California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly License

If you have someone elderly in your life, you may be interested in residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE). In addition to understanding what they are, you need to know how to use a CA RCFE license lookup to confirm that your chosen care facility has the necessary license. The following information should clear up any doubts you have on either count.

What Is a Residential Care Home for the Elderly?

Residential care facilities for the elderly provide room, housekeeping, personal care assistance, supervision, and board for those who are 60 years old and older. They also help residents with daily activities, including eating, walking, dressing, and taking medications.

What Are Residential Care Facilities?

Residential care facilities are also known as care and board homes or group homes. They tend to be private facilities with 20 residents or less. Residents of these facilities receive meals and personal care. They have 24/7 access to staff, but the facilities don’t typically feature medical care or nursing on-site, although they can. This means that you may or not receive a physician’s report for residential care facilities for the elderly.

Some examples of these residential care facilities include assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and nursing homes.

What Does a Residential Care Home Provide?

Many people use the term residential care home as an alternative for residential care facilities for the elderly RCFE. As mentioned earlier, they provide personal attention thanks to their smaller size. They also give residents the feeling of independence and a greater ability to incorporate family care, thanks to the smaller size of the community.

What Is the Difference Between Assisted Living and a Residential Care Facility?

Assisted living typically has more residents than residential care facilities for the elderly and provides less assistance to the residents. Those in assisted living may need assistance in a handful of areas, such as bathing or taking medications, but they are more independent. Those in residential care facilities typically require more daily assistance and require more complex care.

How Do You Open a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly in California?

If you want to open a residential care facility for the elderly in California, you will need to get a license and go through several other steps.

Start by finding a certified administrator. This role requires completing an 80-hour certification course and passing a 100-question test by getting at least a 70% grade. There are varying experience and age requirements depending on the size of the facility.

Next, you will need to find your location and get a pre-inspection from the fire marshal. You can then sign up for the DSS RCFE course, which will give you a certificate.

Now, you are ready to apply. The application is long for getting a license to operate residential care facilities for the elderly. The instructions span 22 pages, and there is a fee. After your application gets approved, you will have a face-to-face meeting with DSS. Your facility then needs to pass a DSS inspection. Finally, you can get your license.

Who Licenses Assisted Living Facilities in California?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the California Department of Social Services license assisted living facilities in California.

What Is the Difference Between ARF and RCFE?

An ARF is an adult residential facility, while an RCFE is a residential care facility for the elderly. ARFs have residents who are between 18 and 59 years old. RCFEs are for those who are 60 years old and older.