Senior citizens come to live in assisted living facilities expecting the best care and the opportunity to live with independence and autonomy.
There is a fine balance in caring for them while ensuring their independence and following the rules and regulations within the industry.
It’s important for assisted living directors to know the laws of their state while managing their communities. The states are in charge of the licensing for facilities.
Consider these five areas to be certain your community is maintaining the appropriate regulations.
1. Licensure Requirements
The responsibility of the director means that you are in charge of maintaining the records and licensing for the facility. Assisted living regulations vary by state, so the director must be aware of the regulations of their state.
Their role is to maintain licenses, renewals and up to date records for the home. Remaining licensed is paramount to the success of the facility.
2. Staffing and Director
In the last year, 29 states made changes to policies related to staffing. Most of these changes involved states increasing the requirements for background checks on employees.
Training requirements continue to evolve in the industry. Employee qualifications and training remain the responsibility of the director to maintain. As states revise and alter those, directors need to maintain and update training amongst staff.
3. Insurance Regulations
As the director, it is your role to not only maintain the staff, facility, and care of the clients, you need to do it cost-effectively.
Your role is to understand the requirements of insurance, how they pay and what they expect from your facility. Then you can translate this to the running of a facility that meets their regulations for payment.
4. Activities of Daily Life (ADL)
Assisted living facilities offer support for their residents. That can mean they get help bathing, eating or using the bathroom. These activities of daily or ADL are regulated for assisted living homes.
It is also significant for staff to understand those they care for. What level of ADL are they capable of and what do they need help. Further, assisted living facilities must follow the regulations for how they provide those services to those in their care.
5. Know the NCAL Rules
NCAL State Regulatory Review provides detailed assisted living regulations by state. They are revised and altered based on best practices in the industry.
Each year the NCAL provides information about changes in regulations by state. This information will include changes to staffing and the director’s role and requirements, as well as requirements for care in the homes.
Rules and Regulations in Assisted Living Communities
The rules and regulations in assisted living communities are at the forefront of success in your assisted living community. You want a staff and facility that is optimally trained and providing the best care for your clients.
At the same time, you want to run a successful facility by maintaining the standards. Interested in learning about philosophy for care? Contact us today to learn about the services we provide in our assisted living communities.