Choosing a place
Nursing home, asilo, casa de retiro: senior care terms explained
Updated October 22, 2026 · Reviewed against official sources
On this site, we talk about senior living, or hogares para adultos mayores in Spanish: a respectful name that covers every place where an older person can live with support. But when the hospital social worker mentions an SNF, assisted living or board and care, it isn't always clear what each one is. This post is a short English–Spanish translation guide so you can follow the conversation with confidence.
The names we use in Spanish
Depending on your family's home country, you may have heard:
- Asilo de ancianos or asilo: what families in Mexico and many other countries call a home for the elderly. In the U.S., it almost always corresponds to a nursing home.
- Hogar de ancianos ("home for the elderly"): the traditional term in many countries. Today it describes a wide variety of places, many of them modern and warm.
- Hogar para adultos mayores ("home for older adults"): a more current and respectful name, and the one we use on the Spanish version of this site.
- Casa de retiro ("retirement home"): sometimes it refers to places for people who live independently, and other times to any kind of care facility.
- Residencia or residencia geriátrica: common in many Spanish-speaking countries.
- Casa hogar or casa de cuidado: usually describes small places that are similar to a family home.
- In Puerto Rico, it's common to hear hogar de envejecientes and hogar de cuido.
None of these names is official in the U.S. What defines a place is the type of license it has, and that license is in English.
The official terms in English
| In English | In Spanish (what we call it on our site) | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing home or skilled nursing facility (SNF) | Hogar de ancianos con enfermería | 24-hour nursing care, therapy and help with all daily activities. It's the option with the most health services. |
| Assisted living | Vida asistida | Group housing with meals and help with bathing, dressing or taking medicines. It usually doesn't provide ongoing medical care. |
| Board and care home (in California, Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, or RCFE) | Casa de cuidado residencial | A house with a few residents, meals and help with personal care. Many states consider it a type of assisted living. |
| Memory care | Cuidado de memoria | A special unit or facility for people with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, with more supervision. |
| Independent living or retirement community | Comunidad de retiro or vida independiente | Apartments for people who can take care of themselves. It doesn't include personal care. |
| Continuing care retirement community (CCRC) | Comunidad de cuidado continuo | A single campus with independent living, assisted living and nursing care. |
| Adult day care or adult day health care | Centro de día | The person spends the day with others and goes home to sleep. |
| Respite care | Cuidado de relevo or respiro | A short stay so the caregiver can rest. |
| Hospice | Hospicio | Comfort care at the end of life, at home or in a facility. |
The descriptions of nursing home, assisted living, board and care and CCRC follow the definitions on LongTermCare.gov, the federal government's website about long-term care. The exact names and rules vary from state to state, so it's worth asking each place what license it has.
To learn more about each type, we have guides on assisted living, memory care, adult day centers, respite care and hospice and palliative care.
Why the name matters for your wallet
The type of place affects who can pay:
- Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care (daily help with bathing, dressing or eating), whether in a nursing home or at home. It can cover rehab in a skilled nursing facility for a limited time after a hospital stay, if certain requirements are met. We explain the details in what Medicare covers for long-term care.
- Medicaid pays for a nursing home for people who meet their state's requirements, and in many states it can pay for services at home or in assisted living (not the rent). See does Medicaid pay for senior living?.
- Private health insurance (many Spanish speakers call it aseguranza) usually doesn't cover a long-term stay, unless your loved one has a specific long-term care insurance policy.
Prices also vary a lot by type. We compare them in how much senior living costs.
Abbreviations and words you may hear at the hospital
- SNF (many people pronounce it "sniff"): skilled nursing facility; in Spanish, centro de enfermería especializada.
- ALF: assisted living facility; in Spanish, residencia de vida asistida.
- RCFE: the name for board and care homes (casas de cuidado) in California.
- LTC: long-term care; in Spanish, cuidado a largo plazo.
- ADL: activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, moving around); in Spanish, actividades de la vida diaria.
- Rehab: rehabilitation (rehabilitación) after surgery or a hospital stay.
- Discharge planner: the person at the hospital who organizes the discharge, often a nurse or social worker.
- Caseworker: the person who handles your case, for example at the county Medicaid office.
If you don't understand a word, ask them to explain it or to get you an interpreter; it's a normal request, and staff are used to doing it. You can also check our glossary. If your loved one is about to leave the hospital, our guide to hospital discharge may help.
How to search on this site
On hogaresparamayores.com, you can search for senior living by city and type, see the places near you and compare them. If you're not sure what type your loved one needs, start with our guide to the types of senior living and with the daily living scales that help you sort out how much help they need day to day (they're a general guide, not a diagnosis).
Frequently asked questions
Are casa de retiro and hogar para adultos mayores the same thing?
In everyday conversation, many people use them the same way. In the U.S., what counts is the license: a retirement community is usually for people who live independently, while a nursing home provides 24-hour nursing care.
How do I know what license a place has?
Ask the place directly and confirm it with the state licensing agency. Nursing homes certified by Medicare or Medicaid also appear on Medicare Care Compare.
What do I say when I call a facility?
You can say what type of place you're looking for (for example, assisted living or memory care) and ask whether they have staff who speak Spanish. We help you with that in our guide to senior living with Spanish-speaking staff.
Sources
- ACL, LongTermCare.gov, "Living in a Facility": https://acl.gov/ltc/housing/living-in-a-facility (accessed October 15, 2026)
- Medicare.gov, "Long-term care": https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care (accessed October 15, 2026)
- Medicare.gov, Care Compare: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ (accessed October 15, 2026)
- California Department of Aging, "Housing Options Explained": https://aging.ca.gov/Aging_Resources/Housing_Options_Explained (accessed October 15, 2026)
This is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by year: confirm with the official agency that applies to you.
Keep reading
Types of senior care
Nursing homes, assisted living, board and care, memory care, adult day care, home care, and hospice: who each one is for, what it costs, and who pays.
What is assisted living
What assisted living is, who regulates it in each state (RCFEs in California, Type A and B in Texas), what it costs, and when Medicaid pays for services.
Memory care (Alzheimer's)
Memory care for Alzheimer's and dementia: what it is, when it's needed, what to ask on a visit, how each state regulates it and how to pay for it.
How to choose senior living without rushing: 5 practical tips
Take time to compare, look at daily care, read inspections in context, plan how to pay and review the contract: five tips to help you choose well.
