Different Types of Facilities For Elderly or Disabled

1. DIFFERENT TYPES OF  FACILITIES FOR ELDERLY OR  DISABLED  As attorneys specialized in prosecuting ​elder abuse and wrongful death         cases, we are often asked what are the various types of facilities that             provide care to elderly or disabled patients. The following is a brief           description of 4 types of facilities.                                            Independent Living: An independent living community is housing designed         for seniors generally 55 years and older. This is an option if a resident does             not require assistance with daily activities; does not need skilled nursing at           all times; like social environments and conveniences aimed toward making           their lives easier. This is an option for residents that do not need help with               medication, bathing, daily functions. Living arrangements can be simple or         extensive and generally consist of apartments, cottages, condos, or small           homes.                                                                                            Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE): ​An RCFE is a facility that           provides custodial care to persons who are unable to live independently           due to physical, mental, or emotional disorders but do not need 24 hour           nursing or in-house therapy services. It is usual for an RCFE to consist of               less than 10 patients, although large chain facilities offer over 100 beds. In             an RCFE, a patient will receive assistance and supervision of basic daily             tasks such as hygiene, dressing and undressing, eating, and medication                                                                                                        

2. distribution. While RCFE’s provide a minimal level of care, they are not           considered medical facilities and thus are not required to have nurses,         nurse’s assistants, or doctors staffed at their facility. Assisted living         facilities and board and care homes are all licensed as RCFE’s under Title             22.                                                        Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF): ​This is the highest level of care for the           elderly or disabled outside of a hospital. A skilled nursing facility usually             has elderly or rehabilitation patients and provides long-term nursing care,           rehabilitation and other services. A SNF is a medical model facility with a           Medical Director, Administrator and Director of Nurses who oversee the         facility operations. An individual recovery from an acute condition         (example, hip surgery or pneumonia) or an individual with ongoing medical           needs (stroke victims) are typical residents of SNF facilities. They are           required by law to have written policies and procedures to ensure             professional consultation. The law requires that these policies designate         which level of caregiver is responsible for implementation of each policy,           that the care of every patient be under the supervision of a physician, that a               physician be available on an emergency basis, that the medical records be           maintained, and that nursing service be available 24 hours a day.                                                                                                                                                                    Sub-acute Care Facilities: “Sub-acute” refers to a medical condition that is       not as quickly developing as “acute” conditions, but also not a “chronic”           condition (example: emphysema is a chronic illness while a fractured hip is           an acute illness). This is a relatively new breed of facility due to Medicare’s               change in reimbursement rates where nursing homes have learned that         they can make more money by accepting patients who need more             specialized care and services. The level of care needed by the patient does           not rise to the level of hospital acute care, but they require more than the               majority of patients in a skilled nursing facility. Patients are generally             medically fragile and require special services, such as inhalation therapy,           tracheotomy care, intravenous tube       management care.                                                                                                                                              feeding,   and complex wound      

3. York Law Firm is comprised of Sacramento based lawyers that handle elder             abuse and ​wrongful death cases. If you believe your loved one has been the             victim of elder abuse or neglect in a nursing home or assisted living facility,                 or believe your family has a wrongful death claim, please call our office so               that we can investigate your case at 916-643-2200 or contact us online. We               are dedicated to representing families whose elders and dependent adults         who have been injured, neglected or abused