Senior Housing Definitions
Assisted Living - is a residential setting that offers choices in personal care and health related services. Examples are Hallmark Assisted Living, Summit Hills I & II, and of course Carrington Assisted Living.
Independent Living - is a residential living setting for elderly or senior adults that may or may not provide hospitality or supportive services. Under this living arrangement, the senior adult leads an independent lifestyle that requires minimal or no extra assistance. Generally referred to as elderly housing in the government-subsidized environment, independent living also includes rental assisted or market rate apartments or cottages where residents usually have complete choice in whether to participate in a facility's services or programs. An example of independent living in the Bakersfield area would be Plaza Towers.
Congregate Housing - is similar to independent living except that it usually provides convenience or supportive services like meals, housekeeping and transportation in addition to rental housing. A typical congregate housing in Bakersfield is Columbus Estates.
Continuing Care Retirement Community - A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is a community which offers several levels of assistance, including independent living, assisted living and nursing home care. It is different from other housing and care facilities for seniors because it usually provides a written agreement or long-term contract between the resident (frequently lasting the term of the resident's lifetime) and the community which offers a continuum of housing, services and health care system, commonly all on one campus or site. There are few in Kern County, but a classic example is Rosewood.
Nursing Home - Provides 24-hour skilled care for the more acute patients. Patients generally rely on assistance for most or all daily living activities (such as bathing, dressing and toileting). Typical facilities in Bakersfield are California Care and Parkview Julian.