)
For nursing homes specifically, long-term residents average a stay of two years or more, according to the National Care Planning Council.
Because aging in America can be a socially isolating experience, Dr. Tanya Gure, section chief of geriatrics at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, routinely talks with her patients about their plans for the future, especially if they’re about to undergo an elective surgical procedure or foresee that they might need extra short-term care at some point.
Skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes are a “resource they can utilize so that when they go back home, they are more capable of facing what they find there,” she says.
Nursing Home Costs
According to Genworth and CareScout’s 2024 Cost of Care survey, the median cost of skilled nursing in a private room at a nursing home will set you back $127,750 per year, versus just over $111,325 for a semi-private room. But prices can vary greatly depending on where in the country the community is located and which services a senior needs.
For example, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. have the highest daily costs for private nursing homes at $998, $562 and $549 per day, respectively. In Alaska, that adds up to more than $364,000 per year.
At the other end of the spectrum, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma are the least expensive areas, with per-day private room costs of $233, $235 and $250, respectively. The annual total ranges from $85,045 to $91,250 per year in those states. While significantly less than in the most expensive states, that is still a lot of money.
How to Pay for Nursing Home Care
A popular misconception is that Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older, pays for residency in a long-term care facility. In fact, Medicare does not cover long-term care in a nursing home facility. However, Medicare does pay for the first 100 days in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility, if certain criteria are met. For instance, the patient must have been hospitalized for at least three consecutive days before transferring to the nursing home.
If you meet all of the qualifying conditions, Medicare coverage for skilled nursing care includes:
| Timeline | Patient responsibility |
| First 20 days | Patients pay $0 after the initial $1,736 payment in 2026. |
| Days 21 to 100 | Patients pay up to $217 per day in 2026, depending on how they are progressing and what their care needs are over time. |
| After day 100 | Patients pay 100% of the cost of care. |
The coverage rules for Medicare Advantage plans are different, so check your specific coverage plan for details.
Because Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care, people who need nursing home care must pay privately. Finding a way to pay for long-term care can be a big problem for many people, especially given the high costs associated with such care.
Long-term care insurance policies may be an option to pay for nursing home care, but these policies can be prohibitively costly for many. Some insurance companies also allow life insurance policies to cover long-term care expenses. But in most cases, people pay out of pocket until their resources are used up, at which point Medicaid, a joint federal and state program providing coverage to low-income individuals, kicks in to cover costs.
In fact, Medicaid is the primary payer for the majority of nursing home residents, with about 63% using this means, according to KFF. But the rules vary from state to state, so it’s important to talk with an advisor to understand your options.
If you’re looking for a nursing home or a long-term care facility for a loved one now or if you will in the near future, take care to do some extra diligence — ask about their procedures and policies regarding infection control and how staff are working to keep residents safe from contagious diseases, such as the flu, RSV and pneumonia. Tehrani also recommends asking how the facility handles medical emergencies.
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Nursing Homes: A Guide for 2026 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 12/16/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
