Residential care homes and facilities are a type of assisted living that centers on a small of community of seniors living together in one house. Depending on the size, these houses serve from two to ten residents and usually have a higher staff-to-client ratio than other assisted living in large apartment buildings or complexes.

Residential assisted living provides the same non-medical care as larger communities but offers a more intimate atmosphere. This includes assistance with daily living activities like personal hygiene, dressing, eating and walking, as well as meals, laundry, housekeeping, medication management and transportation services. Other terms for residential assisted living include board and care homes, adult family homes, and residential care facilities.

Where larger assisted living communities cater to active adults with amenities like swimming pools and exercise facilities, Residential assisted living offers a slower pace and activities geared toward seniors interested in music and the arts, cultural outings and activities like bird-watching and gardening.

Residential care homes might have a plush bed-and-breakfast atmosphere, stately grandeur and extensive grounds, or the comfortable familiarity of front-porch living on a quiet residential street. The higher staffing levels sometimes include nursing care that is generally not available in large apartment complexes. Seniors who would benefit from more one-on-one supervision and attention might be better served by residential assisted living.

Costs for residential assisted living are about half the cost of nursing homes, and are usually comparable to costs for larger assisted living communities. Country-wide these currently average $3,100 a month, but there are many modest care homes that cost up to $1000 less. Some care homes specialize in seniors with Alzheimer's, and these facilities are generally more expensive, but still less than nursing homes, with better care and none of the institutional feeling