Consulting services
Looking to open or manage your Adult Family Home?
I can help!
I offer consulting, I do pre-inspections and I can help out with any paperwork involving your Adult Family Home business.
I am now teaching classes for Caregivers and providers.
Here are the fallowing classes I teach: Dementia
Mental Health
Continuing Education
75 hour HCA
CPR and First Aid.
What are the Licensing Requirements for Adult Family Homes in Washington State?
When someone wishes to open an adult family home, the first step in the process is for the prospective owner to attend a two-hour orientation class.
https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/residential-care-services/afh-line-orientation-class-registration
The intention of this class is to help attendees decide if this is a business they truly wish to start. Topics covered within orientation are:
What is involved in operating an adult family home
An overview of the laws and regulations pertaining to adult family homes
The responsibilities of an owner/provider
A look into the impact that operating a home may have on the provider’s own family
Defining residents’ rights and the importance of serving the needs and preferences of residents
Operating a home also requires hiring, training and supervising staff
Not everyone who attends the orientation moves forward with the next step, which is applying for a license. Before applying for a license, it is prudent for the prospective business owner to complete an analysis of the competition and write a business plan that entails all aspects of operating the home, inclusive of a creating policies and procedures, creation of forms and residency agreements and creation of a proforma statement to define the financial viability of operating a home.
Location of the home is key in the success or failure of a home, as is the effort placed into making the home accessible and aesthetically pleasing. Older adults and their families tend to give preference to homes that are located within a five to ten mile radius of where other family members live or in a location that is convenient for visiting before or after work.
New providers should review how many homes already exist in certain geographic locations by visiting the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services website under Aging and Long-term Support. The tool to view licensed homes is located at: https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup/AFHAdvLookup.aspx
There is always a need for high quality homes which offer quality services and attentive staffing. Some areas, though, have more licensed homes than are needed to meet the demands of consumers, while other areas are severely lacking adult family homes.
To serve privately paying clientele, the owner of an adult family home must be a unique individual. They must possess the energy to be on call at all times. They must possess excellent communication skills and be able to manage staff members to deliver quality care in a manner that is acceptable to the older adults they are serving. Along with knowing many aspects of medical needs, home owners also must be savvy in federal, state and local laws and regulations. This role requires a strong human being who is extremely dedicated to serving people.
The State of Washington provides some guidance to new providers by offering checklists to help comply with Washington Administrative Code and the Revised Code of Washington, however, providers are expected to read and fully understand all laws pertaining to the operation of their home.
Also, before applying for a license, the owner/provider must complete:
First aid and CPR training
Safety training – 3 hour course
Fundamentals of Caregiving – a 75 hour course
Specialty training in areas in which the adult family home wishes to specialize, such as caring for residents with dementia or mental health needs
Adult Family Home Administrator Training – offered through community colleges
Nurse delegation classes – initial and on-going if providing specific nursing tasks
Food Handling and Safety
Providers are also required to obtain continuing education courses/credits. Background checks are required for all providers and for all individuals working in an adult family home.
In addition to state laws and regulations as well as building and fire codes, homes must also comply with registering their business in the city where the home is located. The owner must also comply with all federal, state and local tax and employment laws.
Adult family homes are licensed by the Department of Social and Health Services once all aspects of training and compliance with regulations are met. An additional step providers must complete is to have the home approved by a local building official to ensure that the home meets all safety codes. To find a listing of Building Officials: http://www.wabo.org/
Once the home is in operation, they are subject to random inspections every 18 to 24 months. Adult family home providers are also required to self-report injuries and unwitnessed falls. Self-reporting may lead to an unannounced visit by a state regulator.
‘‘Lending a Helping Hand’’ got you covered!
Adult family homes are required to maintain detailed records regarding management of medications, delivery of treatments, documentation of changes in condition and a plethora of other aspects of caring for their residents.
As you see, operating an adult family home is an expensive and complex business. Our community is fortunate to have many talented providers who are dedicated to the safety and well-being of frail adults.
Regardless of the layers and layers of regulation, the families and legally-responsible parties of older adults can never give up being diligent in monitoring the care their loved ones are receiving in and adult family home. Because of staff changes and the ever-changing needs of residents, as a society we can never stop being advocates for ensure the safety of our elderly.
Some people think adult family home providers charge too much for their services. When considering all of the expertise, expense and commitment it takes to operate a home, we should be grateful to the providers who make this sort of care available in our communities.