Housing Types

Quick review of the types of housing that is available. Terms vary sometimes and even providers mix up what they are doing. However:

Supportive Housing: Where there are minimal services, including dining room and one to three meals a day. Usually also includes recreation and emergency call systems in units. Units are usually apartments of some kind. Care and nursing services not included.

Assisted Living: Same as Supportive, but Care services to help with ADL (Adtivities of Daily Living) are included . These can include help with bathing, dressing, medication reminders, toileting. In B.C. people ae supposed to be able to direct their own care, and have a maximum need for two services. All asssited living in BC has to be registered with the Assisted Living Registrar . Does not include nursing care. Usually, there is a supervising nurse on staff.

Residential Care: Where nursing care is part of the services provided. Will include help with all ADL, plus help with transferring ( getting from bed to a wheelchair or on and off the toilet, for instance). In the U.S. they call this skilled nursing care when there are rehabilitation services available. These are what are covered by medicare and medicaid.

Campus of Care means a situation in which all or two or more of the above levels of housing are available within the same complex, either in the same building, or in different buildings or wings on a campus type of layout.