What's the difference between independent living and assisted living?
Independent living communities in the Buffalo metro — like Park Creek Senior Apartments or Solstice Senior Living at East Amherst — are generally not licensed care facilities at all; they're market-rate or lightly-supported senior housing, meaning residents live independently and arrange any needed care services themselves, sometimes through a third-party home care agency. Assisted living, by contrast, is a licensed level of care under New York's ALR framework, meaning the facility itself is responsible for providing help with daily activities as part of its licensed service. If a family member needs regular help with bathing, dressing, or medication management, independent living alone generally isn't sufficient without adding outside support.
