Group Home for Seniors

What Is a Senior Group Home?

A senior group home is a comfortable living environment that does not provide the high level of care of nursing homes but still allows older adults to live among peers and receive help with personal needs such as bathing, meals, and dressing. Seniors typically have a private room in a home in a regular neighborhood but share common areas such as bathrooms, living rooms, eating areas, and kitchens with other residents. Senior group homes are also sometimes called residential care homes.

Other names include adult family homes, board and care homes, residential assisted living, and residential care facilities. Regardless of the name, each home is licensed by the state. It must meet requirements regarding square footage, accessibility, access to caregivers, and safety features. A qualified caregiver, for example, must be on-site 24/7 to assist with regular and emergent needs.

Senior Group Homes vs. Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are for seniors who don’t need a hospital but need more care than they can get in their homes. People who live in nursing homes are often dealing with chronic health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes. They might also be recovering from surgery or illness. Senior group homes are a step or two below nursing homes. They’re similar to assisted living facilities and help seniors remain more independent.

At group homes, residents take care of many of their own needs. Homes aren’t necessarily staffed with nurses or 24/7 caregivers, and they typically do not provide access to oxygen tanks or dialysis machines. Instead, this level of care provides a safe, home-like environment for residents to age as independently as possible while living with their peers.

Senior Group Homes vs. Assisted Living Facilities

Senior group homes are a type of assisted living. Instead of the larger group of residents that you’d find in a larger assisted living facility, however, group homes typically have fewer than 10 residents living in a shared residential home.2 Since it’s a home-like environment, staff members or owners might live in the home alongside residents or arrive each day and night to provide care.

Some group homes are geared toward independent living, while others offer higher levels of assisted living support. The type of care provided varies depending on the state and the specific care home. When services are provided, they’re similar to the care you’d receive from an assisted living facility. That includes assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, managing meds, and transportation. In some cases, services may include memory care or hospice care.

Check out our video below to learn more about the different types of senior living and how they compare.

Who Are Senior Group Homes For?

Senior group homes are ideal for seniors who don’t want to live alone or in a large assisted living community. Group homes must meet the same licensing requirements as assisted living communities, so they’re suitable for seniors who need help with personal needs or activities of daily living.2

What Services Are Offered in a Senior Group Home?

Group homes provide seniors with companionship and a safe environment. Meals are served, laundry is done by staff, and residents live in a nurturing, home-like atmosphere. At least one staff member is on-site 24/7, but that doesn’t mean residents have an awake caregiver 24/7. Instead, the overnight caregiver may live in—or at least sleep in—the home, only waking to attend to emergencies.

Every senior in the home receives a care plan, which dictates the type and frequency of care needed. The most common services offered include assistance with:

• Eating
• Bathing, dressing, and hygiene
• Toileting
• Medication management
• Transfer and mobility
• Transportation to appointments

In many places, residents can sign up for in-home activities, such as baking and game nights, and off-site activities, such as field trips to the mall, museums, or local senior centers. The home may also arrange for visiting hair-care and medical providers.

When older adults require extra services, they may need to pay extra for or hire a private home health aide or nurse. They could also move into a group home that offers a higher level of care. Group homes that employ registered nurses, CNAs, or therapists can provide more medical care than group homes that don’t have medical staff.

Specialty services offered by high-level group homes can include:

• Diabetes care
• Wound care
• Ventilator care
• Bedbound care
• Dementia care
• Psychiatric care

What Amenities Are Offered in a Senior Group Home?

No two senior group homes are alike. Many are run by private individuals and are situated in residential neighborhoods. The sizes and layouts of homes vary, but a licensed group home has to meet state licensing requirements. Most group homes feature:

• Grab bars, safety rails, and ramps
• Emergency help buttons
• Private bedrooms with private or shared bathrooms
• Furnished bedrooms
• Basic cable
• Common areas

Some group homes were built to be used as group homes. Those homes tend to be nicer, offer more privacy, and feature more common areas. They also may have more elaborate security or medical alert systems in place. A home designed as a care home isn’t necessarily better than a single-family residence that has been retrofitted into a care home. What really matters is the quality of the staff and how well the home can meet your needs.

How Much Do Senior Group Homes Cost?

The cost of senior group homes varies, depending on the location, size, level of care, and amenities. Most charge month to month, so the base monthly rate will include your room (rent and utilities), your board (meals), and basic services. You’ll also pay a monthly rate for your care plan. How much you’ll owe depends on the level and frequency of care you need.

Residents generally pay around $3,000 per month to live in a senior group home, but rates range from about $2,500 to $6,000 per month in the U.S. Compared to other forms of senior living, group homes are more affordable. The projected median cost of an assisted living facility in 2024, for example, is $5,511 per month4. The median monthly cost of hiring help to come to your own home is $5,892 for a homemaker and $6,481 for a home health aide.

How to Pay for a Senior Group Home

You can pay for a group home in many ways, but ultimately it will come down to your insurance policies, assets, and savings, plus what payment types the home accepts.

• Medicaid: If the home contracts with Medicaid, you can use your benefits to help pay for your care. Just know that not every group home can accept Medicaid.
• Long-term care insurance: Long-term care insurance helps seniors pay for a variety of long-term care needs, including group homes. Coverage varies among plans, so contact your provider for more details.
• Reverse mortgage: Some older adults take out reverse mortgages on their homes or properties so they can use their home equity as cash to cover the cost of a group home.
• Property sale or rental: You may decide to sell or rent your primary home and use the proceeds to cover your costs at a group home.
• Social Security and retirement income:  In January 2024, the average Social Security benefit was $1,771 per Many seniors pair that income with their pension, savings, or other retirement benefits to pay for their senior living expenses.
• Veterans benefits: Veterans who qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit can use those funds to pay for a group home. Talk to your VA social worker or case manager to see if you’re eligible.
• Family and friend contributions: Some seniors rely on help from friends and family to pay for their senior care, including the cost of a care home.

Things to Consider as You Choose a Senior Group Home

Moving into any type of senior living facility requires careful consideration — perhaps even more so with a group home. When you live in a group home, you don’t have the luxury of a large group of peers to choose from like you would at a large assisted living facility. Group homes typically have just five to 10 residents and a select few caregivers. These are the people you’ll interact with and share meals with daily, so it’s critical to learn what you can before committing.

Visit the group home to see what life is like and look at the room you might move into. Bring a family member to help you vet the place and get a feel for the other residents. Observe how the staff members interact with residents. Take note of what people are doing in the common areas. Are people doing puzzles and watching TV, or is everyone isolated in their rooms?

Don’t be afraid to ask residents and staff members questions. Here are a few to get you started:

• Who owns the home? Are they experienced? Do they live on the property or nearby?
• What is the staff-to-resident ratio? What qualifications do staff members have?
• Are private rooms available? What is the bathroom situation?
• What does the monthly fee include? Are there any costs in addition to the monthly fee? If so, what are they?
• What are the needs of the other residents? How does everyone get along?
• Are there residents with dementia? If so, what measures are in place to keep them safe?
• What are the house rules? Can I have a pet here?
• Do medical professionals visit the home, or are rides provided for doctor’s appointments?
• What happens if I temporarily require more care, such as a short-term nursing home stay?
• How often do staff members organize activities? Can you provide some examples of activities?

Along with in-person research, you can also explore online to learn more about the home. Search for online reviews of the group home to see if the licensing agency’s website lists any complaints. If you see complaints, find out how the problems were rectified.

Where Can I Find Senior Group Homes Near Me?

There are senior group homes throughout the United States, but finding them may be somewhat trickier than finding a large-scale assisted living facility. Here are a few tips for locating group homes near you:

• Browse our database: Search by ZIP code to find assisted living group homes in your area. Read reviews about each home and call the property directly with any questions.
• Use Eldercare Locator: This search engine from the U.S. Administration on Aging helps you find services, information, and assistance for older adults by ZIP code, such as the contact information for your local Area Agency on Aging. Contact any local resources to inquire about senior group homes in your area.
• Visit senior centers: There are thousands of senior centers across the U.S. providing older adults with social opportunities, support services, and information. Senior center staff and volunteers are often experts in the area. Talk to them about nearby group homes for seniors.
• Search the internet: Search online for “senior group homes near me” or “residential care facilities in [city, state].” Not a fan of online searching? Ask a loved one to help.