Thank you David | A readers comment

Assisted Living is not a Nursing Home

There is a reason they call man a ‘social animal’ because he is meant to live with people and among people. He can’t spend his life along, but they sure do need a bit of liberty staying with the rest. This is where assisted living or Independent living comes in to make things workable after a certain age.

Most people tend to mix Assisted living with nursing homes, though they are two completely different set of living. In Nursing homes you are constantly monitored and cared by the staff around you, whereas in Assisted Living you get help for things you only need or as per your choice. For instance, there are many people who seem to lose their memory with the passage of time, though they are all good with their physical health but they need help with their medication etc. Moreover, Assisted Living can help you take care of you as well as your chores, starting from people who have trouble making food, getting dressed, bathing or even maintaining your room or house.

Facilities in Assisted Living come with a cap, there are only certain facilities that are provided and people who are in need of care 24X7 round the clock will have to knock the doors of Nursing Homes. Nursing Home is the place for people suffering from diversified health issues along with continuous supervision and are unable to take care of themselves.

Some of the basic things you should consider in your decision include the admission requirements, comfort of other residents, safety at the facility, amenities available, activities for the residents and resident financial responsibilities.

In resemblance to any other important decisions of life, shifting to an Assisted Living for your loved one can be another trance. As you are the one taking the responsibility of locating and deciding which place is the best for them, you first need to get in touch with well-known agents. Ask your friend and family to refer you the best ones from their personal experience or firsthand knowledge. Consider visiting the Assisted Living Homes as much as you can and inquire questions about the facilities available, the medical treatment to day to day routine things. Making sure they will be happy and comfortable there is your foremost aim. Having a quick conversation with the residents can be a great source of help and deciding factor for you.

It is a general thing for your family members to deny the thought of moving to an Assisted Living. As most of the people still have the misconception of relating Assisted Living with Nursing home, so they tend to have the same image. They are afraid of losing their liberty and independence so they resist the idea of Assisted Living. What you need to do is to have them involved in the entire process and provide them with the best knowledge. Take them to a few Assisted Living Homes so they can judge what kind of environment they will be going for and what exactly waits.

Thank you David for your thoughts and comments on Assisted Living, to read more or to learn more about http://www.feridean.com/ an Assisted Living communitiy in Ohio, please click on the link provided.  Assisted living is in fact a community, whether you are in Idaho or Ohio, we all are committed to providing seniors with dignity, compassion, social involvement, education and a quality of life they deserve! 

Idaho Facility Standards

The Bureau of Facility Standards, in cooperation with the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Welfare, serves and protects Idahoans requiring health-related services, supports, and supervision in care facilities by:

• Promoting each individual's rights, well-being, safety, dignity, and highest level of functional independence;
• Enforcing compliance with state rules and federal regulations; and
• Providing information and education.

We license and certify health care providers/suppliers following state and federal regulatory requirements, as applicable. We also conduct complaint investigations relating to these providers/suppliers.
to read more click here

Idaho Assisted Living Admitting Policy (in part)

Assisted Living vs. Skilled Nursing

Admittance

We often take phone calls inquiring who Assisted Living can admit.  With a growing desire for our aging population and their families to live at the highest quality of life, Assisted Living has become a popular choice.  Offering dignity, entertainment, independence, assistance with ADL's (activities of daily life) and comfort in a residential or often times retreat-like environment Assisted Living is changing the dynamics of senior living. 

Assisted Living (if a facility is staffed with 24/7 Registered Nurses trained to handle the care needed of each resident) is now an option even for those who previously were not viable residents.  A list of polices and procedures provided in part by Idaho Health & Welfare follows:

1.       Describe the facilities conditions for admitting and retaining residents at the facility.  The following items should be included:

a.       A resident will be admitted or retained only when the facility has the capability, capacity, and services to provide appropriate care, or the resident does not require a type of service for which the facility is not licensed to provide or which the facility does not provide or arrange for, or if the facility does not have the personnel, appropriate in numbers and with appropriate knowledge and skills to provide such services.

b.      No resident will be admitted or retained who requires ongoing skilled nursing or care not within the legally licensed authority of the facility.  Such residents include:

i.                     A resident who has a gastrostomy tube, arterial-venous (AV) shunt, or suprapubic catheter inserted within the previous twenty-one (21) days

ii.                   A resident who is receiving continuous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) or intravenous (IV) therapy

iii.                  A resident who requires physical restraints, including bed rails, an exception is a chair with locking wheels or chair in which the resident cannot get out of

iv.                 A resident who is comatose, except for a resident who has been assessed by a physician or authorized provider who has determined that death is likely to occur with fourteen (14) to thirty (30) days (Note: The physician’s determination should be documented in the resident record)

v.                   A resident who is on a mechanically supported breathing system, except for residents who use CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)

vi.                 A resident who has a tracheotomy who is unable to care for the tracheotomy independently

vii.                A resident who is fed by a syringe

viii.              A resident with open, draining wounds for which the drainage cannot be contained

ix.                 A resident with a Stage III or IV pressure ulcer

x.                   A resident with any type of pressure ulcer or open wound that is not improving bi-weekly

xi.                 A resident who has MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) in an active stage (infective stage)

xii.                For any resident who has needs requiring a nurse, the facility must assure a licensed nurse is available to meet the needs of the resident

xiii.              A resident will not be admitted or retained who has physical, emotional, or social needs that are not compatible with the other residents in the facility

xiv.              A resident that is violent or a danger to himself or others

xv.               Any resident requiring assistance in ambulation must reside on the first story unless the facility complies with 16.03.22.401 and 16.03.22.401 which is related to the fire extinguishing system

xvi.              Residents who are not capable of self-evacuation must not be admitted or retained by a facility which does not comply with the NFPA Standard #101, “Life Safety Code, 2000 Edition, Chapter 33, Existing Residential Board and Care Impracticable Evacuation Capability: (fire extinguishing system)

C.    Residents at risk for wandering.  A facility that accepts or retains residents with cognitive impairments must provide a secured interior environment and a secured exterior yard.  If the facility does not provide these, the policy must specify how the facility will ensure no residents

In speaking with the Department of Health and Welfare, I was informed that although "Skilled Nursing Facilities" are regulated by both Federal and State, Assisted Living is only regulated by the State.  When an Assisted living facility applies for license, and provides the mountains of necessary documentation with application fees and application, the State sends a surveyor to come out and approve or deny the facilities ability to follow and provide all necessary policies and procedures, thereafter a survey is conducted each 3rd year thereafter, unless a complaint is filed, then the State will come in and survey each incident.  Skilled Nursing Facilities are surveyed routinely every 15 months unless a complaint is filed.  Both entities are subject to following strict guidelines and regulations and subject to penalties, fines and other consequences. 

Top 10 Citations | 2011

Top Ten Citations

For a list of Idaho's top ten citations click on the provided link

Standards of health care

The Bureau of Facility Standards, in cooperation with the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Welfare, serves and protects Idahoans requiring health-related services, supports, and supervision in care facilities by:

• Promoting each individual's rights, well-being, safety, dignity, and highest level of functional independence;
• Enforcing compliance with state rules and federal regulations; and
• Providing information and education.

We license and certify health care providers/suppliers following state and federal regulatory requirements, as applicable. We also conduct complaint investigations relating to these providers/suppliers.

for more information click here

Who Regulates Assisted Living in Idaho?

IDAPA 16 TITLE 03 CHAPTER 22

16.03.22 - RESIDENTIAL CARE OR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES IN IDAHO

000.LEGAL AUTHORITY.

001.TITLE, SCOPE, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

002.WRITTEN INTERPRETATIONS.

003.ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS AND CONTESTED CASES.

The Idaho Board of Health and Welfare is authorized under Section 39-3305, Idaho Code, to adopt and enforce rules to protect the health, safety, and the individual's rights for residents in residential care or assisted living facilities. (3-30-06) 01. Title. The title of this chapter of rules is IDAPA 16.03.22, "Residential Care or Assisted Living Facilities in Idaho." (3-30-06)

02. Scope. The purpose of a residential care or assisted living facility in Idaho is to provide choice, dignity and independence to residents while maintaining a safe, humane, and home-like living arrangement for individuals needing assistance with daily activities and personal care. These rules set standards for providing services that maintain a safe and healthy environment. (3-30-06)

03. General Provider Responsibilities. The facility must assure quality services by providing choices, dignity and independence to residents. The facility must have an administrator and staff who have the knowledge and experience required to provide safe and appropriate services to all residents of the facility. The facility must be operated consistent with the rules and statutes as it conducts its work. (3-30-06)

04. General Department Responsibilities. The Department is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the provisions of the statute and this chapter to protect residents in these facilities by providing information, education and evaluating providers to assure compliance with statute and these rules. This responsibility includes: licensing facilities and monitoring the condition of the facility. (3-30-06)

05. Exemptions. The provisions of these rules do not apply to any of the following: (3-30-06) a. Health Facility. The provisions of these rules do not apply to hospitals, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities, or any other health facility as defined by Title 39, Chapter 13, Idaho Code. (3-30-06) b. Alternate Living Arrangements. The provisions of these rules do not apply to any house, institution, hotel, congregate housing project, retirement home, or other similar place that is limited to providing one (1) or more of the following: housing, meals, transportation, housekeeping, or recreational and social activities, or that have residents independently accessing supportive services from an entity approved to provide such services in Idaho and holding no legal ownership interest in the entity operating the facility. (3-30-06) c. Relatives. The provisions of these rules do not apply to any arrangement for the receiving and care of persons by a relative, except when the caretaker is paid for the care through a state or federal program, in which case the caretaker relative and the care setting must meet all applicable requirements. (3-30-06) In accordance with Section 67-5201(19)(b)(iv), Idaho Code, this agency may have written statements that pertain to the interpretations of the rules of this chapter. These documents are available for public inspection as described in Sections 005 and 006 of these rules. (3-30-07)

01. Administrative Appeals and Contested Cases. Administrative appeals and contested cases are governed by IDAPA 16.05.03, "Rules Governing Contested Case Proceedings and Declaratory Rulings." (3-30-06) 02. Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting. If a facility disagrees with a deficiency cited for a core issue, it may request an informal dispute resolution meeting to the Licensing and Certification Unit. The policy and IDAHO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE IDAPA 16.03.22 - Residential Care or Department of Health and Welfare Assisted Living Facilities in Idaho Section 004 Page 7 procedure for requesting informal dispute resolution is posted on the Licensing and Certification website at www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. (3-29-10)

004.INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE.

005.OFFICE -- OFFICE HOURS -- MAILING ADDRESS -- STREET ADDRESS -- INTERNET WEBSITE.

The documents, referenced in Subsection 004.01 through 004.08 of these rules, are incorporated by reference as provided by Section 67-5229 (a), Idaho Code. These incorporated documents are available for public review upon request at the Department of Health and Welfare, 450 West State Street, Boise, Idaho 83702, or when available on line at the websites provided in these rules. (3-30-06)

01. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Documents. The NFPA documents referenced in these regulations are available from the National Fire Protection Association, 11 Tracy Drive, Avon, MA 02322- 9908; 1-800-344-3555; and online at http://www.nfpa.org. (3-30-06)

02. Idaho Diet Manual. This manual is available from the Idaho Dietetic Association, Ninth Edition, 2005, online at http://eatrightidaho.org. (3-30-06)

03. Idaho Food Code. IDAPA 16.02.19, "Food Safety and Sanitation Standards For Food Establishments," April 6, 2005. These rules are available online at http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/idapa16/ 0219.pdf. (3-30-06)

04. Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix A. This code is available online at http://www.ada.gov/publicat.htm. Contact phone number is 1-800-514-0301. (3-30-06)

05. Idaho Board of Nursing Rules. IDAPA 23.01.01, "Rules of the Idaho Board of Nursing." These rules are available online at http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/idapa23/23index.htm. (3-30-06)

06. Idaho Board of Pharmacy Rules. IDAPA 27.01.01, "Rules of the Idaho Board of Pharmacy." These rules are available online at http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/idapa27/27index.htm. (3-30-06)

07. International Building Code. Edition 2003. This code is available from the International Code Council, 4051 West Flossmoor Rd., Country Club Hills, IL 60478-5795, phone: 888-422-7233 and online at http:// www.iccsafe.org. (3-30-06)

08. Idaho Medical Assistance Program Rules. IDAPA 16.03.09, "Medicaid Basic Plan Benefits," Section 665. These rules may be found online at http://adm.idaho.gov/adminrules/rules/idapa16/0309.pdf. (3-30-06)

01. Office HoursOffice hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, except holidays designated by the State of Idaho. (3-30-06)
02. Mailing Address. The mailing address for the business office is Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0036. (3-30-06)
 03. Street Address. The business office of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is located at 450 West State Street, Boise, Idaho 83702. (3-30-06)
04. Telephone. (208) 334-5500. (3-30-06)
05. Internet Website Address. The Department Internet website is www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. (3-30-06)
06. Licensing and Certification Unit. The Department’s Licensing and Certification Unit, 3232 Elder Street, Boise, ID 83705; Phone: 208 334-6626. (3-29-10)
07. Licensing and Certification Unit Website is www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. (3-29-10)