Today, congregate living communities are sometimes hard to tell apart from senior apartments that offer many services and opportunities to do activities together. In congregate housing communities where differences are minimal, the main difference may be in additional levels of care that are available within the same community as the congregate housing. These levels may include assisted living, skilled nursing, or Alzheimer care. Active senior apartments offering meals, services, transportation, and planned activities, will generally not include additional levels of life senior services within the same community.
Some 50% of residents move to within 10 miles of the community where they lived before, or where their children live. Children of seniors are involved in 50-60% of their decisions to move to a congregate care complex.
Shared activities in a congregate living setting may include: