Sometimes there is confusion between what assisted living is and what a nursing home is. Here are three films with some observations about assisted living.

Hogeway Dementia Village in the Netherlands is one of the most promising alternatives to traditional nursing homes. Instead of a soulless institution, it is designed like a small village with residences, courtyards, a grocery store, restaurants and a movie theater. The residents can live a reasonably normal life with freedom and security even though they can’t venture outside of the periphery doors. Each staff member from the cashier in the grocery store to the program manager is trained in dementia care. Here’s CNN’s report with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Many fear moving themselves or their loved ones to the dreariness and isolation of a nursing home. The Green House Project, a fresh concept in nursing homes, was created to relieve that distress. It is “an environment that supports all aspects of the individual so they can continue to grow and thrive even with very significant needs and disabilities.”