A group home is a private residence designed or converted to serve as a non-secure home for unrelated persons who share a common characteristic.
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In the United States, the term most often refers to homes designed for those in need of social assistance, and who are usually deemed incapable of living alone or without proper supervision. Prior to the 1970s, this function was served by institutions, asylums, poorhouses, and orphanages.
People who live in such a group home may be developmentally disabled, recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, abused or neglected youths, youths with behavioral or emotional problems, and/or youths with criminal records. A group home differs from a halfway house in that it is not restricted to recovering addicts or convicted criminals, and also in that residents usually are encouraged or required to take an active role in the maintenance of the household, such as by performing chores or helping to manage a budget. In most countries, people can still vote and attend university while in a group home.
There are typically from 3 to 16 residents, as well as a resident manager or service staff. Residents may have their own room or share rooms, and share facilities such as laundry, bathroom, kitchen and common living areas. The opening of group homes in neighborhoods is occasionally opposed by residents, who fear that it will lead to a rise in crime and/or a drop in property values.[1]
A group home can also refer to family homes in which children and youth of the foster care system are placed until foster families are found for them.[2][3] Group homes for seniors might also be found under Residential Care Home, Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, or Assisted Living Facility.
Perhaps the largest group of group homes falls under the heading of residential care homes for seniors. Not to be confused with any other types of homes, group homes for seniors meet the general definition of a "group home": a special group of individuals living in a family or community setting generally with the aid of a caregiver.
Generally, these homes are low cost but very cost effective.
Residential care homes, run by the government, need not be low cost and/or low quality as many might initially guess. More expensive residential care homes now exist to offer a family style, high quality, care option to the next class of senior care which is Assisted Living Facilities. These homes are based on increasing need for assistance and decreasing independence. There are various levels of residential care homes for seniors, "Independent Living", "Assisted Living With no Assistance" (the most common use of "assisted living" involves little or no assistance, living at home with minimal amounts of home care), "Assisted Living with Assistance", and "Assisted Living - Memory Care". Memory care is for those with various degrees of dementia and generally are more expensive to reflect the higher level of care they provide.