What’s the Difference? How to choose an Adult Family Home, Assisted Living Facility, Nursing Home, or Skilled Nursing Facility

When a loved one needs more care than can be provided at home, families are often faced with a flood of unfamiliar terms. It’s common to feel overwhelmed while trying to understand the differences between an Adult Family Home, Assisted Living Facility, Nursing Home, and Skilled Nursing Facility. These settings each serve a unique purpose, and choosing the right one starts with understanding what kind of care your loved one truly needs.

Adult Family Home

An Adult Family Home is a small, licensed residential care setting that typically supports up to six residents. At Heartlinks, our Adult Family Home in Sunnyside is open and provides care in a comfortable, home-like environment. Residents receive 24-hour supervision and personalized assistance with everyday tasks like bathing, dressing, and meal preparation.

What sets Adult Family Homes apart is the intimate scale of care. Residents often benefit from stronger continuity with caregivers, and family members appreciate the welcoming, residential setting.

Assisted Living Facility

Assisted Living Facilities are generally larger and offer more independent living options than Adult Family Homes. Residents usually have private apartments and can participate in group meals and social activities, with staff available to help with tasks like medication reminders or housekeeping.

These facilities are best suited for individuals who need occasional support but want to maintain a more independent lifestyle.

Nursing Home or Skilled Nursing Facility

Nursing Homes and Skilled Nursing Facilities provide a higher level of medical care for individuals with chronic illnesses or those recovering from surgery, injury, or serious health events. These facilities have 24/7, on-site, licensed medical professionals and offer services such as physical therapy, wound care, and complex medication management.

A nursing home is more clinical by nature, and while it is essential for certain levels of care, it may not offer the same sense of familiarity as smaller settings like an Adult Family Home.

The Best Fit

What families may not realize is that the right setting depends less on the label and more on matching care with the individual’s physical, emotional, and financial needs. Someone who is largely independent but needs some help with meals and medication may do well in Assisted Living. Someone with ongoing medical needs might require a Skilled Nursing Facility. For those who need daily personal care and a quiet, supportive environment, an Adult Family Home like Heartlinks’ may be the best fit.

Ask Questions

We have heard several misconceptions about the various residential options. For example, people sometimes believe all residential care settings offer the same level of support, but the range of medical services, staffing ratios, and day-to-day routines can differ dramatically.

Another misunderstanding is that Adult Family Homes are informal or unregulated. In fact, Adult Family Homes are licensed by the state, follow strict staffing and care guidelines, and are regularly monitored.

Cost is an area of concern for some. It’s important to know that many Adult Family Homes, including Heartlinks’, accept Medicaid and offer more affordable options for long-term care than many people expect.

Bringing Families Together Again

We recently welcomed a resident whose daughter had been caring for her at home while also working full-time. As his care needs increased, she was physically and emotionally stretched thin. After he moved into the Heartlinks Adult Family Home, she shared that for the first time in months, she felt like she could be his daughter again, rather than his caregiver. That is exactly the kind of impact we hope to make.

At Heartlinks, we believe that everyone deserves access to compassionate, high-quality care, regardless of their financial circumstances. Our Adult Family Home is one more way we support individuals and families through life’s most challenging moments, offering a safe, welcoming space that feels like home.

If you’re considering care options for a loved one and aren’t sure where to begin, we’re here to help you explore what’s right for your family.

Call 509-837-1676 or complete the form on our webpage to schedule a tour or request more information about Heartlinks Adult Family Home in Sunnyside.