Supposedly the level of care, but my husband was in Skilled Nursing Unit for 2 months and got no more care than he is getting now in an Assisted Living facility. The RN at the AL facility sees him just as frequently as in SN. The only difference I see is the daily rate for care.
AL is suppose to be for people who need help with ADLs and/or medication management but not nursing/medical care. MC is a specialized AL for people with memory/dementia issues. Skilled nursing is for people that require nursing care on a daily or near daily basis - bedridden that require full care, diabetic that requires close monitoring and wound management. Parkinson's patient that may need assistance and monitoring for choking, etc.
When you ask about “skilled nursing” are you talking about long term care? Mom is in a Nursing Home, which they consider long term care...she’s not leaving. Most of the residents are in wheelchairs or gerichairs, but not bedridden. Many are mobile with walkers. All have needs too complicated for just CNAs and a couple of med nurses to deal with, so not candidates for assisted living. There are CNAs, LPNs for meds, and an RN on each floor, and the staff is overseen by Director of Nursing, PAs, NPs and Doctor. There’s a memory care floor, and a short term rehab unit attached to the building. At the Assisted living and Memory care facilities in my area, the resident had to be able to walk to meals and activities, no wheelchairs. They were also all private pay. So in my area of upstate NY it’s pretty cut and dried, you either qualify and can pay for assisted living, or you’re taken care of at home, or you’re into long term care.
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/evaluating-senior-living-options-95733.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/alzheimers-assisted-living-facility-142284.htm
At the Assisted living and Memory care facilities in my area, the resident had to be able to walk to meals and activities, no wheelchairs. They were also all private pay. So in my area of upstate NY it’s pretty cut and dried, you either qualify and can pay for assisted living, or you’re taken care of at home, or you’re into long term care.