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What Are Assisted Living Facilities Who Lives In Assisted Living Facilities A Day In The Life of an Assisted Living Facility More Reasons to Switch to Assisted Living Facilities How to Turn A Small House Into an Assisted Living Facility Ideal Assisted Living Facility Property Types Increasing Your Assisted Living Facility Profits Assisted Living Facility Staffing Companies Assisted Living Facility Administration and Operation Assisted Living Facility Zoning Assisted Living Facility Licensing Laws Filling Your Assisted Living Facility With Residents Assisted Living Facility Exit Strategies Taking Your Assisted Living Facility to the Next Level State by State ALF Regulations, ALF Real Estate Agents, Consultants, and Attorneys HAVE A QUESTION? CLICK TO EMAIL EasyALF
Assisted Living Facility News LinksIs The Typical Cost for an Assisted Living Facility $12,000 a Month? Therapy Dog Brightens Lives at Assisted Living Center Fishers Council OKs Dementia Facility Opening Doors to the Elderly Couple Finds Niche with in-home Foster Care Leesburg Facility Keeps Alzheimer's Victim, Spouse Under Same Roof Local Health Care Facilities Prepare for the Next Generation NHI Completes $67 Million Purchase Of Six Skilled Nursing Facilities Assisted Living Facilities Trying to Keep up with Aging Population Assisted Living Facilities a Popular Option for Virginians Assisted Living Communities Across County Face Off in Wii Bowling
A Must-Read for Any Potential Assisted Living Facility Owner!
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How To Open An Assisted Living FacilityAssisted Living Facility Administration and Operation
I will bet that you’re relieved you don’t have to do the cooking and cleaning, and lets not forget that “other” stuff CNAs have to do. You don't even have to manage your ALF if you don't want to. If you’re a hands on person, you can get licensed and operate your own ALFs. Many states allow you to operate three or more ALFs once you’re a licensed administrator. The average ALF administrator licensing course is approximately 40 hours, and yes, boys and girls, there is a test. You’ll learn all the legal stuff and the ever important, “How to Attract Residents” stuff, but if you’re like me, you’d rather pay someone to do it. Check your state laws, because the administrator will have to be licensed, but you do not have to be the administrator in most states. If you plan to hire an administrator or ALF administration company, it is still a good idea to got through your state’s ALF administrator training. You will still want to be able to make sure your ALF is being operated as directed by law. Taking your state’s ALF Core Training or administrator course will teach you how. You’ll also want to know that the people who live in your ALF are getting everything they’re paying you all that money for. Interview several ALF medical administration and staffing companies before you select one to manage your ALFs. Visit other ALFs the company operates Below are some basic questions to ask ALF administrating and medical staffing companies or potential ALF administrators. I have taken the liberty to provide some general answers as well as some red flags.
Questions You Must Ask When Hiring A Potential Assisted Living Facility ManagerQ: How long have you/your company been in the Assisted Living Facility administration business? This is an easy one to figure out, but, just because the company is new, does not mean you should disqualify them. Remember, you’re new to the business too. Q: How many Assisted Living Facilities s like mine do your operate? There several reasons you need to ask this question and verify their answer, the least of which is making sure they are not operating more ALFs than they are licensed for. You also want to make sure they are not stretched too thin when it comes to managers and staff. Q: How many Assisted Living Facilitiess like mine are you licensed to operate? Easy. You don’t want to get sued. Q: Do you manage any ALFs near mine so I can drive by and look at them? If they don’t have any because they’re a new company, that’s ok, but if they make excuses as to why they can’t give you an address, that’s a red flag. Q: Do you belong to any professional Assisted Living Facility or health care administration organizations? This won’t be a deal-breaker for you, but it may display their commitment level to their industry. If you are in their office look around for awards or membership certificates. Q: Which health care industry publications do you or your administrators read? This falls in the same area as the above question. Look around for ALF trade magazines. Q: Do you have a company code of ethics and mission statement I can look over right now? Expect a lofty dissertation, but they should have one handy. Q: Have you or your company been sued or charged with any type of neglect or malpractice within the last seven years? Just because someone tried to sue them does not mean they did something wrong. Ask them the next question. Q: If so, please describe the situation, and what was the outcome? If they were guilty, Read whatever official documents and the outcome of whatever it was that happened. This is when you insist they fax your attorney a copy of the file, and then wait for his or her advice before hiring the company or person. Q: How many people in your company are licensed Assisted Living Facility administrators? You need to make sure there will always be enough to operate your ALF when one quits or goes on vacation. Q: Please describe the training and licensing process each of your administrators went through. Before the interview, read your state’s Assisted Living Facility regulations. Know them backwards and forwards. You know what kind of training an Assisted Living Facility administrator needs to operate your ALF. Right? If you hear anything less, well, you know what to do. Right? Thank them for their time and leave. Q: Do you have an employee training manual I can read? Many states require these. Don’t do business with any company who does not have one. If anyone refuses to let you read theirs, scratch them off your list. Q: Do you have a company policy and procedure manual I can read? I’m going to be lazy. The above comment applies to this question too. Q: I always insist that I interview and/or approve any administrator you select for my Assisted Living Facility. That won’t be a problem, will it? This is more of a statement that a question. The only answer you’ll take is, “No, not at all.” Q: Please tell me how you will keep my Assisted Living Facility full of high paying residents. You better hear the same techniques I’ve explained in this book, and then if you hear a few I have not thought of, you may have found your administrator. Q: What are your current marketing techniques? Don’t be shy. Ask for recent samples. Q: Do you manage any Assisted Living Facilities with current vacancies? If so, how many? A few vacancies between ten or twenty ALFs is nothing to worry about. Lots of vacancies usually indicate bad management. Q: Do you have a website? If so, what is the URL? An ALF administration or staffing company needs a quality website. Most people looking for an ALF are doing so for their parents, and are used to shopping for, or at the very least, researching everything online. Q: What does your resident screening and interview process include, and who conducts it? Ask for a resident application packet. You’ll want one for your attorney to review to ensure that it meets or exceeds your state’s regulations. Q: Do you visit potential residents’ current residence to see what type of lifestyle they live to make sure it matches the lifestyle I offer in my Assited Living Facilies? Not a deal-breaker, but if they do it, be impressed. Q: If I have a problem with one of your employees, what is the procedure I should follow for having it corrected? This is important. Your residents are paying you $4000 per month, so make sure complaints are resolved immediately. You owe it to them to be able to call someone to get any problem fixed, almost instantly, at any hour. Read that again. Do this correctly, and all you’ll have to do is sign deposit slips, watch your money, and visit once in a while to make sure everything is going smoothly. Of course, you’ll have some of your own questions after reading your state’s guidelines. Remember that your goal is to find someone who will do the most work possible, BUT, finding someone who will do it for the least amount of money possible is not always the way to go. Shop around and don’t be in a hurry. |
