In short
Assisted living fits people who need help with daily care but not constant nursing. Nursing homes add 24-hour supervision and nursing care. Memory care adds secured spaces and dementia-trained staff. Home care brings help into your parent's own home. The deciding factors are medical needs, supervision, safety and cost.
The decision matrix
^ Main care options compared
| Home care | Assisted living | Memory care | Nursing home | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fits | Help with daily tasks at home | Help with daily care, less than a nursing home | Dementia with safety or supervision needs | Daily nursing and 24-hour supervision |
| Medical care | Visits from a nurse when ordered | Limited, varies by license | Limited, varies by license | Nursing care on site |
| Supervision | Only during scheduled hours | Staff on site day and night | Secured setting, staff on site | 24-hour |
| National median cost, 2025 | $35 an hour for a non-medical caregiver | $6,200 a month | Varies; ask each community | $9,581 a month semi-private |
| Medicare pays | Only skilled home health | Not for room, board or custodial care | Not for room, board or custodial care | Short-term skilled care only |
Costs are national medians from the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. Prices in your area can be very different.
Comparisons
Assisted living vs a group home
Assisted living communities and small group homes both give personal care. Size, staffing, setting, cost and who each fits, side by side.
Guide ReadCompareGeriatric care manager vs case manager
A geriatric care manager works privately for your family; a case manager usually works for a hospital, insurer or program. Roles and costs compared.
Guide ReadCompareHome care agency vs hiring a private caregiver
Hiring through a home care agency or directly: who screens, schedules, covers sick days and handles payroll, and the questions to ask either way.
Guide ReadCompareHome care vs a nursing home: which is right for your parent?
Home care or a nursing home: what each provides, when home stops being safe, 2025 costs, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, and the questions that decide.
Guide ReadCompareLong-term care vs skilled nursing: what's the difference?
Long-term care is ongoing help with daily life; skilled nursing is medical care by licensed staff, often short term. What Medicare pays for each.
Guide ReadCompareMemory care vs home care for a parent with dementia
When home care still works for someone with dementia, the safety signs that point to memory care, and how cost and supervision compare.
Guide ReadNot sure where to start?
The care-level matcher asks six questions and points to the level of care that fits now.
Questions families ask
What is the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?
The National Institute on Aging describes assisted living as for people who need help with daily care, but not as much as a nursing home provides. Nursing homes focus more on medical care, with nursing and 24-hour supervision.
Is memory care a type of assisted living?
Often, yes. Many memory care programs are separate units in assisted living communities or nursing homes, with secured spaces and dementia-trained staff.
Which costs more, home care or a nursing home?
It depends on the hours. A few hours of home care a week costs far less than a nursing home; round-the-clock home care can cost more.
Does Medicare pay for any of these long term?
No. Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care in any setting. It covers short-term skilled nursing and home health when the rules are met.
Sources
- National Institute on Aging: Long-term care facilities, assisted living, nursing homes and other residential care
- National Institute on Aging: What is long-term care?
- Medicare.gov: Long-term care coverage
- Medicare.gov: Skilled nursing facility care
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (national and state medians)