Residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE), or assisted living facilities, are typically board and care homes for individuals age 60 or older who can no longer live by themselves, but do not need 24-hour nursing care. Typically, a RCFE will provide a bed, all meals, and assistance with certain daily activities such as bathing, dressing, meals, and with medication distribution. The residents, however, must be able to take their own medications.
RCFEs and assisted living facilities are licensed by the State of California, and are limited under the code of regulations to the type of care they can provide. In addition, each facility must undergo periodic inspections by the Department of Social Services.
It is important to point out that RCFEs are not permitted to provide medical care. As a result, individuals with certain medical conditions may not be admitted or retained by a residential care facility. A few of those conditions include, but are not limited to, bed sores of a Stage III or larger, or people who require tube feedings. Other conditions are restricted and may not be permitted, such as individuals who require catheters or colostomies. RCFEs may admit people who suffer from dementia, but only after meeting certain regulatory requirements. Always check for the facility’s written plan for caring for individuals with memory impairment.
If you have a loved one in a RCFE or assisted living facility, keep a watchful eye for deteriorating health conditions. Walton Law Firm LLP has handled several cases under which the RCFE resident suffered declining health with being noticed by the daily caregivers. These facilities must know when it is time for an aging resident to be transferred to a higher level of care such as a hospital or a skilled nursing facility.
Walton Law Firm LLP is a consumer law firm that represents individuals throughout Southern California in all types of injury and accident cases, including wrongful death and nursing home abuse and neglect.