Oregon
Small to Medium Sized Senior Care Homes as Licensed In The State Of Oregon
States Common Name(s) for Residential Senior Care Homes |
Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) Adult care homes (ACH) |
Are Licensing or Legal Standards Required? |
Yes |
How many Residents Accommodated? |
Care for three or more residents |
Typical Staff-to-Patient Ratio |
Varies according to home type and provider |
Average Per Month Cost / Rate |
$2000.00 - $3500.00 per month. Also, move in cost in many cases. |
Is Nurse Staffing Typical? |
Usually part time - Under contract with facility |
How do Residents Typically Pay? |
Private Pay, Medicaid (PACE), Long Term Care Insurance |
Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities In Oregon
Community-Based Care settings include Assisted Living Facilities (ALF), Residential Care Facilities (RCF) and Memory Care Communities.
These facilities make a wide range of individualized services available in a homelike setting to older adults, people with disabilities and individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
Adult foster/care homes are licensed single-family settings with care for up to five people. Adult foster home settings serve a range of needs in a home setting.
Assisted living and residential care facilities are licensed settings providing housing and care services to six or more people. A registered nurse is on staff or under contract. The nurse does not have to be there all the time. Caregivers do not need to be certified, but they are trained in providing care services.
Because Oregon has a higher cost of living than many states, seniors can expect to pay a little more for care. For instance according to GENWORTH, in 2019 the cost of assisted living in Oregon averaged $4,499 per month, which is almost $450 above the national average of $4,051.
DHS Safety, Oversight and Quality Unit
The Department of Human Services (DHS) conducts licensing and regulatory oversight of providers to promote the health, safety, and independence of individuals receiving care and support services.
Get the Compliance Framework Guide Community Based Care guide (Residential Care and Assisted Living) pdf file
Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
The Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare program and a Medicaid service option that offers an array of health and care services in an all-inclusive service model. Currently, 31 states offer PACE services, including Oregon. PACE provides individuals a comprehensive service that includes coverage for health care and long-term services and supports.
Click Here to Print PACE - Oregon pdf file.
To learn how to apply for Medicaid, Click Here to visit the Oregon Health Plan website.
Assisted living and residential care facilities provide housing and supportive services to six or more people. Residential care and assisted living facilities’ services are similar but licensed separately by the Department of Human Services. For example, they both provide meals, laundry, housekeeping, social activities, medication administration and personal care assistance.
Assisted living and residential care facilities must have a registered nurse on staff or contract. However, the nurse does not have to be there 24 hours a day. The caregivers’ duties and qualifications vary. Caregivers do not have to be certified nursing assistants. However, all staff members must have background checks and be trained to serve residents.
The following may or may not apply:
Senior Living Laws and Regulations in Oregon
Note: All these rules typically apply to non-clinical senior living facilities, such as independent living, assisted living, and memory care facilities. Nursing homes and other senior living facilities with a clinical setting may have additional or slightly different requirements and regulations.
In Oregon, the Department of Human Services is responsible for granting licenses to senior living facilities operating within the state. DHS also conducts inspections to ensure each facility is in compliance with all relevant regulations. To protect the health and safety of seniors living in Oregon’s senior living facilities, each facility must meet minimum requirements regarding staffing levels, employee training and administrator qualifications.
Staffing Requirements
The Department of Human Services doesn’t require senior living facilities in Oregon to have a specific number of staff members on duty during each shift. Instead, facilities are required to have a sufficient number of “qualified awake” direct-care staff on duty to meet the scheduled and unscheduled needs of residents. If a facility employs staff members to perform housekeeping services, laundry services or other services that don’t qualify as direct care, direct-care staffing levels must be increased to ensure the well-being of residents. If DHS receives a complaint or has a concern about the safety of residents, it may require the facility to start meeting a specific staffing standard.
DHS also has special requirements for facilities that house residents in more than one building when the buildings aren’t connected to each other. In this case, the facility must have at least one qualified, awake direct-care staff member on duty in each building at all times.
Training Requirements
Every facility must provide a pre-service orientation session before employees have unsupervised contact with residents. The orientation must include training on residents’ rights, infection control, emergency procedures, fire safety and requirements for reporting abuse and neglect. Employees hired to prepare and serve food must obtain a food handler’s certificate before performing their duties. During the orientation period, all staff members must receive written job descriptions outlining their duties.
Direct-care staff must fulfill additional orientation requirements. For example, all employees who provide direct care must complete a training program on working with residents who have dementia, including identifying and managing pain, preventing wandering, providing food/fluids and using a person-centered approach to care. Within 30 days of hire, all direct-care staff must demonstrate their knowledge regarding how to assist residents with activities of daily living, identification of changes in residents’ physical and mental functioning, food safety, changes associated with aging, and conditions that require further assessment, observation, treatment or reporting.
Administrator Qualifications
Before serving as the administrator of a senior living facility, an individual must complete a minimum of 40 hours of administrator training approved by Oregon’s Health Licensing Office. Administrators must also complete at least 20 hours of continuing education each year. Prior to employment as an administrator, an individual must also pass a criminal background check and tuberculin skin test.
Under the Oregon Administrative Rules, administrators must comply with minimum standards of practice and professional conduct. Administrators must be in charge of the facility at all times unless they have appointed a designee to fill the role in their absence. An administrator is also responsible for supervising all staff members and ensuring that the physical and emotional needs of residents are met.
Definitions:
Residential Care Facility (RCF)
Residential Care Facility means a building, complex, or distinct part thereof, consisting of shared or individual living units in a home-like surrounding where six or more seniors and adult individuals with disabilities may reside. The facility offers and coordinates a range of supportive services available on a 24-hour basis to meet residents’ health and social needs, including assistance with ADLs.
Adult Care Homes (ACH)
This type of senior living is in a home setting, where up to five adults (six in Washington) live in the home and are cared for by the owners and caregivers. Also known as Adult Foster Homes, ACH staffing ratios are typically better than other senior housing options, but the activities programs are not as robust. In Oregon, an ACH is licensed by DHS as Level 1, 2 or 3. Level 3 homes provide the highest level of care and typically have multiple years of experience and/or an owner or caregiver with a nursing degree. Bedrooms and bathrooms may be private or shared.
Residential Care (RCF)
These communities provide housing and care for six or more residents. They may appear to be indistinguishable from an assisted living community, but the difference is that RCFs are not required to provide kitchenettes or private bathrooms. RCFs with shared bathroom typically provide a higher level of care than assisted living communities, are able to provide care to a specific population, and offer awake staff at night.
Adult Foster Care (AFC)
The Department of Human Services licenses adult foster homes, which provide care and services to five or fewer adults in a setting that protects and encourages resident dignity, choice, and decision-making while addressing residents’ needs in a manner that supports and enables them to maximize their ability to function at the highest possible level of independence. Regulatory provisions for AFC's are not included in this profile.
Source(s) Include:
Oregon Department of Human Services / Provider and Partner Resources / Office of Safety, Oversight and Quality / CBC.
CBC = Community-Based Care
https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/PROVIDERS-PARTNERS/Pages/index.aspx
Training for Providers
https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/PROVIDERS-PARTNERS/LICENSING/CBC/Pages/Training-for-Providers.aspx
Safety, Oversight and Quality Unit
https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/PROVIDERS-PARTNERS/LICENSING/Pages/index.aspx