A board and care home is a residential care community for senior adults located within a residential neighborhood. These assisted living properties typically are small and intimate, caring for about six senior residents at a time.

Board and care homes also go by the names “residential care home,” “residential personal care home,” and “residential care facilities for the elderly” in various states. Board and care homes near you are similar to assisted living communities, though on a much smaller scale.

Because of their small size, these residential care communities typically enjoy a better staff-to-resident ratio, so residents get more personalized care. Senior residents choose board and care homes when they want to live in a place that feels like a home rather than a medical facility. They often find the personal freedom and lack of structure appealing. They may be attracted by the personal nature of living in an actual home with people they can get to know well.

In addition, people with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression often choose residential care homes because of the personalized attention and support received. Some have called this “The X Factor for Dementia Care.”