What is it called?

• Assisted Living is divided into three categories:
• Family Assisted Living Facilities serve 2-3 adults
• Group Assisted Living Facilities serve 4-16 adults
• Congregate Assisted Living Facilities serve 17 or more adults
• Each type of facility can be licensed as an Assisted Living Facility or a Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility

What Services are provided?

Assisted Living Facilities:

• Offer personal care and assistance with activities of daily living for not less than 24 hours per week
• Room, meals, and laundry services
• Care during periods of temporary illness
• General health supervision of all residents
• Self administration of medication
• Assistance with communication (such as writing letters, reading letters aloud upon request)

Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities:

• Offer the above care to residents who are mildly cognitively impaired (early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, mild dementia, etc), and would therefore be ineligible for Assisted Living Facilities

Who can be admitted?         

Assisted Living Facilities:

• Adults who need help with daily activities
• Adults who need further care, but can perform this care or direct others in performing this care (assuming the facility can provide this directed care)
• Adults who do not require restraints, confinement or limitations on egress
• Adults who understand medication dosages used by facility
• Adults without chronic conditions requiring daily, extensive care or observation
• Adults who do not require the professional judgment from facility staff

Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities:

• Adults who are cognitively impaired needing help with daily living
• Adults with diabetes
• Adults with terminal illnesses
• Adults who otherwise qualify to reside in an Assisted Living Facility, if the Specialty Care Facility can provide that resident with egress

Who is inappropriate?

Assisted Living Facilities:

• Adults who can’t perform care for themselves or can’t direct other people to perform that care
• Adults who need medical or skilled nursing care
• Adults who are severely cognitively impaired
• Adults who require restraints or seclusion

Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities:

• Combative, violent, suicidal, or homicidal adults
• Adults who need medical or skilled nursing care
• Adults who need restraints or seclusion
• Adults who need care beyond that of help with activities of daily living

An Assisted Living Facility Can Agree To Provide Care Even When The Resident Would Have To Be Discharged If:

• The resident needs medical care, skilled nursing care, or administration of oral medications for fewer than 90 days
• The resident is cared for by a certified and licensed hospice service, as long as that care is not for dementia

What training is required for direct care staff?

Assisted Living Facilities:

• Staff who have contact with residents have initial and refresher training as necessary (a 16 hour course)
• Direct care staff members must complete 6 hours of continuing education per year
• Administrators are required to be licensed by an Assisted Living Administrator Licensure Board and complete 12 hours of continuing education per year

Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities:

• Have the same staffing rules as Assisted Living Facilities with a few extra regulations
• There must be at least 2 staff members on duty at all times, with additional staffing requirements based on number of residents and time of day  
• All direct care staff must undergo initial training prior to contact with residents and complete refresher training as necessary
• Licensed administrators must complete 18 hours of continuing education

Is nurse staffing required?

Assisted Living Facilities:

• Each facility must have a Registered Nurse consultant

Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities:

• Facilities must have a medical director who is a physician
• There must be at least 1 Registered Nurse at each facility

Is public payment available?

• There is a Medicaid waiver program for specialty care assisted living facilities but according to the department’s Web site, the waiver has not been implemented.
• According to the 2010 Assisted Living State Regulatory Review, there is no Medicaid waiver at this time.

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