15 Terms All RCFE Administrators Should Know

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Just a cursory scroll through the RCFE Manual of Policies and Procedures from the California Department of Social Services illustrates just how many different terms you should be familiar with as an RCFE Administrator. In fact, they number in the hundreds. Wouldn’t that be a long blog post! In the interest of brevity, we wanted to share with you some of the most important. Here are the top 15 terms that you need to know if you are an RCFE Administrator or are pursuing RCFE certification. 

  1. Dementia Plan of Operation:  An amendment to a Plan of Operation that details a facility’s dementia care intentions, policies, and procedures. The California Department of Social Services requires that you have in place a Dementia Plan of Operation before you can serve this fast and growing demand market.
  2. Hospice Waiver Request:  The written request a licensee must submit to the DSS and be approved for in order to be permitted to retain terminally ill patients.
  3. RCFE Admissions Agreement:  The contract that includes all applicable documents that a resident or their responsible guardian must sign as a condition of their admission to an RCFE.
  4. RCFE Admission Package:  The full packet of documents, rules, policies, releases, and agreements, etc., that a prospective resident or their conservator must read through, sign (where applicable), and return. This package includes the aforementioned Admission Agreement.
  5. RCFE Emergency Disaster Plan:  A plan, including emergency contacts and procedures, that is required by the DSS to prepare your facility staff and residents in the event of a disaster or emergency.
  6. OSHA Manual for RCFE:  A manual for Residential Care Facilities to help guide compliance with OSHA safety regulations.
  7. RCFE Employee Handbook:  The company policy and information manual provided to an employee by an RCFE.
  8. Plan of Operation for RCFE:  The definitive operational plan and its related materials that a facility must maintain on facility and submit to a licensing agency with the license application.
  9. RCFE Operations Manual:  The document of approved standard procedures that a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly must provide to its employees to ensure job functions are performed accurately, efficiently, and uniformly.
  10. RCFE Staff Training Classes:  The vital training classes that all prospective and current employees must take as a condition of employment, continued or otherwise. 
  11. RCFE Test Preparation:  An educational tool designed to help your study for your California Initial RCFE Administrator Certification exam.
  12. RCFE Administrator:  The person designated by the licensee to oversee and manage a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly. (May also be the licensee themselves.
  13. RCFE License:  The basic permit to operate a residential care facility for the elderly issued to you by the California Department of Social Services. RCFE Live CEUs:  The in-person, in-room continuing education classes (or units) that may be used to renew your RCFE and/or ARF certificate. The DSS requires that at least 20 of the 40 hours necessary for recertification be live.
  14. RCFE Online CEUs:  Online continuing education classes that may be used in conjunction with the 20 required Live CEUs to fulfill the 40 hour training requirement for certificate renewal
  15. Department of Social Services (DSS): the governing body in California that provides program oversite for the most vulnerable of California’s population. Part of the DSS is the Community Care Licensing Division which is in charge of licensing and regulations for RCFE’s. Due to COVID-19, there have been changes to guidelines for every RCFE administrator and staff member to follow.

Earning your RCFE Certification is so much more than understanding a few words in a blog post. It’s a life-changing undertaking, and we’re here to guide you along the way. Enroll with Assisted Living Education today.

If you are interested in learning more about important terms, concepts, and informational resources related to running an RCFE, please check out our RCFE comprehensive glossary page.  This comprehensive list will point you in the right direction for getting up to speed with the latest industry terms and knowledge needed for RCFE certification and licensure.

We always welcome your feedback, and if you have other important terms you would like added to the list, please let us know.  Assisted Living Education is a recognized leader in the industry, and our instructors have years of professional RCFE experience that will help ensure your success in this burgeoning industry.

About Assisted Living Education
Assisted Living Education has been operating in and improving the growing senior care industry for over 15 years. Founded by certified RCFE administrators, Jane Van Dyke-Perez and Bill Perez, we have licensed more than 1,100 assisted living facilities and built close relationships with the California Department of Social Services, assisted living managers, owners and industry professionals. As senior living care educators ourselves, we strive to contribute our knowledge and skills to continually improve senior care and the satisfaction of those working in the industry.