How to Start Home Based Nursing Care for the Elderly
Starting a board and care facility can be a rewarding experience, both financially and holistically, since you're interacting with a group of patients with transitional and/or end-of-life issues that require a home-care environment over and above the care they could receive from a family member. Knowing what you need to provide is crucial to making your facility successful and compliant.
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Instructions
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Acquire all the licensing necessary for the facility. You will need to pass a facility inspection through your local health department as well as acquire an assisted living license if you want to accept insurance reimbursement. Contact your county health and human services department to get the requisite licensing information.
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Ascertain how many clients you can accommodate in a single-family home. Occupancy guidelines vary with each state: for instance, in California you are allowed up to six clients in a single-family home, whereas in Nebraska a small facility is considered to have up to 16 residents.
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Consider the client base you'd like to have. Private-pay patients will need a negotiated rate whereas patients on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) command a fixed rate from the federal government.
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Determine any staffing you will need and their level of expertise. If you have a partner, you can work in shifts, but both partners need to know CPR and other life-saving techniques as well as IV (intravenous) drug administration or tube feeding protocols if the patient is on a G-tube (receiving nutrients through a stomach tube).
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Inspect the wiring in the house to make sure it is adequate for any equipment that needs to be in the home. A patient may need an oxygen concentrator, an electric bed and a feeding tube, all of which need wiring in place to facilitate treatment. Also, make sure that the durable medical equipment supplier provides back-up generators for oxygen devices if you experience frequent power outages.
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