We know growing old gracefully has its challenges. A major one involves the elderly being forced to alter their current living arrangements and move to a
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 70% of people age 65 or older, require long-term care services. Although most people believe long-term care affects only those in their
Table of Contents
Knowing the differences in making the best choice on your
Assisted Living
Most Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) also known as retirement homes, residential care, or long-term facilities primarily help residents with minor medical services. The goal is to treat each resident like family and provide personalized care in maintaining or regaining their independence. Currently, over 800,000 Americans currently reside in assisted living facilities, with just over half of the residents being aged 85 years and older.
Choosing assisted living vs. living at home greatly enhances the quality of life and improves health and safety. At a minimum, the apartments offer one unfurnished room, a private wheelchair-accessible bathroom, and a kitchenette. At-home maintenance is provided when needed and to make the resident’s life easy, a registered nurse and experienced care team are on-site around the clock. They assist with first-aid wound care, bathing, dressing, toileting, medication management, and physical, speech, and occupational therapies.
In addition, most ALFs have an on-site fitness center with a personal trainer, wellness center, 24/7 security, and emergency call system. Scheduled transportation is arranged to assist with medical appointments or shopping. There are three delicious and nutritious chef-prepared meals to enjoy every day. To stay sharp and fit, a monthly calendar of events is planned to encourage participation in social, spiritual, recreational, cultural, and educational programs on-site.
Care.com allows you to search for and connect with caregivers and
The size of the facility, type of services included, and the number of services required all impact monthly fees. According to Genworth Financial, the average cost of assisted living in 2020 was $4,300 per month or $51,600 annually. Costs vary by state. A Florida resident’s daily rent cost $122 (average $3,700 monthly) for a one-bedroom apartment while in New Jersey the cost is $219 (average $6,650 monthly).
Supportive Living
Supportive living communities provide personal care, daily socialization, and educational activities in a comfortable, home-like setting. Residents enjoy private apartment homes (either studio, one or two rooms), and depending on their chosen community may have access to relaxing outdoor spaces, recreational rooms, and beauty or barber services.
In contrast to assisted living, these services are provided in supportive living at a reduced or subsidized cost. Also unlike in assisted living, if a resident becomes unable to pay for the care, they are not required to move from their apartment. These financial safety nets are why supportive living communities are such an asset to seniors, their families, and communities.
For example, in 2019 my 77-year-old family member had enjoyed living in an independent
Documents Needed for Supporting Living
- Birth certificate and social security card
- Medicare and/or Medicaid Insurance
- Primary physician’s name, address, and phone number
- Life insurance policies including cash surrender value
- Irrevocable Trust State showing a funeral home as Trustee
- Funeral home’s financial worksheet
- Maximum of $2,000 in total assets
- List of properties sold, transferred, or given away in the last 5 years
- Financial accounts; checking, savings, 401K, trust, IRA, investments, life insurance, etc. (closed or cashed in the last 5 years)
- Car ownership within the last 5 years
- Any Power of Attorney (POA) for Health Care and financial property
With supportive living, rent cost is determined by personal income. She received social security insurance benefits, therefore, after the monthly rent was withdrawn this left her with a $90 monthly allowance.
Just like other
- 24/7 Nursing assistances (CNAs)
- Assistance with bathing, dressing, and medication management
- Three meals a day
- Housekeeping and laundry service
- Social, educational, and wellness activities
- Arranged transportation for appointments
- Wheel-chair accessible kitchenette with microwave
- Wheel-chair accessible bathroom with walk-in shower
- Wall-mounted TV and basic cable services
- 24/7 Security and Emergency Call Systems
- On-site activity room, library, beauty and barber salon, fitness center and more
- Social programs and activities
Independent Living
Most Independent Living communities are also known as retirement communities,
Seniors who wish to downsize or travel freely without the burden of managing a home may benefit from residing here. There is less home upkeep and increased access to nutritious meals, social interaction, physical and mental stimulation.
The most significant difference between assisted living and independent
Independent
A few amenities of most independent living facilities include:
- Housekeeping and laundry service
- Stove, dishwasher, and full-size refrigerator
- On-site activity room, library, beauty and barber salon, fitness center, and more
- Social programs coordinated by residents and staff
- Transportation to appointments and shopping
- 24/7 Security and Emergency Call System
- Low-income residents are also accepted at most
- Small pets are welcome (in some communities)
Conclusion
Choosing to live in a
Moving to a
For more information, start with consulting with your physician, a family member, a close friend, and the Department of Health and Human Services to see the various providers and facilities. Go online for
![This is sponsored content. SeniorAffair.com has partnered with Care.com, and this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase or sign up through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As always, our recommendations reflect what we genuinely believe will help our readers. Quick answer: Care.com is an online marketplace where you can search for in-home senior caregivers by the exact skills your family needs—companionship, meal prep, medication reminders, dementia support, and more—compare rates and reviews, and message or video-interview candidates before hiring. You can even search for senior living communities. Every individual caregiver starts with a required background check, though families should still do their own additional vetting. Care.com membership starts at $12.99/month. Key Takeaways Care.com lets you filter caregivers by specific skills—meal prep, transportation, personal care, dementia support, and more. Every individual caregiver starts with a required background check, plus Care.com offers a 24/7 safety hotline. Membership starts at $12.99/month. The Senior Care Advisor service pairs you with a master's-level social worker for a personalized care plan if you're not sure what type of care is right for your loved one. It usually happens fast. A fall in the kitchen. A diagnosis that changes everything. A phone call from a hospital you weren't expecting. One day you're checking in on Mom or Dad the way you always have, and the next you're trying to figure out, in a matter of days, who's going to help them get dressed, remember their medication, or simply not be alone all day. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone—and you're not behind. Most families who search for senior care do so under pressure, not because they waited too long, but because caregiving needs rarely arrive on a convenient timeline. The good news is that the search itself doesn't have to be another source of stress. Here's how Care.com can help, and what to know before you start. What Is Care.com, and How Does It Help With Senior Care? Care.com is an online marketplace that connects families with caregivers for in-home senior care, along with options like senior living communities and adult day programs. Instead of working through a stack of business cards from a hospital discharge folder or asking around your neighborhood group chat, you can search caregiver profiles by the specific skills your family needs, plus get additional safety and hiring tools to make the process easier. Whether your loved one needs help with meal prep, transportation, light housekeeping, personal care, medication reminders, companionship, or dementia support, you can search for caregivers who list that exact experience, then compare hourly rates, bios, and ratings and reviews left by other families. [INTERNAL LINK: our guide to signs a parent needs in-home care] How Do You Search for a Caregiver on Care.com? The process is straightforward: post a job describing your family's needs, and caregivers apply directly to you. You can search by skills, experience, and hourly rate to find a care that fits your needs and your budget. You must be a member to message and hire. Video interviews are built into the platform, so you can screen someone before sharing your address or inviting them into your parent's home. You can compare multiple caregivers side by side before making any commitment—no pressure to decide on the spot. Is Care.com Safe? What the Required Background Check Covers Every individual caregiver on Care.com's platform starts with a required background check. Care.com also monitors job posts and messages, operates a 24/7 safety hotline, and provides tips and resources to help families make safer hiring choices—you can learn more at care.com/safety. That said, a background check is an important start—not the full picture. We always encourage families to conduct their own additional vetting: talk with caregivers directly, check references, ask detailed questions about experience with your loved one's specific needs, and trust your instincts during video interviews before anyone sets foot in the home. It's also worth taking a few minutes to verify the details in any caregiver profile or job posting, since families are ultimately responsible for confirming that information is accurate. What Does Care.com Cost for Senior Care? As of 2026, Care.com's premium membership for families starts at $12.99/month, depending on the length of the plan you choose—you can search by skills, experience, and hourly rate to find care that fits your needs and your budget. What Is the Care.com Senior Care Advisor Service? For families who feel stuck before they've even started—who don't know whether Mom needs a few hours of help a week or a full conversation about assisted living—Care.com also offers Senior Care Advisor. For a one-time fee, you get 90 days of access to a dedicated advisor, a master's-level social worker, who gets to know your family's situation on a consultation call and then delivers a personalized care plan by email, along with researched local resources and next steps. The intake process is short—about five minutes to answer a handful of questions ahead of time—followed by a 30-minute consultation. From there, your advisor sends a detailed plan within a few days that covers everything from in-home care and senior living communities to navigating Medicare, Medicaid, and veteran's benefits, and even how to have hard conversations with siblings about splitting responsibilities. [INTERNAL LINK: our Medicare/Medicaid senior care coverage guide] It's designed for exactly the moment so many of us find ourselves in: knowing something has to change, but not knowing where to begin—and not wanting to figure it out completely alone. → Learn more about the Senior Care Advisor on Care.com You're Not the Only One Feeling This If you're the adult child juggling this search alongside a job, your own kids, and a life that already felt full, the guilt of "should I be doing this myself" is real. So is the exhaustion of not knowing where to even start looking. Those feelings are common, not a sign you're falling short. Having a structured way to search—filtered by the specific help your loved one needs, backed by reviews from families who've been exactly where you are—takes some of that weight off, even if it doesn't remove it entirely. How to Get Started on Care.com You don't need to have everything figured out to start searching. You can browse caregiver profiles freely, get a feel for who's available in your area, and filter by exactly what your family needs—whether that's someone a few hours a week for companionship or more consistent daily support. When you're ready, you can become a member to message caregivers, schedule video interviews, and compare your options side by side before hiring. Caregiving decisions are personal, and they rarely feel simple. But having a clear, organized way to search—instead of piecing it together from scratch—can make a genuinely hard season a little more manageable. Because while you want to care for everyone you love, it can't always be you. When it's not you, it's Care.com™. Frequently Asked Questions About Care.com for Senior Care Is Care.com legit for finding senior care? Yes. Care.com is a long-running online marketplace connecting families with caregivers, including for senior and adult care. Every individual caregiver starts with a required background check, and the platform offers safety monitoring and a 24/7 safety hotline—though families should still do their own vetting before hiring. How much does Care.com cost for senior care? As of 2026, a Care.com membership starts at $12.99/month, depending on the length of the plan you choose. Does every caregiver on Care.com have a background check? Yes—every individual caregiver on Care.com's platform starts with a required background check. Families are still encouraged to do additional vetting, such as checking references and conducting video interviews, since a background check is a starting point rather than a full screening on the family's behalf. What is Care.com Senior Care Advisor? It's a paid, one-time service that gives you 90 days of access to a dedicated advisor—typically a master's-level social worker—who builds a personalized care plan for your family, covering options like in-home care, senior living, and navigating Medicare and Medicaid. It also includes 90 days of Care.com membership. Can I find caregivers with memory care or dementia experience on Care.com? Yes. You can search for memory care and dementia experience and compare reviews from other families who've hired caregivers for similar needs. Does Care.com offer senior living community listings? Care.com's core search focuses on in-home caregivers, but it also provides information on options outside the home, including senior living communities and adult day programs. → Start your search on Care.com Disclaimer: Care.com does not employ or place caregivers, provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, or engage in any conduct that requires a professional license, including in connection with certain senior caregiving services. Families are encouraged to verify the accuracy of information in caregiver profiles, job postings, and other areas of the site. Pricing is subject to change; confirm current rates on Care.com directly. "Care.com" and "When it's not you, it's Care.com™" are service marks or registered service marks of Care.com, Inc](https://senioraffair.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/How-to-Find-Senior-Care-for-a-Parent-A-Practical-Guide-to-Getting-Started-218x150.jpeg "How to Find Senior Care for a Parent: A Practical Guide to Getting Started")
