护理院是指由医护人员组成的，在一定范围内，为长期卧床患者、晚期姑息治疗患者、慢性病患者、生活不能自理的老年人以及其他需要长期护理服务的患者提供医疗护理、康复促进、临终关怀等服务的医疗机构。它既不同于一般的社会养老机构，又与普通医院有区别。既可以为长辈提供日常的养生保健、康复治疗、生活照顾、健身娱乐等养老服务，又可随时提供医疗救助和临终关怀，是医疗与养老的结合。通常收住需要24小时监护和医疗援助，患有严重疾病，包括心脏和呼吸系统疾病或严重受伤、骨折恢复期、术后期等需要监督护理的人。
Nursing home is a medical institution which is composed of medical staff and provides medical care, rehabilitation promotion, hospice care and other services for long-term bedridden patients, late stage palliative treatment patients, chronic disease patients, the elderly who can't take care of themselves and other patients who need long-term care services. It is not only different from the general social pension institutions, but also different from the general hospital. It can not only provide the elderly with daily health care, rehabilitation treatment, life care, fitness entertainment and other pension services, but also provide medical assistance and hospice care at any time, which is the combination of medical treatment and pension. Generally, people who need 24-hour monitoring and medical assistance, suffer from serious diseases, including heart and respiratory system diseases or serious injuries, fracture recovery period, post-operative period and other people who need supervision and care.