Many families start by searching "nursing homes." Many of them need something else.
October 12, 2026 · Century Assisted Living
When a parent can't safely live alone anymore, most families type "nursing homes in Carbondale" into a search bar. It's the term everyone knows. But a nursing home is one specific kind of care, and many parents who need help every day don't need it. Here's how to tell the difference.
A nursing home is a licensed skilled nursing facility. It's built for people who need ongoing medical care that only licensed nurses can provide: wound care, IV medications, feeding tubes, rehab after a hospital stay, or close medical monitoring around the clock. Many residents are there for a short stay to recover, then go home.
Assisted living is for people who are medically stable but need help with daily life. That usually means medications, bathing, dressing, getting to meals, or simply not being alone at night. The setting is a home, not a hospital floor. Residents have their own space, eat together, and keep as much of their routine as they can.
Memory care is assisted living for people with Alzheimer's or another dementia, with a secure setting and staff trained for it. Our guide to assisted living vs. memory care covers that choice.
If you're not sure, ask your parent's doctor directly: "Does Mom need skilled nursing, or help with daily living?" That one question sorts out most situations.
Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care in either setting. It can cover a limited skilled nursing stay after a qualifying hospital stay, which is why many nursing home stays are short. For long-term care, families usually pay privately, use long-term care insurance, or qualify for Medicaid, and not every community accepts every option. Ask each place directly.
Century Assisted Living is private pay. Pricing starts at $4,600 per month, an accommodation fee plus a level-of-care fee set by a nursing assessment. See our levels of care and pricing.
Families often worry that assisted living will only work for a year before another move. At Century, care deepens in place. There are five levels of care, from a little help through hospice accommodation, and a nurse reassesses each resident quarterly and whenever needs change. Most residents never need to move to a different facility. Nursing staff is on site 24/7 in both of our single-story homes.
If you're not sure which kind of care your parent needs, call (618) 549-9898, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., any day. We'll give you a straight answer, even if it's that Century isn't the right fit. You can also schedule a tour, and bring our 10 tour questions with you.
No. Assisted living helps with daily tasks like medications, bathing, dressing and meals in a home setting. A nursing home is a licensed skilled nursing facility for people who need ongoing medical care that only licensed nurses can provide.
Medicare does not pay for long-term assisted living or long-term nursing home care. It can cover a limited skilled nursing stay after a qualifying hospital stay, for rehab or recovery.
In most cases, yes. Century has five levels of care, from minimal help through hospice accommodation, and a nurse reassesses each resident quarterly and whenever needs change.
Pricing starts at $4,600 per month: an accommodation fee plus a level-of-care fee set by a nursing assessment. Century is private pay and does not accept Medicaid or veterans benefits.
Call (618) 549-9898. A nursing assessment before move-in sets the starting level of care.
Century Assisted Living is a family-founded assisted living and memory care community in Carbondale, Illinois, serving families across Southern Illinois. Read our story.