Assisted Living vs Nursing Home: What's the Difference?
Two very different settings that families often confuse. Here's a plain-English comparison built for Connecticut families.
Assisted living and nursing homes both provide support for older adults, but they serve different needs. Assisted living focuses on daily living help in a residential setting. Nursing homes provide 24-hour skilled medical care for more advanced needs.
Assisted living
A residential community with meals, activities, housekeeping, and help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, or medication reminders.
Best for
- Seniors who are mostly independent but need some daily help
- Those who want social activity and built-in routines
- Families looking for a step between home and skilled care
CT cost range: $4,500 – $10,000+/month, often paid privately or with long-term care insurance.
Nursing home
A skilled facility with 24-hour medical staff, designed for people with serious medical needs, advanced cognitive decline, or recovery from a hospital stay.
Best for
- Seniors needing daily medical or skilled nursing care
- Recovery after a hospitalization or surgery
- Advanced dementia or complex conditions
CT cost range: $13,000 – $16,000+/month. Medicaid (HUSKY) may cover qualifying long-term stays.
When to choose each
Choose assisted living when your parent can still get around with some help, but daily tasks and isolation are becoming concerns.
Choose a nursing home when there are ongoing medical needs, frequent hospital visits, or advanced cognitive decline that assisted living cannot safely support.
For more on insurance and how to pay for either, see our guide on insurance coverage in CT and long-term care insurance.