Assisted Living Facility (AL or ALF)

AL (assisted living) and ALF are both short for assisted living facilities.

Assisted living facilities are, in a way, like nursing homes. Both are types of senior communities but assisted living offers more independence.

With assisted living, residents may need help with transportation, medication management, housekeeping duties, and other activities of daily living (ADLs). However, they still live independently and do not require round-the-clock monitoring and care.

Assisted living facilities feel more home-like with things such as a private bathroom, whereas nursing homes have more of a clinical environment and residents live in a private or semi-private room.

It depends on the level of need an individual requires to determine whether they can get by with assisted living or require a nursing home.