How to Operate an Assisted Living Facility
Operating assisted living facilities requires a balance of management, regulatory, customer service and reimbursement demands. An operations manager must keep up with challenges on a number of fronts. Assisted facility management professionals must be proficient in handling costs, capital improvements, training, human resources and budgets as well as keep up with medical and technological advancements.
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Instructions
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Prepare for the role by earning a master's degree in healthcare management or a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in healthcare to land a position as an assisted living administrator. Many assisted facility executives begin their career with a four-year business degree and build a resume of experience while earning advanced degrees and certifications.
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Make sure that the facility is licensed by the state and that license is updated every year. Licensing rules vary from state to state. Visit Elder Law to find out the requirements for your state. The license will restrict the kinds of services that you can offer. The state safety and building requirements must be met and usually include the need for ramps, balance bars in the bathrooms and accessible kitchen appliances.
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Keep up with the services by requiring weekly reports from the staff working in the facility. Meet with managers to discuss the various departments including meal preparation, housekeeping and client care. While assisted living facilities typically do not house elderly patients that are totally dependent on nursing care, they do have needs that may require monitoring of medications and therapies.
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Set guidelines that will prepare residents for moving from the assisted living care. Let the patients and the families know the level of care you provide and have a list of hospitals and nursing homes available so that you know where the resident is to go when skilled nursing care becomes a requirement.
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Maintain detailed records about the needs of the residents and insist on weekly reports that include patient care from all department heads. Invest in assisted living management software that makes reporting and reviewing easy and formulaic. Look for a program that includes patient contact information, insurance coverage and financial platforms.
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Tips & Warnings
Require credit checks or some form of collateral or assurance of payment from the families to insure payment. Medicaid and Medicare do not cover assisted living care, which usually must be covered by private funds or special insurance packages.
Develop a relationship with an attorney that you can contact when you have requests from prospective residents that differ from your usual contracts. For example, if a patient desires complete privacy while dressing, even though they may have a history of falling, they may want to sign a waiver of liability. You should check with your attorney when these kinds of requests are made to make sure you are covered under your state laws.
