Nursing home care is traditionally a permanent residence for, mostly elderly, people who are too sick or frail to live at home or at a temporary care facility.
Most of us have a stereotyped image in our mind of a nursing home: an institutional setting filled with sad, bored, little old people.
It doesn't have to be like this, there are options for elderly independent living including great nursing homes as well as alternatives to nursing home care.
In fact, there are a wide variety of care options available depending on the type of care required by the individual.
Options range from home and community care programs, to non-medical assisted living communities, to board and care homes -- designed for people who can't live on their own but don't need a nursing home, to continuing care retirement communities that provide different levels of service depending on residents' individual need.
Full-time care, either in-home or in a care center environment can be expensive.
Obviously cost comes into play when deciding which option is best for the individual as well as their budget.
We would all like to see our loved-ones, or ourselves, at an upscale continuing care retirement community.
Given the state of the economy, and the number of baby boomers soon to be looking for elder care, that scenario is not always possible.
Regardless of which type of senior care is chosen, it is critical for individuals and their families to be aware of all the options.
For those with minor limitations an in-home care situation might make the most sense.
But, innovative programs like PACE, if it is available, might take that care to the next level without the expense of continuing care retirement community.