Many going through the process of placing a loved one for the first time have no idea what to expect upon touring Board & Care homes or Assisted Living Communities. This article will explore what to look for and expect upon touring a Board and Care home.
A Board and Care home is a residential home that has been licensed by the state to provide care for the elderly. While traveling through any given neighborhood, a Board & Care home is not going to stand out compared to the other homes except for the fact that there will likely be a ramp in place of steps to get to the front door. Most Board & Care homes have a capacity to host 6 residents at a time, but some do have a higher bed capacity. Board & Care floor plans vary, but most homes offer a mix of shared and private rooms. Safety features such as alarmed doors, roll-in or step in showers, grab bars and raised toilet seats are common sights in Board & Care homes.
The number of staff members required to be on site is not a set figure. Rather, the state requires a suitable number of caregivers depending on the needs of the residents. Therefore, in a home with more alert and higher functioning residents, there may only be 1 caregiver; whereas, a home that focuses on Alzheimer’s care or on caring for persons with very high care needs, there may be as many as 3 caregivers onsite. Homes are not required by law to provide awake at night staff. Therefore, there may be a caregiver onsite at night that sleeps but will get up to do bed checks. Some homes do offer awake at night staff.
Depending on the time of day of the visit, there will be more activity in the home. For example, in the morning hours, it is common to see residents eating breakfast while caregivers provide assistance with bathing and dressing. Usually at this time, linens are being changed, and beds are being tidied up. However, if one visits in the afternoon, perhaps after lunch, many will find the home is very quiet as most residents are napping.
Many wonder what activities are offered in care homes. The state requires that care homes with a bed capacity of 16 or more post a scheduled list of activities. Since most Board & Care homes have 6 beds, they are not required to have scheduled activities. Usually, activities are provided based on the individual requests of the clients. If a resident enjoys gardening and playing cards, then the staff at the care home would make provisions for that. Many homes do arrange for weekly outings to local parks, shopping centers, eateries or casinos.
For more information on Board & Care homes in your area, please contact Care Placement. One of our expert Placement Specialists will answer your questions and will direct you to properties in your area.