Consultant for Personal Care Home Policies and Procedures

Feel free to go to my website www.goldenlifepch.com  click on feedback and complete the form if you need a consultant for policies and procedures. Please e-mail at goldjones@gmail.com

More on Personal Care Homes

There have been so many comments about how to get started with a Personal Care Home.  Because we may all be in different States , it’s impossible for me to know every City/State rules and regulations concerning Personal Care Homes (PCH)  I would recommend that you read the first post I wrote on Personal Care homes and then all of the comments and responses following the post.  Then contact your State agency.  Try the Department of Human Resources, the Department of Human Services, Office of Regulatory Services, etc.  If you can’t locate the information from these sources, then visit a few PCH’s in your area and ask the owner, where to go to get started.  Some will actually help you!!  Remember that although your heart is in the right place when thinking of caring for others, it is still a business and other Personal Care Home providers may not be so willing to share information with you, they may feel threatened or territorial.  Still, others are very open and kind.  I believe that visiting several PCH’s is the best way to decide if this business is for you, to observe first hand how it’s done ( or not done) and to ask questions for immediate feedback.  For some of you, it might be feasible to start one in your own home to save on overhead costs.  If my home was up to standards, I would have started in my own home, having my family in the lower part of the house and the PCH residents in the upper half of the house.  Be creative, get ideas from other PCH’s to see how creative you can be.  Check out PCH in various neighborhoods, communities, and socio economic groups to get good ideas. You do not need to be in the medical field or have a medical background in most States. Some require a workshop or orientation to attend before getting licensed.  While others require you to complete a certificate program before getting started.  In Georgia, you have to go to a New Provider Orientation ( one day workshop) and once you get your certificate of completion, you mail it in with your PCH application.  Again, check with your local and State government for your specific requirements!!!!  Feel free to check out my website at www.goldenlifepch.com

Starting a Personal Care Home

Personal Care Homes, also called Assisted Living Facilities, are residential homes or apartments for senior citizens or individuals with intellectual disabilities, cognitive disabilites or “mental retardation”. These Personal Care Homes are designed to provide shelter, 3 nutritious meals a day, laundry services, hygiene assistance, ADL’s, and transportation. Some offer activities like arts and crafts, exercise, church services, outdoor trips, movie night, etc.

Personal Care Homes are often recommended to Senior Citizens by their children, physicians, family members, social workers, hospital discharge planners, or themselves. Most seniors who are having difficulty staying home alone are ideal candidates for this program. Some find that they are falling more and becoming a danger to themselves. Others might find that they are forgetful, confused or disoriented at times. Still others desire the social interaction with their peers in a safe, clean, and loving environment.

Nowadays, adult children are unable to care for their aging parents due to their own busy schedules, lack of financial resources, or due to the long distance that separates them from their parents. Personal Care Homes offer a great alternative to living without their own family. In some states like Georgia, a Personal Care Home can have as few as 6 residents in the home which offer much more one on one interaction and care. Most of the residents have their own room in which they can bring personal touches from home such as pictures for the wall, curtains, bed linens, toiletries, and some small furniture.

Residential services to those with “mental retardation” or more appropriately, “developmental disabilities or intellectual disabilities” are a great option for those adults, ages 18 and over, who desire to live alone or whose family is ready for them to make a transition to more independence. Although, living in a Personal Care Home is not living alone, it offers support and guidance to those who have always lived with a family member or in an institution for many years. It is extremely important that the staff at the Personal Care Home are especially sensitive to this population who have often experienced abuse, neglect and institutionalized living for most of their life. The transition period may take longer than it would for a Senior Citizen, so great care and patience must be a priority and no tolerance for neglectful, harsh or abusive language or actions should be accepted by the Personal Care Home management.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities often attend programs during the day time hours to learn new skills and often have jobs with real employers providing real pay. These jobs may be menial or tedious for some, but for this population bagging groceries, stuffing envelopes, gathering shopping carts, putting small plastic pieces together in a factory are rewarding and stimulating jobs to have.

Of course, like everything else, there is a financial cost associated with Personal Care Homes. Most seniors use their pensions, retirement or social security income to pay the cost for this service. The fees range greatly from Personal Care Home to Personal Care Home. In Georgia, for instance, a small PCH of 6 residents may charge anywhere from $1,300 per month to $2,000 per month. The price is sometimes determined by the location of the home, the size of the room (private or semi-private) and the services offered. Some PCH owners make special concessions to those who cannot pay the full price. Others use State programs like Medicaid funded programs that can supplement the cost if the Senior meets their eligibility requirements. The owner of the PCH will have to apply with the Medicaid program in order to be a Provider for this service. Usually each state will have a Department of Human Resources or something similar that can provide information on how to become a medicaid provider for residential services for the elder population.

Often, the individual with a developmental disability already has a Medicaid Waiver which grants them a certain amount toward residential services. It is the waiver that allows payment to the Personal Care Home provider. This population often have a Support Coordinator or a Case Manager who helps them to make life choices and apply for Medicaid Waivers and other programs suitable for their individual needs. They even help the individual choose which PCH they want to reside in. Again, the PCH owner has to apply with the State in order to become a Provider for this population and to receive payment for the services.

Of course, the state is the first place to contact when you are ready to explore opening a PCH. This work is not easy, it requires a 24 hour commitment and loving care for those that live there. It is constant cooking, cleaning, bathing, laundry and loving interaction. It’s also helping with doctor appointments, medication compliance and coordination of services.

The State will send out a booklet providing the guidelines and rules on Personal Care Homes. In Georgia, it is the Office of Regulatory Services who will send out all the information you need to get started. Use these guidelines to write your own home’s Policy and Procedures. Create the standard that you want in your home.

My advice is to write the Policy and Procedures before getting a home. This allows time to write without feeling pressured. If you get a house first, you will have to pay on a mortgage or rent while you are putting your Policies together. Also, start purchasing the furniture before you get a house. If you begin to accumulate what you need now, just store it until you are ready to move in. Many owners purchase their furniture from second-hand stores, garage sales or even from friends. Have church members, family members, coworkers and friends donate furniture to you. Be sure to tell them what you need or you’ll end up with lot of stuff you don’t need.

Some PCH owners purchase their homes for this business, while other do a lease-purchase which allows them to pay as they go. Others find success in renting a house as long as the owner is aware of what you will be using the house for and signing an affidavit that supports the agreement.

This information is just enough to getting the ideas flowing. Please respond to this blog, offer insight, corrections, updates and other information that one can use in starting a Personal Care Home. Your comments are most appreciated.

I will share more information as we go along.  Let me know what topics you are most interested in.

Thanks

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!