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Families: Explore Senior Care Options

Whether your loved one wants to remain at home or you’re considering a change, explore helpful articles, providers, and resources to understand your options.

An adult daughter embracing her older mother at home

Question 1

Can my loved one remain at home?

Many older adults prefer to stay in familiar surroundings. With the right mix of in-home help, safety updates, local services and family support, home can remain a good fit—often for longer than families expect.

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Question 2

Who can help us understand our options?

You don't have to sort this out alone. Care managers, case workers and public aging-service organizations can help assess needs, explain choices and coordinate care.

Question 3

Is a senior living community the next step?

Senior living communities offer different levels of support. Knowing the difference helps you match a community to your loved one's needs today—and plan for tomorrow.

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Want Help Exploring Your Options?

Explore senior living and care options with A Place for Mom. Visit its website to learn about its services and connect with an advisor.

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Or browse senior living & care providers directly

Independent living

Private apartments or cottages for older adults who manage daily life on their own but want convenience, social activities and fewer household chores. Personal care is generally not included.

Assisted living

A residential setting with help for daily activities such as bathing, dressing and medications, plus meals, housekeeping and planned activities. Residents keep as much independence as possible.

Memory care

Secure, specially designed living for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias, with staff trained in dementia care and structured, calming daily routines.

Continuing care retirement community (CCRC / Life Plan Community)

A single campus offering several levels—typically independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing—so residents can move between levels as needs change. Contracts and entry fees vary widely.

Question 4

What if more care is needed?

When health needs increase, these three services are often confused. They are distinct, and each serves a different purpose.

Skilled nursing (short-term)

Round-the-clock nursing and therapy, often after a hospital stay, to help someone recover and regain strength. The goal is usually a return home or to a less intensive setting.

Long-term nursing care

Ongoing care in a nursing home for people who need continuous help with daily activities and medical oversight that can't be safely provided elsewhere.

Hospice

Comfort-focused care for people with a serious illness who are no longer seeking curative treatment, with support for the whole family. Hospice is a service, not a place: it can be provided at home, in an assisted living or other senior living community, in a nursing home, or in a hospice facility.

Question 5

How can we keep our loved one connected and engaged?

Wherever your loved one lives, music, laughter and companionship matter. Bring meaningful moments into each day.

Explore Senior Living & Care Providers

A starting list of large senior living organizations, shown alphabetically—not ranked and not a complete list. Each organization's offerings vary by location, so use its community finder to confirm what's available near your loved one. Play It for Seniors does not maintain a database of individual communities.

Care type:
Coverage:

Showing 7 of 7 organizations

Atria Senior Living

Rental senior living communities with options for independent living, assisted living and memory care, depending on the location.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care
Locations Served
Communities in many U.S. states and several Canadian provinces

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Operator / management company

Operates rental communities under several brands, including Atria, Holiday by Atria and Coterie, with a strong presence in coastal metro areas.

Find a CommunityOfficial website

Brookdale Senior Living

Senior living communities with different levels of support, plus some home-based services in select areas.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care • Skilled nursing • CCRC / Life Plan • Home care
Locations Served
About 40 U.S. states

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Owner and operator

A large U.S. senior living operator with communities across a range of care levels, plus some home-based services in select areas.

Find a CommunityOfficial websiteFamily guide: What level of care do I need?

Discovery Senior Living

Senior living communities with independent living, assisted living and memory care options, depending on the location.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care
Locations Served
More than 20 U.S. states

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Owner, operator and manager

Owns, operates and manages communities under brands such as Aston Gardens, Discovery Village, Morada and TerraBella.

Find a CommunityOfficial website

Erickson Senior Living

Large retirement campuses with several levels of care on one site, so families can explore options as needs change.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care • Skilled nursing • CCRC / Life Plan
Locations Served
About 20 campuses in roughly 11 states

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Developer and manager

Develops and manages large, campus-style continuing care retirement communities offering several levels of care on one site.

Find a CommunityOfficial website

LCS (Life Care Services)

Life Plan and rental senior living communities with different levels of support, depending on the community.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care • Skilled nursing • CCRC / Life Plan
Locations Served
More than 100 communities across the U.S.

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Management company (communities typically owned by others)

Manages Life Plan and rental senior living communities on behalf of nonprofit and private owners; community names often differ from the LCS brand.

Find a CommunityOfficial website

Sonida Senior Living

Independent living, assisted living and memory care communities, with options that vary by location.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care
Locations Served
About 35 U.S. states

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Owner-operator

A publicly traded company that owns and operates independent living, assisted living and memory care communities, and manages some for third parties.

Find a CommunityOfficial websiteFamily guide: Where to begin

Sunrise Senior Living

Senior living communities with a home-like style, offering assisted living and memory care at most locations.

Types of Care
Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care • Skilled nursing
Locations Served
Many U.S. states and Canada

Care options vary by location. Confirm services with the individual community.

About this organization

Owner, operator and developer

Operates communities known for a residential, home-like style, with assisted living and memory care at most locations.

Find a CommunityOfficial website

Provider details were checked against each organization's official website and may change. Listings are informational only and do not constitute an endorsement. No provider has paid for placement on this page.

Helpful Reading as You Consider Your Options

Our short summaries of trusted public guides and our own resources. Each link opens the original source.

Staying at home versus moving

Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home

National Institute on Aging

Practical steps for planning to stay at home, from arranging help with daily tasks to home safety and knowing when it may be time to consider a move.

Read at source

Understanding care settings

Long-Term Care Facilities: Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, and Other Residential Care

National Institute on Aging

Explains how assisted living, nursing homes, CCRCs and other residential options differ in services, cost and who they serve.

Read at source

Understanding care settings

Senior Living Lifecycle Flow Chart

Play It for Seniors

Our overview of how the levels of senior living and care connect, and where enrichment fits at each stage.

Read on Play It for Seniors

Questions to ask when touring a community

How To Choose a Nursing Home or Other Long-Term Care Facility

National Institute on Aging

Suggested questions about staffing, care, activities, meals and costs to bring when you visit or call a community.

Read at source

Working with a care manager

How Geriatric Care Managers Can Help Family Caregivers

AARP

What a geriatric care manager does, when hiring one makes sense, typical costs and how to find a qualified professional.

Read at source

Planning for changing needs

Long-Term Care Planning

Administration for Community Living

Federal guidance on what long-term care is, how needs often change over time and ways to plan and pay for future care.

Read at source

Supporting connection and quality of life

Loneliness and Social Isolation — Tips for Staying Connected

National Institute on Aging

Why social connection matters for health in later life, with everyday ideas for staying engaged with others.

Read at source

Supporting connection and quality of life

Families can Sponsor Entertainment Events

Play It for Seniors

How families can bring live music and entertainment to a loved one and their neighbors.

Read on Play It for Seniors

Play It for Seniors provides these listings as a resource. Third-party organizations, providers, products, and services are independently operated and are not endorsed or guaranteed by Play It for Seniors. Users should evaluate providers and services based on their individual needs.

Links marked “Affiliate link” may earn Play It for Seniors a commission at no cost to you. There are no sponsored placements on this page. This page is free to use and provides general information only—it is not medical, legal or financial advice.