What Is The Difference Between Personal Care and Assisted Living?

Senior Care: Personal Care vs. Assisted Living in Pennsylvania

In the state of Pennsylvania, the distinction between personal care and assisted living can seem subtle, often leading to confusion among older adults who are trying to choose the right type of care for their situation. The simplest explanation is that personal care homes and assisted living residences are both residential options that provide meals, supervision and assistance with activities of daily living – but assisted living residences are also licensed to provide a variety of supplemental health care services.

The difference between personal care and assisted living is most relevant in stand-alone personal care homes that don’t offer higher levels of care on-site. In this type of situation, a resident’s changing health status could necessitate moving to an entirely different facility to get the health care they need or paying for a private medical technician or home health nurse to treat the resident at the personal care home. In either case, the resident’s family would be faced with finding a new home for their loved one or paying for expensive private nursing care.

The Difference Between Assisted Living and Personal Care

Both assisted living and personal care are designed for people who are no longer able to safely remain at home and need supportive services to maintain their health. According to The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Office of Long-Term Living these are the three differences (known as the three Cs) between assisted living and personal care:

• Concept: Assisted living residences permit residents to age in place, meaning that even as their health care needs increase, they will not have to relocate to another senior living home to receive that care. Personal care can be more in line with independent living with additional support services offered.
• Construction: Assisted living residences must provide residents with a private room with a lockable door, a private bathroom and a small kitchen. Personal care homes are not required to offer these amenities. Each must provide a minimum amount of living space per resident along with differing levels of amenities.
• Clinical: Assisted living residences must ensure that residents receive skilled nursing care if their needs surpass standard assisted living services. In addition, different levels of training, staffing levels and other criteria are required between the two options.

Note: Many retirement communities in Pennsylvania have personal care homes that provide most assisted living services but have decided not to pursue assisted living status. This is because assisted living licensure can drive up administrative and staffing costs without increasing the quality of care. In addition, Medicaid does not cover these higher costs with additional funding.

Age in Place at a Life Plan Community

In contrast, when personal care is provided at a Life Plan Community like Freedom Village at Brandywine, residents can truly age in place because we offer a full continuum of on-site health care services – from personal care and memory care to skilled nursing and rehabilitation. If a resident needs more health care services than can be provided in the personal care setting, they can still receive those services in the community they’ve come to call home, surrounded by friends they know. This avoids an upsetting move for the resident, and also gives family members peace of mind in knowing their loved one’s changing needs will be met seamlessly.

Explore Our Award-Winning Community

To learn more about personal care services at Freedom Village at Brandywine, including what it’s like to live here, simply call 484-320-3250 or use our contact form to schedule a personal visit. We’ll be happy to show you around our award-winning community so you can learn why we were listed as one of the Best Nursing Homes in 2024 by U.S. News & World Report. You can also hear more about our parent company – Life Care Services – and their No. 1 ranking in customer satisfaction among assisted living/memory care communities according to J.D. Power.