Elder Care Guides
Plain-English guides to the most important questions families face when navigating elder care — from choosing the right care setting to understanding how to pay for it.
Nursing Home vs Assisted Living: A Data-Driven Comparison
Understand the key differences in care level, cost, and services. Includes national cost data from CareScout 2025 and how to evaluate CMS star ratings.
How to Pay for Elder Care: Medicare, Medicaid, and Other Options
A plain-English breakdown of Medicare coverage limits, Medicaid eligibility requirements, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, and home equity strategies.
How to Read CMS Nursing Home Star Ratings
The CMS 5-star system explained — how inspections, staffing, and quality measures combine into an overall score, and what to look for beyond the number.
Elder Care Costs by State: 2025 Data
National and state-level cost data for all five care types — nursing homes, assisted living, home care, and adult day care from CareScout 2025.
Home Care vs Facility Care: Costs, Benefits, and How to Decide
Compare home care and facility care on cost, safety, and quality of life. Includes a practical decision framework and the real cost of 24/7 home care.
When Is It Time for Elder Care? Signs, Conversations, and First Steps
Recognize the warning signs that an aging family member may need professional care. A practical guide to having the conversation and evaluating options.
How to Choose a Nursing Home: A Data-Driven Approach
Use CMS star ratings, inspection reports, staffing data, and quality measures to evaluate nursing homes step by step.
Looking for cost data?
Browse real nursing home, assisted living, and home care costs for every state and county, along with CMS facility quality ratings.
How are these guides compiled?
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.