How to Start a Personal Care Home

This article is about the basics of starting or opening a Personal Care Home for Seniors Citizens or Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. You will: 1. Learn what a Personal Care Home is. 2. How to get information to start. 3. What you will need to get started.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A desire to help others
• Patience
• Perseverance
• Time commitment
• A Qualified Home
• Start-up money

1. A Personal Care Home is a place for Senior Citizens to live with their peers in a small supervised environment that ensures that they eat 3 meals per day, laundry is taken care of, medications are supervised, doctor appointments are scheduled and kept, activities are encouraged and the over all well being of the individual is ensured. For those interested in operating a place like this, it is strongly encouraged to visit a few Personal Care Homes (PCH) in your area. Make sure that you have a desire and the ability to care for the residents 24 hours per day. Interview the owners and the residents. Get a sense of what is required to run a Personal Care Home by asking lots of questions. Observe the routine, ask to review the Policies and Procedures, volunteer if possible.
2. Contact your local State agency to get a copy of the Rules and Regulations which govern the operations of a Personal Care Home. Ask to have a booklet mailed to you or download it from your computer. Find out from the local zoning board if a PCH is allowed in your area of interest. Have a location in mind so they can research the area for zoning criteria. Ask about any fees, business license, and other requirements needed to operate a Personal Care Home in that area. Every City or County has it's own requirements.
3. Write your own Policies and Procedures using the guidelines from the State agency or seek out a consultant with experience in this area.
4. Assess your start up capital. You may need at least 6 months of rent/mortgage and funds for utilities because it may take some time to get your residents placed in the home. Locate a home for your business, this can be your own home, a rental home, a lease purchased home, or a new home. Make sure its in a quiet neighborhood or one that feels safe and secure. If it is a rental or lease purchase, make sure the owner is aware of your plans for the home and have them sign an Affidavit approving the use of the home for a Personal Care Home. Start purchasing items for your home, acquire donations or go to a Second-Hand store for furniture. Set the home up exactly as required by the State agency.
5. Submit your application once all of your Policies and Procedures are in place and the house if fully furnished according to the guidelines. The Licensing agency will conduct a home visit to determine if a License will be issued. Once a Licensed to operate your Personal Care Home has been issued, start marketing your business to area Adult Day Programs, Churches, Libraries, Hospital Discharge Planners, or Placement agencies.

Tips & Warnings

• Look in the Blue section of your local Yellow Pages to locate the proper State agency.
• Try searching for the Department of Human Resources, Office of Regulatory Services, etc. to obtain the rules and regulations governing Personal Care Homes in your area.
• Ask a Personal Care Home owner in your area who they contacted to get the State guidelines.
• Using a consultant may be very helpful, less time consuming for you, and ensures that the process will be done correctly. However, you must determine their experience, check at least 5 references, and get a contract stating what will be successfully completed by them on your behalf.
• Consultants can be very expensive, often using up all of your start-up money if you are on a shoe string budget.
• Check all zoning requirements before getting a home or you could find yourself having to close your business and displacing your residents if the PCH fails to meet zoning requirements.