Open a Board & Care Home
For people who need assistance with daily living but do not need intensive nursing care, a board and care home can serve as a wonderful solution. Also called a "group home," board and care homes provide long-term or short-term care to individuals who cannot live independently. Board and care homes provide varying levels of assistance. Some provide medical care but not all do. Board and care homes do provide meals and basic living assistance. Opening a board and care home requires a dedicated staff committed to assisting the individuals who depend on them.
Instructions
1. Decide what size board and care home to open. Board and care homes can board a few residents or several dozen.
2. Decide what type of board and care home to open. Survey the community, speak to a social worker who works in the area (contact the local county or municipal Social Services Department to ask for a referral to speak to a social worker who works with elderly and/or disabled residents of the area) and speak to other board and care homes in the area to gauge the need. The state's Office on Aging will have listings of board and care homes in each locality.
3. Consider how the board and care facility will operate. Different facilities offer different services.
What type of assistance can the facility offer to residents who will need help with daily living activities? Will the facility offer medical care? How will the facility dispense medications? How will the facility insure that residents receive medical care when necessary? What other support systems can the board and care home count on in the community? Educational facilities for younger residents? Community centers? Medical clinics?
4. Hire staff. Staff members involved in medical roles must hold state certification, which allows them to practice. Contact the State Department of Health (licensing division) to determine the validity of licenses of candidates applying to work in any medical capacity at the board and care home. Non-medical staff may require certification, depending on the state. Contact the licensing division of the state's Department of Social Services/Department of Human Services/Department of Human Resources (DSS) to determine the certification requirements of non-medical board and care staff members.
5. Review the state licensing requirements to open a board and care home. These regulations differ from state to state. Contact the state's DSS to find out about the specific state's requirements. Access the forms to apply for a board and care home license through the licensing department of the state's DSS Internet site. Each state has its own regulations that govern the operation of a board and care home. The DSS license applications ask about the anticipated size of the board and care home, its location, its anticipated staffing, and its intended funding sources. Prepare to demonstrate that the premises meets all building codes for a board and care home, including necessary safety features and full handicap access.
6. Find or build a facility that will house the residents of the board and care facility. Obtain a business license from the local county or municipal authorities to operate a residential care facility in the chosen area. Obtain zoning approval for the board and care home from the local county or municipal government.
7. Register as a board and care home with Medicaid and the Social Security Administration to become eligible to accept residents through their programs. These federal programs accept the services of local board and care homes that hold licenses from their state's Department of Social/Human Resources/Services.
8. Apply to various insurance companies to accept their clients to the board and care home. Insurance companies will refer clients to board and care homes which hold Medicaid approval.
9. Prepare administrative and financial accounting procedures for the board and care home, including bill individuals, insurance companies, and governmental agencies paying for the residents' care.
10. Advertising for clients for the board and care home. Contact the local Medicaid office, the local office of the state's DSS, and insurance company offices to alert them about the operation of the board and care home in the area. Advertise in local newspapers. Put fliers up in hospitals, doctor's offices, rehabilitation centers, churches, community centers, and other places where possible clients and their families may gather.
11. Find out details of the state requirements for the board and care home's staff retraining. Some states do not require ongoing training but other states mandate a certain number of training hours for staff every year. Insure that the facility's employees fulfill these requirements.
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