What are the Specific Qualifications of Assisted Living Facility Staff Members?

by Jill Gilbert, BBA

Yes, these sentences above could be an ad aimed at recruiting knowledgeable senior caregivers for an assisted living facility. And, in fact, it takes many qualified care providers on staff to make each day's routine runs smoothly. It is your right or in some cases, your duty to verify the facility's credentials and the staff's training. Staff’s on-the-job experience is also a vital component.

Essentially, an assisted living facility provides care for individuals who can no longer live independently, but do not necessarily need round-the-clock care. More importantly, however, an assisted living facility is not a nursing home. It cannot provide the kind of medical care your loved one may require. While there are many safeguards in most assisted living facilities, there are many services that your loved one might need, yet are not provided.

But how do you know what to rightfully expect from a caregiver in such facility?

First and foremost, inquire about the hiring requirements of the senior caregivers. Ask about their daily tasks. What sort of training have they received? Remember you can never be too careful or too inquisitive. Before your tour, prepare yourself by taking a look at the staff structure of any facility you are considering.

You might even think about asking for a diagram of their organization’s structure, also known as their “organizational structure”. These diagrams can look like a series of boxes with lines drawn between them, indicating who report to whom. The boxes will often contain the title of the person and name their task.

• RNs/LPNs – Even with an extended staff of experts and senior caregivers on hand, an assisted living facility is not required by law to have registered nurses and licensed practical nurses on staff. They often do not even need to have such a person on call in the case of emergency.
   
  Nurses are often required to assess the health care needs of residents in coordination with the administrator and the resident's physician, serving as a sort of liaison between the two parties. They are responsible for developing a comprehensive plan or outline of care for each resident (if necessary) and carry out these tasks on a daily basis. In addition, they train new hires that have an active part in the resident's health plan.
   
  As RNs and LPNs are licensed medical caregivers, only they can administer and/or distribute medication to residents. While many facilities do have RNs on call, it makes administration and/or distribution of medication to residents harder as they are the only ones able to perform these tasks. If your loved one requires round-the-clock care and supervision from senior caregivers, a skilled nursing facility may be a more practical option.
• Administrator/Director of Marketing and Sales – Initially, you'll speak with the administrator and/or the director of marketing and sales, who will guide you through the entire process, conduct a tour of the facility, and answer all of your questions regarding the senior caregivers and staff. The administrator oversees all operations within an assisted living facility, keeping track of the staff, and monitoring residents' needs and well-being. He or she is responsible for the training of all licensed and unlicensed staff and senior caregivers on the premises.
   
  The director of marketing and sales, on the other hand, promotes the assisted living facility, ensuring the proper advertising messages are relayed regarding the approach to resident care, amenities, and services. He or she will speak with you to discuss the features and benefits of the facility as well as pricing, on-site senior caregivers, and any other perks.
• Activity Coordinator – The duties of the activity coordinator are an important part of your loved one's daily routine at an assisted living facility. These individuals are called on to provide stimulating, mind-challenging, and invigorating games and therapies that help residents get moving and thinking. The activity coordinator keeps aging minds thinking cognitively and aging bodies moving actively with singing, outdoor adventures, movie nights, shopping trips, and other engaging events and games.
   
  During your tour, observe some of the in-house activities to get a feel for what residents do each day. The activity coordinator at an assisted living facility is also responsible for special programs and social events that occur outside of the scope of daily activities.
• CNAs/General Caregivers – Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and general caregivers are hired to bathe, dress, feed, and tend to residents on a daily basis. While CNAs have extensive training, hands-on experience, and a considerable subject knowledge base, they most often receive on-the-job training, learning as they go, so to speak.
   
  In addition, some facilities require specialization in key areas such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. CNAs and general senior caregivers are the primary point people that interact with residents every day and often provide them with much-needed social and emotional support.
• Dietician/Chef – The makeup of a senior's diet is much different, and meals require nutritious elements that aid in recuperation, rejuvenation, and weight maintenance. Though a dietician may not always be on staff, if one is, he or she will be able to offer helpful insights into the necessary requirements of a senior diet, including reduced sodium, increased fiber and calcium, and more protein, all while supervising calorie intake.
   
  Besides proper food handling and sanitation requirements, a head chef at an assisted living facility is often required to have line experience, efficient organization and time management skills, and a basic understanding of preparing food for the senior stomach.

The senior caregivers at an assisted living facility promote interaction and prevent isolation but are not capable of caring for a loved one in poor health. Above all, the most important thing to keep in mind when finding the right place for your loved one is that it offers quality assistance from kind senior caregivers and satisfies the requisites for welfare, health, and happiness.

References:

High Service or High Privacy Assisted Living Facilities, Their Residents and Staff: Results from a National Survey, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [1]

Assisted Living: Independence, Choice and Dignity [2]
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About the Author:

Jill Gilbert, BBA is the President and CEO of Gilbert Guide, which helps seniors and their loved ones find quality nursing homes, assisted living and Alzheimer's care facilities, and homecare providers. She is the author of "Leading by Example," a monthly column in McKnight's Long-Term Care News, a leading industry publication for long-term care providers. Visit www.GilbertGuide.com [6] for a comprehensive provider database, expert advice, and quality assessment tools that help consumers conduct their own "expert" evaluations of providers.