As people grow old and are less able to care for themselves, retirement villages and nursing homes are there as facilities for an area with a higher level of care, retirement villages to a lesser degree of care, where the elderly are offered self contained units with nursing assistance and meals. Nursing home also provide hospital like care with nurses and meals for those who are physically or mentally incapacitated and needing continual help and assistance for daily living. All residents are assessed by their need for level of care and the aim of the system whether public of private is to facilitate the best level of care for each individual person.

There is some need for mental stimulation or entertainment as these places can be a bit boring. While residents are encouraged to talk amongst themselves for mental activity and well being others are unable and just need constant supervision and care to stay alive. The sad part of the story is that once you leave a retirement village to go to a nursing home there is not much chance of living on passed that. While family may care to take the members out for the day, at the end of the day most residents are just there until they die. Life can be prolonged with a good diet and the general element of care, but again it is up to individual people to take heart for as long as they can and want or are able to live.

Nursing homes offer all the catering f general care and responsibility to a degree but the resident must be able to live as long as required through the necessary care and consideration of family government or organisation. Retirement villages on the other hand offer more self orientated care whereby each resident has their freedom to do their own things of what they want but are also offered assistance and the spirit community for those who like to stay at home. One could quite easily get on a bus and go shopping while those in a nursing home would usually be confined or restricted to that facility therefore freedom care and level of ability is the key for the assessment.