What categorizes a building as an Assisted Living Facility (ALF)?
Definition: Any building or buildings, section or distinct part of a building, private home, boarding home, home for the aged, or other residential facility, whether operated for profit or not, which undertakes through its ownership or management to provide.
The basic services include, but are not limited to:
Housing, nutritional meals, and special diets
Personal care (help with bathing, dressing, eating, walking, physical transfer)
Give medications (by a nurse employed at the facility or arranged by contract) or help residents give themselves medications
Supervise residents
Arrange for health care services
Provide or arrange for transportation to health care services
Health monitoring
Respite care
Social and leisure activities
Mental Health service
A resident can also contract/hire with a licensed home health or home care provider for nursing and other health care services, as long as the resident does not need 24-hour skilled nursing services and meets any other requirements the facility dictates in order to reside in that assisted living facility. Laura can help recommend premier home care and home health services for you!
Purpose of ALF's:
The Florida Legislature recognizes how assisted living facilities are an important part of the continuum of long-term care in the state. In support of the goal of aging in place’.
Encourage development of facilities that promote the dignity, individuality, privacy, and decision-making ability of residents
Provide for the health, safety, and welfare of residents.
Assisted Living services are intended to help residents remain as independent as possible.
Regulations must be: flexible enough to allow facility policies that enable residents to age in place when resources are available to meet their needs and accommodate their preferences.
I highly recommend for all families/friends who're thinking their loved one is declining at home and/or can't live at home alone anymore to visit the Florida Health Finder website to check out the status of the license at an assisted living, administrator in charge and any citations recorded by the state, etc.
Licenses for Assisted Living Facilities (ALF's) in Florida To Meet Varying Needs…
All ALF's start with a Standard License (#1) and the additional licenses are added to meet specific care needs. Limited Nursing Services (#2), Extended Congregate Care (#3), Limited Mental Health Services (#4) This expands the level of care allowed to be delivered in these facilities letting residents age in place and avoiding nursing home/skilled care placement.
A facility must have a standard assisted living facility license in order to operate in the state of Florida. The other three licenses can be added in order for the facility to provide services designated outside the spectrum of a standard assisted living facility license.
Please view AHCA's website: https://ahca.myflorida.com
Laura Cassell is a Local Geriatric Care Manager in NW-Florida from Pensacola to Panama City. If you're struggling with deciding what type of care is the best fit for you or your loved one she can help guide you through the assisted living options and other care solutions offered in your budget, desired location and that fit the care needs.
Laura Cassell, CDP
Gerontologist and Dementia Practitioner
Pearl Care Solutions & Senior Care Authority-Gulf Coast