Ever wonder what the difference is between adult day care and assisted living? Or what a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) is and why it’s so expensive?
The folks at SeniorLiving.org have your back. They’ve created a brilliant bubble graph that helps seniors and their caregivers get a handle on the different levels of senior living (or senior care) and how they overlap.
A few basics to keep in mind:
- CCRCs are the costliest option because they are the ultimate retirement plan: every level of care is possible without leaving the campus.
- In-home care is at the lower end of the cost spectrum due to its part-time nature. For as little as $15/hour, an aide will come to the house and perform light duties or just check in on the senior. The primary caregiver gets a break and peace of mind.
- Not all states have Personal Care Homes (PCMs), a subset of assisted living that prevents its operators from dispensing medications or helping with financial tasks. To find a PCM via the Senior Living website: search its assisted living options, then check the entity’s description to see if it is legally identified as a PCM or an assisted living facility.
Once you’ve wrapped your head around the bubble graph, you can search the options in your area here: Local Care Options
Scattered: My Year As An Accidental Caregiver is available in paperback and eBook at
