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As an assisted living administrator, you are in a position to educate families about the different senior care options.

Families considering options for loved ones will appreciate a simple explanation of the types of facilities available to them. Demonstrate your value early on in the process by helping families navigate this complex decision. 

Additionally, you and your staff can avoid costly mistakes like admitting a resident that may really belong in a SNF. Share this handy post with potential residents so they can make informed decisions. 

Californians care about each other, and the Golden State does everything possible to provide for all its residents at every stage of their lives. This certainly includes the aging process and issues that may develop as personal strength, mental understanding, and physical health decline.

When people start finding daily activities a challenge, whether cooking, keeping up their home, or even bathing and dressing, they have a number of options for assistance. 

The facility choices are abundant, but names and acronyms make it difficult to distinguish the appropriate facility choice. 

RCFE vs SNF – A Closer Look

Let’s explore the difference between the two types of senior care facilities based on:

• Function
• Licensing
• Atmosphere
• Residents
• Staff
• Daily Life
• Special Activities
• Payment Options

Function

First off, the purpose at the heart of each of these facilities is quite distinct. The mission of the RCFE and the RCFE administrator revolves around keeping each resident as independent as feasible for as long as possible. 

By contrast, the state entrusts SNFs with providing professional medical services. To put it simply, an SNF is a medical facility, and an RCFE is not.

Licensing

Not surprisingly, California designates two different state agencies for oversight of these facilities. The California Department of Social Services regulates RCFEs, which include assisted living homes, memory care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities. 

On the other hand, SNFs fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health Care Services.

The Department of Social Services has thorough application, testing, and inspection procedures in place for both the Assisted Living Facility license and the assisted living administrator certification. 

Since the process to obtain these licenses and certifications is complex, aspiring RCFE administrators should familiarize themselves with certification criteria, facility processes, and the RCFE corresponding terminology as early as possible.

Atmosphere

When you walk into an RCFE, you typically feel like you are entering a large family home with comfortable communal areas furnished like a living room:

• Sofas or upholstered chairs
• Appealing wall colors and pictures
• Bookshelves and tables
• Reading materials
• Puzzles and games

Residents’ rooms are often private, and you may see seasonal decorations on the doors expressing the occupant’s individual taste.

Out of necessity, you may experience a more institutional feel in an SNF since appropriate medical equipment and staff stations are needed. In many facilities, rooms are shared by two patients although some may offer private quarters. Meals are served in dining areas for residents able to sit at the tables, but many occupants may eat meals in their rooms.

Residents

As a result of the purpose and limited services of an RCFE, the residents of these homes are typically capable of performing at least 2 or more ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). 

If you think of a spectrum extending from total independence to end-of-life care, an RCFE provides the first step in this progression. Each individual is different, but some may need assistance with personal hygiene or other ADLs. 

Since housekeeping and meals are generally included, residents no longer need to worry about these duties.

Most people who reside in an SNF, however, usually have medical needs and require 24-hour skilled nursing care with physician oversight on a monthly basis. Some occupants may have adequate mobility, others may need walkers or wheelchairs, and a number may be confined to their beds.

Staff

Since both types of facilities are under the umbrella of a state agency, staff must meet specific regulations.

All RCFE care staff need to complete specific training within the first four weeks on the job. 

The RCFE administrator must not only complete 80 hours of certification training for an assisted living administrator certificate but also must take continuing education courses. Online assisted living administrator courses ensure staff are trained according to state standards. Specific nursing degrees are not required for RCFE caregivers.

In general, SNFs must have a licensed vocational nurse on duty 24 hours a day while a registered nurse must be present for at least one eight-hour shift each day. Any particular medical services ordered, such as physical or occupational therapy, must be provided by certified therapists.

Daily Life

Since independence is highly valued in RCFE communities, the daily schedule of each resident may look different. In addition, many variations may exist from one RCFE to another. For example, some facilities may cater to persons of a particular religious faith or members of a certain cultural or ethnic group.

Residents have the freedom to choose their own interests and the ways they spend their days. 

Given California’s beautiful climate, many individuals may enjoy time outside whether sitting, walking, or perhaps tending to flower pots or small gardens. Others may prefer a communal room inside or their own private quarters.

Because of physical limitations, residents at an SNF may be limited to more specific routines that include time set aside for specific medical care or therapy sessions. As their capabilities allow, however, they can spend time in communal areas visiting or participating in group projects.

Special Activities

Because many RCFEs provide unique care settings, activities may also be specialized according to the interests, needs, and capabilities of the residents. 

Possibilities are endless, but some common opportunities are offered at many facilities:

• Exercise classes
• Book discussions
• Bible studies
• Craft projects
• Group singing
• Gardening opportunities
• Shopping excursions
• Field trips

Efforts are also made to engage residents at SNFs with activities and entertainment. 

When residents are unable to leave their rooms, special projects may be brought in for them to complete. Many SNFs also have volunteer programs to provide companionship and learning opportunities.

Payment Options

Another more major difference is how residents and patients pay for their care needs.  

Skilled nursing facilities are often enrolled as preferred providers for Medicare, Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California), and private insurance. Private pay is also accepted. Not all SNF’s have enrolled as Medicaid providers. These insurance plans do not pay for unlimited, long-term care nor do they pay for 100% of the hospital bill. Medicare typically pays for 100 days per year and a percentage of the charges.

RCFE’s however are not covered by most major medical insurance plans (not a medical model). Some Long-Term Care insurance policies do cover RCFE charges depending on the policy.

Conclusion

Although many differences exist between a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly and a Skilled Nursing Facility, they both provide excellent care for seniors at a particular stage of life. 

If you have questions about online assisted living administrator courses or need help preparing an application for an RCFE license, please contact us. 

People Also Ask

What are the 3 main types of long-term care facilities?

Residential care facility for the elderly, skilled nursing, and independent living.

What does an assisted living facility provide?

An RCFE provides home-like personal care and assistance for people who do not require skilled nursing care. 

 

Despite an initial hesitancy among seniors to seek assisted living situations, 73% of families report that a senior’s quality of life improves after a move to an assisted living facility. 

When seniors reach the stage of finally accepting assistance in their daily living routines, they embark on a new journey that can be extremely empowering and rewarding when managed correctly. 

Moving from their home of many decades to a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (an RCFE) is often the first step in increasing or maintaining their current level of activity.

A well-trained RCFE administrator can help the individual see this transition as an opportunity to continue to enjoy the things they love as well as to explore new and exciting experiences.

With the support of an engaged caretaking staff, seniors can feel empowered to participate in activities that maintain mobility and an active lifestyle. This can often be key to a senior’s happiness, self-worth, and overall feelings of independence.

How an RCFE Administrator and Staff Can Help Seniors Stay Mentally and Physically Engaged

Start Out Small

For the RCFE staff involved in planning meaningful activities, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it’s not about you. 

Learn how to properly empower those under your care to encourage mental and physical enrichment on their own terms. You may have great ideas about activities seniors ought to pursue but without mutual agreement, your efforts will fail. 

For example, you may have concerns about extra pounds an individual has gained and you would like to see them set senior wellness, exercise, or weight-loss goals.

So you conduct research about food portion control and low-impact exercises, present your findings, and discover that your senior isn’t interested.  Not everyone has an interest in pursuing fitness even if it’s the healthy thing to do. A gradual approach towards change may get better results over time. 

Getting someone mentally engaged first tends to motivate them to become more physically engaged. 

Encouraging seniors to pursue exciting pet projects or to visit with a grandchild may lead to more physical activity in a natural way. You may later come to notice that the weight gain actually stemmed from a desire to snack out of boredom. 

So remember; when you can start out small, make it about them and set realistic expectations.

Take Time To Learn About Each Individual

Knowing what activities to offer is essential to keeping your seniors engaged and interested. Getting to know your residents will help you to match seniors with compatible activities. 

Have conversations. Ask residents about their interests and passions. You would be surprised how much you can take away from a brief conversation and then use that information to plan your activity selections in the future. 

As you become more familiar with your resident’s likes and interests, planning group activities will become easier. Mr. Jones may love playing cards but Mrs. Smith does not.

Most residents who move into an RCFE usually come alone. A new environment with new people can be stressful. 

Each resident that moves into your community comes with their own unique history and life stories. Some will assimilate well while others may struggle. Knowing the kind of activities that each resident might be interested in can be just the right catalyst to activity participation.

The families may also have ideas of how their loved ones should be spending their day doing activities. Large communities offer a variety of enrichment programs that a smaller community may not be able to. But no matter the size of the community, there needs to be an activity that a resident may be interested in.

But what about the resident who does not want to participate no matter how hard you try to encourage participation?  

Dig deeper: Was this resident outgoing and had varied interests before moving into the community? The family may expect Dorothy to become a social butterfly, but Dorothy may have no interest in venturing into a group activity. Explaining to the family that if the resident was not socially active prior to the move, they will most likely not be active after the move.

Pay Attention to Clues

Being observant can often pay dividends. Look for clues about a senior’s enthusiasm. Photos and reading materials often provide tip-offs and good conversation starters. 

Magazines and books typically reflect absorbing hobbies, interests, and values. If a well-used Bible rests on the bed stand, for example, it typically indicates an interest in religious matters, and attending a Bible study or volunteering at a church may be a good future activity.

Different Activities Fulfill Different Needs

When studying to become an RCFE administrator you have a wide range of curriculum to learn in order to meet state certification requirements and receive your RCFE certification. 

Part of that required curriculum covers the needs of the residents in many important areas including:

• Physical
• Intellectual
• Emotional
• Social
• Spiritual

The state-required RCFE administrator certification prepares future administrators on how to research, set up, and evaluate appropriate activities to help meet these needs. Online staff training and RCFE classes to meet administrator CEU requirements also provide additional resources for learning more ways to keep residents involved in fulfilling activities while meeting their different needs. 

The best way to know if you are fulfilling resident needs is to simply ask. Simple and proactive communication can go a long way in planning meaningful and entertaining activities. 

Help Seniors Set Goals

Writing down the desired goal and developing steps to accomplish it provides momentum for anyone, and this exercise can be especially helpful for seniors. 

Once you’ve identified the individual’s special interest, help the person select a simple step to get started. In order to make sure the senior chooses a reasonable objective, you can introduce the concept of SMART goals. Here’s an example:

• Specific – Resident will participate in card games of choice
• Measurable – Attendance in 2 activities
• Achievable – Resident enjoys card games, needs minimal assistance to attend a card game 
• Relevant – Bridge and poker games will occur 1-2 times per week.
• Time-bound- Resident will attend 1 or more card games per week.

By checking that the initial target meets these guidelines, your senior can clearly define an achievable goal, and together you can track tangible progress. Remind the senior that baby steps are fine to start.

Plan Senior Activities at Different Skill Levels

Seniors can usually realize their limitations with familiar activities, but if they are starting a new hobby or interest, they may overestimate what they can accomplish. 

For example, the person may not realize how complicated a new knitting pattern or art project is to carry out. 

As a caretaker, it’s important to make sure that group activities are offered at various skill levels that are appropriate for different physical and mental abilities.

Hire Caring Staff Members

Whether you’re just learning how to start an assisted living facility or already running a busy community, you cannot perform every task yourself. You need to find the right people to help care for residents and train your employees to meet the needs of those residents. 

Keeping all the individuals in your facility involved in meaningful activities takes the time and patience of all staff members. Starting with a good team is essential.

Conclusion 

Every senior you care for in an RCFE will have unique interests, abilities, and needs. And like most everyone else, they will have ambitions and desires to fill their days with activities that match those interests and needs. 

With a little bit of planning and some time and patience, you can ensure that your residents are remaining active while getting the most out of their day-to-day activities. 

If you or your staff are interested in progressing your professional training please contact Assisted Living Education today. We are here to help!

People Also Ask:

How do seniors stay mentally active?
Mental fitness activities include learning something new, keeping stress under control and maintaining physical fitness and a healthy diet.

How can seniors keep busy?
The best activities are a blend of socializing, moving, creating and thinking. Activities might include: online learning, volunteering, participating in a book club or photography.

Estimates show that between 40-to-70% of caregivers experience significant symptoms of depression. 

While there are RCFE classes to learn how to care for others, it is equally as important for administrators to learn how to help their caregivers practice self-care in order to remain positive and productive in their caregiver role.

Being a caregiver can be an emotionally fulfilling occupation. Providing personal assistance to enhance a senior’s life can bring joy to the senior and to his family knowing their loved one is being properly taken care of. 

However, the job can carry with it many conflicting emotions such as fear, sadness, loneliness and underappreciation. The daily tasks of taking care of an elderly or ailing person can be very challenging. Because of the complexity of what it takes to take on the role of a caregiver, some doctors think of caregivers as “hidden patients.”

As an RCFE administrator, the best thing you can do for your staff’s physical and emotional well-being is to encourage caregivers to take time out for themselves. This helps prevent burnout and allows them to rejuvenate so that they can be the best caretaker they can be.

Warning Signs of Caregiver Burnout

How do you know if your employees are experiencing caregiver burnout? 

Look for common warning signs that indicate an individual needs to make changes in order to protect their physical and emotional health: 

• Experiencing overwhelming anxiety
• Fatigue that doesn’t improve with quality sleep
• Digestive problems
• Escalating unhealthy habits (i.e. smoking or drinking alcohol in excess) 
• Chronic backaches or headaches
• A change in personality or disposition 

Here is a list of 6 things you can share with employees, so they can be more positive and productive:

• Take time to do something you love – Being a caregiver does not mean that you have to deprive yourself of doing things you love. Participating in activities you enjoy such as reading, taking a walk outdoors or having lunch with a friend, is essential. Self-care is vital to avoiding caretaker burnout, so find something outside of caregiving that is satisfying to you. 
• Don’t neglect your physical well-being – Eating healthy foods, getting enough rest, exercising regularly and limiting alcohol and tobacco use are all important for both your physical and mental well-being. Taking care of yourself physically helps your overall emotional health and allows you to better take care of others. 
• Express Feelings & Emotions – Keeping your emotions bottled up is not healthy. When we suppress emotions such as grief, anger and frustration it can manifest itself into physical stress in the body. Joining a support group or confiding in a friend can be helpful ways to talk about your feelings and to connect with others going through similar situations. 
• Practice positivity  –  Create a journal where you take a few minutes each day to write down some things you are thankful for or that make you happy. Whether that’s a beloved pet, a funny cartoon or a favorite song, jot down those things that boost your spirits. Then review your list when you are feeling extra stressed to boost your mood and shift your perspective. 
• Keep humor in your life – Laughter has more benefits than you think. Laughter creates endorphins, reduces stress, stimulates circulation and helps to increase oxygen-rich air in your body. What makes you laugh? Whether it be a movie, a book, watching a comedy, or hanging out with a fun friend, increasing humor and laughter in your day-to-day activities will benefit you greatly. 
• Set Boundaries – Setting realistic expectations is important for everyone, but especially for caregivers. Know your limits and give yourself permission to say “no” to activities that you do not have time for right now. Remind yourself that it’s okay to set boundaries with your time and energy as a way to focus on your own mental well-being. 

How Attitude Can Make a Difference for Caregivers

The National Institute of Health (NIH) maintains that caregivers have both positive and negative responses to their role. Your goal as an administrator is to show that caregiving doesn’t have to be a burden. Caregiving is a worthy profession and can be very uplifting. 

When it comes to caregiving it is important to release the need for perfection and adjust expectations to reflect reality. Being realistic about what can and cannot be controlled in a given situation is essential. 

While caregivers cannot control the chronic or progressive disease of the person they are caring for, or the impact it will have on that person, they can control how they respond to the situation. 

As an RCFE administrator, you can help reduce burnout and stress for employees by giving them tools to help them recognize and manage stress. 

Caregiver attitude can be the biggest factor when it comes to self-care and job performance. 

Here are helpful ways caregivers can keep a realistic and positive mindset:

• Acknowledge your limitations
• Listen to your body
• Stay connected with the outside world
• Learn the signs of chronic depression
• Insist on getting respite care
• Remain in the present

Help Caregivers to Better Help Others

Teach caregivers how to take care of themselves and remain positive. While the demands of being an RCFE Administrator are many, guiding staff through potentially overwhelming circumstances can decrease turnover and increase job satisfaction for all.

Assisted Living Education is the leading provider of RCFE certification classes, licensing, products, and services for assisted living. Our teachers are industry professionals with many years of experience that are engaging, entertaining, and highly informative. Learn more about how we help RCFE professionals.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost 25% of adults 65 years and older have experienced some level of depression or anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When running an RCFE, there is no standard solution to depression that will work with all your residents. Caregivers need to recognize that every senior is one-of-a-kind. 

Each case of elderly depression is also different. An approach that is effective with one individual may not work with the next.

This post will explore several effective ways to deal with senior depression in an RCFE setting.

Implement Strategies to Assist Seniors Dealing With Depression

Although the COVID pandemic certainly contributed to depression in elderly citizens, the easing of restrictions may not instantly make those anxious and depressed feelings go away. 

Every RCFE administrator may want to put some of these suggestions into play to help their residents recover from these difficult times.

1. Adjusting Communication Skills and Activity Planning 

One of the most important things you can do when someone in your care is experiencing depression is to listen. Often what an elderly individual needs most is someone to just hear them and pay attention to the feelings they are experiencing.

By listening carefully you will often hear clues to some of the causes of their anxiety and depression.

As moods start to normalize, let your residents express preferences and help plan new ventures. It’s vital for residents to feel they still have some control over their lives.

Start simple and focus on positive activities that can have a direct reflection on their mental health like exercise, nutrition or even starting a new hobby.

As Covid restrictions ease more and more, perhaps consult with a local senior center to see what group activities and social engagements are being planned.

A safe reemergence back into a social stream can quickly resume normalcy that may spark positive emotional results.

2. Foster a Positive Mental Outlook 

If you are a caregiver to an empathetic resident, it can sometimes be tempting to unload your problems and/or stresses on this captive audience. 

While there are times you may need or want to share personal feelings, talking about issues with your job or personal life can cause worry or increase low spirits for an already emotionally compromised senior.

As much as possible, keep conversations upbeat. 

It can be something simple, such as a home repair you successfully accomplished or a new recipe that turned out well. 

Don’t forget to ask your residents to also name something they recently enjoyed. This helps to direct their focus towards something positive.

3. Help Develop Purpose 

None of us enjoy feeling useless or unwanted. 

Seniors are no exception. They need a sense of purpose.

Brainstorm ways to target goals and objectives for your residents. Hobbies are a great start. Tying them into ways to help others also adds a big dose of purpose to the activity. 

Interests and abilities may differ, but everyone likes to feel like they are making a difference. 

Small examples could include installing a hummingbird feeder. 

Even planting a few vegetable or flower seeds can create a sense of daily purpose and fruition as your resident watches his or her garden grow. 

Encourage your residents to focus on simple projects for family members or even local charities. A senior in full control of their faculties might want to consider writing a family history or personal memoir for their children or grandchildren. 

Senior care residents will often respond positively to contributing through creative efforts, utilizing their existing skills or even just volunteering their time.

4. Address Sleep Issues

Starting the day right is difficult if you’ve had a lousy night’s sleep. Working to improve your residents’ sleeping patterns and helping to overcome insomnia issues will go a long way towards helping to stabilize their moods.

You may also consider some environmental factors like eliminating caffeine after midday, omitting afternoon naps and avoiding heavy evening meals to help ensure a good night’s sleep.

5. Get Your Senior Involved With Exercise or Movement

Exercise is a great way to get endorphins flowing. 

For some seniors, this can be a “slam-dunk”, but others may express that they are not interested or that they have earned the right to just “sit back and relax”. 

Unfortunately, inactivity often goes hand-in-hand with sleep issues and depression. Try to encourage some activity and exercise while also taking care to address valid reasons for inactivity, such as pain or disabilities.

Solicit suggestions for appropriate exercise activities from a medical provider or physical therapist. 

Many RCFE continuing education classes also provide some limited information and training in this area. For example, when dealing with seniors with limited ability, try chair exercises or a pedal device for leg movement while sitting.

6. Begin or Increase Social Activities

This looks different for every senior, depending on capabilities and personal preference, but you’ll notice that most residents will enjoy informal visits with family members or other persons who share similar interests. 

For the more shy or introverted residents, start small. 

Having morning coffee with a friend or neighbor, participating in a group activity or even just a FaceTime session with a family member can make a real emotional impact.

7. Keep Up With Technology

Speaking of FaceTime, seniors who learned to make use of web conferencing through services like Zoom or who used video chat apps such as FaceTime during the pandemic should continue to utilize them regularly. 

Getting to stay connected, even virtually, with family and friends can be a huge morale booster to most residents.

Try to introduce tech-weary seniors to things like YouTube where they can watch how-to videos, live church services and other events they might otherwise be missing. 

Technology remains a good way to interact with others and help residents stay connected to the outside world. Learning new technology also helps keep a senior’s mind stimulated.

Not only does the resident feel as if they are growing mentally, but that they’re also evolving with the ever-changing times and not just feeling like they’re a relic to the past.

Devise a Plan To Help Seniors Adjust to Post-Pandemic Life

Although many factors can contribute to depression in older adults, the fear of Covid-19, the stress of the stringent lockdowns, and just the overall impact it has had on this demographic certainly intensified the problem. 

As the number of vaccinated citizens continues to increase, and the country starts to open up again, it is important for RCFE administrators and their staff to plan a smooth transition and return to normal protocols with the differing needs of elderly individuals in mind.

Even though the CDC, as well as state and local health departments, dictates many details of the gradual reopening, an RCFE administrator should still be ready to acknowledge that residents may need to adjust on their own timelines.

Part of any transition plan should include appropriate training of all caregiving staff on the signs and symptoms of depression and the appropriate ways to report and intercede. Online training is available for facilities to use to expand caregiver knowledge and meet required CDSS requirements. 

Does Your RCFE Need Help With Senior Depression?

If your assisted living facility is struggling with Post-Pandemic depression issues, or even just a general loss in community morale, please don’t hesitate to reach out for support. Assisted Living Education is here to help and support you while we all journey together on the path to recovery.

Opening and operating an RCFE requires licensure and Administrator certification and is a great business model that benefits those receiving care as well as the investor. 

This article describes in more detail on how to obtain your RCFE license. 

 

A Closer Look at RCFEs

RCFEs are known by many names, especially in states outside California. Some examples include assisted living facilities, retirement homes and board and care facilities. 

They house elderly residents and provide assistance with things like general care, grooming, social activities, and medication assistance. Licensed facilities can be as small as one resident or as large a facility that has several hundred. 

 

RCFE Licensing — RCFE Administrator Certification Training

California requires that anyone operating the facility as an RCFE administrator be certified and the facility must be licensed.  In order to become an administrator, you must complete the 80-hour Certification course, pass the state exam with a score of 70% or better and submit a certificate application with the required documents and fee.

To open a facility, an applicant must complete the three-hour online orientation that is required by the Department of Social Services (CDSS). An application for licensure is submitted once you have legal control of the building that you plan to operate from. 

The RCFE Certification Course gives you the basic knowledge to operate an RCFE successfully and competently and to prepare for the role of an RCFE administrator. 

Why? 

Because you will have the responsibility for a number of people’s health and well-being under your care, and you need to know what you’re doing. 

 

What RCFE Training Includes

A well-structured certificate program includes both online and classroom learning. Once training is completed, you must take the exam and submit your application. Once CDSS processes the application, a certificate will be issued to you and is valid for two years.

In regard to the actual training, Assisted Living Education provides a thorough curriculum that covers all the aspects of opening an RCFE that includes laws and regulations, staffing requirements, application process and allowable and prohibited health conditions that affect client care.

These are just some of the topics you should be prepared to learn during RCFE training in preparation for your Administrator Certificate:

• Personnel requirements, including initial and ongoing training
• Background checks
• Resident Records, Documentation and Privacy
• Types of Services that can be provided in an RCFE
• Health-related Services (and staffing requirements)
• Compliance Requirements and Oversight

Preparing the RCFE license application to open an RCFE can be quite challenging.  The RCFE license is a necessary step to opening a facility. After you establish a facility, you’re going to need properly trained staff and possibly hiring an administrator if you are not going to manage your own facility.

The elderly population may need a variety of services and different levels of care. Assistance with activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as grooming, toileting and medication assistance are some of the common tasks that most caregivers can provide. 

As the level of assistance increases, however, so must the skillset of the caregiver.

RCFEs are not medical facilities and should not provide medical care that falls under the scope of a registered nurse or doctor unless those people are either employees of the facility, on call to the facility to provide as needed assistance or assistance is through the use of a home health or hospice agency. 

These agencies assist the facility with specific care needs that a facility is limited by or restricted from performing assistance. If caring for residents with dementia, staff are required to have a specific amount of hours of training to provide proper support and assistance. 

 

Proper Staff-to-Client Ratio  

Unlike skilled nursing facilities, RCFE’s do not have regulated staff to client ratios. 

For example, there must be at least one qualified employee (meets the required training to provide care as a caregiver) on call on the premises for 1-15 residents.

In facilities with 16-100 residents, there must be at least one employee on duty on the premises and awake. Another employee must be on call and capable of responding within 10 minutes.

In facilities with 101-200 residents, there must be one employee on call on the premises. Another employee must be on the premises awake and another employee must be on call and capable of responding within 10 minutes.

The need for elderly care will only grow in demand. If you are interested in opening and operating an RCFE in California, now is a great time to enter the industry. 

An increasing aging population will require qualified, ongoing care delivered by caring professionals. Contact Assisted Living Education or check out our upcoming RCFE classes for more information on how to get started on licensing a property as an RCFE or for online classes to maintain your current Administrator Certificate.