ASSISTED LIVING, NURSING HOMES, AND DEMENTIA CARE SETTINGS: EXPLORING DISTINCTIONS AND COMMONALITIES

Abstract

At the same time, the development of special care units (SCUs) based on a social model was prompted by increasing recognition that nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia often didn't have significant medical needs that required a medical model of care. Nursing homes (well, if we're going to be honest, some nursing homes) are working on reinventing themselves to reflect the same priorities as assisted living, with the full support of the federal government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the state Quality Improvement Organizations. While the Green House concept is remarkably similar to many board and care homes and a number of assisted living communities with clusters of group homes served by some centralized staff, the application of this model to nursing home level care reflects another example of the shift from an focus on quality of care to increased emphasis on quality of life.