Adult
Foster Homes
Adult foster homes
are single family residences that offer care in a homelike setting.
Adult foster homes in Jackson and Josephine Counties are inspected
and licensed. The adult foster home provider must meet certain standards
to obtain a license. Staff from Senior and Disability Services (SDS)
Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) offices verify the qualifications
of the caregiver, conduct yearly licensing inspections, and investigate
complaints and concerns.
All adult foster home providers and primary caregivers must:
Pass a criminal record check;
Complete a basic training course and pass an exam;
Be physically and mentally able to provide care; and
Provide care in a home that meets structural and safety requirements.
The Consumers Choice
Adult foster care
is often chosen by consumers because care is provided in a homelike
setting and can be more affordable than other care facilities. Informal
adult foster care has been a part of our society for years. People
unable to maintain their health while living alone move in with family,
friends or neighbors.
In adult foster homes, medical and personal care are provided to you
in a manner that encourages independence and improves the quality
of your life. Care and supervision are provided to maintain a safe
and secure setting. You can decide to refuse the care and service
offered if it conflicts with your wishes. Adult foster home providers
strive to provide good care and services in a safe and secure setting.
That goal is reached through a cooperative relationship between the
care provider and you.
This setting protects and encourages your dignity, choice, and decision-making.
Your needs will be addressed in a manner that supports and enables
you to maximize your abilities to function at the highest level of
independence possible.
As a resident of an adult foster home, you should take an active role
to talk to the provider about what it is you want for care. You are
encouraged to maintain contact with your family, friends, and community
groups as you adjust to your new home.
When Adult Foster Care Should Be Considered
Most people would
like to remain in their own home as long as possible. However, sometimes
it becomes too difficult to do the everyday tasks of life even with
the help of others. Adult foster care offers the benefits of care
and services in a homelike setting.
Any combination of the items listed below may mean that you or someone
you know could benefit from the services offered in an adult foster
home:
Difficulty preparing meals or maintaining adequate nutrition;
Forgetting to take medications or taking the wrong amounts;
Unable to do daily personal needs such as bathing, dressing, shopping,
cooking, laundry or transportation;
Bruising, scratches or other injuries resulting from falls;
Ongoing illness or a need for rehabilitation;
Difficulty coping with feelings of depression, anxiety or fear;
Difficulty remembering people, places or to other things that were
once familiar; or
Family and friends are no longer able to provide adequate care and
support.
Services Offered in Adult Foster Homes
Meals and help
with eating;
Help with dressing;
Help with grooming and hygiene;
Help with bowel and bladder care (incontinence);
Help with walking, getting in or out of bed (mobility);
Help with behavioral issues (behavior management);
Help with medications; and
Activities.
Some providers are able to provide more complex care because of their
training and experience and/or help from visiting nurses. A caregiver
may receive instruction from a registered nurse to perform a care
task specific to a particular resident. Some providers may be able
to meet your care needs if you are coming to the adult foster home
directly from the hospital after surgery or you are recovering from
a serious illness.
Other adult foster home providers have special training to provide
care for people with Alzheimers disease, brain injuries, AIDS, respiratory
failure, or the need for Hospice services.
Short-term Versus Long-Term Needs
The services provided
depend on your individual wants and needs. You may only need short-term
services to help you return home.
Some adult foster home providers offer short-term care for a few days
or weeks. Usually, services are long-term because of a life-long disability
or an illness. The adult foster home may be able to provide services
for as long as they are needed. Your ability to remain in the adult
foster home depends on your choice, your needs, and the provider being
able to meet those needs.
The Care Plan
The care plan
is developed during the first two weeks you are at the foster home.
The care plan is updated on a regular basis to reflect your individual
needs and wishes. Input from family members and medical professionals
may also be included in the care plan at your request.
The care plan is the providers written summary of your needs and
abilities. It covers:
What you can do for yourself;
What care is needed;
Who will provide it; and
When and how often.
Adult Foster Home Lists
You can find adult
foster homes with vacancies matching criteria you specify on this
site, HERE. The list of adult foster
homes is available from Senior Services in Jackson County at (541)
776-6222; or Senior and Disability Services in Josephine County (541)
474-3110
Adult Foster Home Public Files
To help you decide
which foster home you would like to choose, you can review the public
files to obtain information about any foster home. The information
includes:
The location of the adult foster home;
A description of the home;
The date the license was first issued;
The level of care provided in the home;
A report and date of the last licensing inspection;
Copies of complaint investigations;
Corrective action involving the home; and
Whether or not the licensed provider lives in the home (some employ
Resident Managers).
Anyone can review the public files in person by calling the SDS RVCOG
Field Office in the county in which the foster home is located to
make an appointment to view the file in person. For more information,
contact Senior Services in Jackson County at (541) 776-6222; or Senior
and Disability Services in Josephine County (541) 474-3110.
Visiting Adult Foster Homes
It is important
to visit adult foster homes before making a choice. You and your family
may want to visit together. You may want to spend several hours or
an entire day, when possible, at the home. Some things to keep in
mind while visiting the homes are:
Who provides care in the home:
The owner lives in the home, or
The owner does not live in the home and hires a Resident Manager
who lives in the home and is the main caregiver.
Other Questions to consider are:
What are the schedules and/or routines of the home?
What are the care needs of the other residents?
Would you feel comfortable living with the other residents and caregivers
in the home?
One of the best times to visit a home is around meal time. Meals are
an important social time and visiting during that time will allow
you to see the kind and quality of food being prepared. You can also
see:
How caregivers relate to the residents; and
How residents interact with one another.
Although any foster home should be neat, clean and orderly, you should
also look for good care. Caring staff who respect the dignity of each
resident is important. Select the home that feels right for you!
Payment for Adult Foster Home Care
Cost is an important
factor when considering care and services. Most providers charge a
monthly amount based on care needs and whether a bedroom is shared
with another resident. All adult foster homes must have a contract
for residents who are not receiving Medicaid. The contract should
include the following:
Basic Monthly Rate **
Room,
Meals,
Laundry, and
Specified basic services.
Additional Services **
The provider may
also include a fee for each additional service such as:
Incontinence care,
Assistance with eating,
Diabetic care,
Special diets,
Transportation,
Mobility and transfers,
Skilled nursing tasks,
Night-time care, and
Dementia Care.
The Basic Monthly Rate will always require 30 days written notice
to the resident before it can be changed. However, the Additional
Service fees can be made effective at the time the service becomes
necessary, if it has been stated in the contract.
Be sure to review the contract and ask questions before choosing a
home. The contract must contain the monthly rate; other service rates,
if any; a refund policy; any refundable deposits the provider requires
and terms for ending the contract.
** These services and costs vary between homes and must be specified
in the contract.
Medicaid Financial Assistance
If you cannot
afford to pay for your care and want to know if you qualify for Medicaid
assistance, contact one of our Field Offices. For more information
or assistance, contact Senior Services in Jackson County at (541)
776-6222; or Senior and Disability Services in Josephine County (541)
474-3110.
You do not need to use all of your assets to qualify for Medicaid
assistance. It is important to check with one of our Field Offices
when only one spouse needs long term care services. In such cases,
a part of the assets of the spouse who is living in their own person
home may be protected. When you are considering any of the long term
care choices for yourself or for others, it would be good for you
to know what choices are available.
If you are eligible for Medicaid assistance, the local office will
determine the total amount the provider will be paid for your care.
Based on your income, there will be a decision made as to the amount
you will be asked to pay and the amount SDS RVCOG will pay to the
foster home provider, if any. The provider must accept the Medicaid
payment as payment in full and cannot ask you or any other person
to pay more money.
If you become eligible for Medicaid after you are in a foster home
and the provider has a Medicaid contract, the provider cannot ask
you to move if the amount of payment is lower than what you paid privately.
If the provider does not have a Medicaid contract, you may be asked
to move. When visiting homes be sure to ask if the provider has a
contracts with the State of Oregon to accept Medicaid payment.
The Residents Bill of Rights
When you move
into an adult foster home, you do no give up any of your civil rights
or an rights as an Oregon citizen. Caregivers in adult foster homes
must respect your privacy, dignity, independence and your right to
make choices. Each adult foster home must post the Residents Bill
of Rights in the home and discuss those rights with each resident
at the time of admission.
Each Resident
has the right to:
Be treated as an adult with respect and dignity;
Be informed of all resident rights and all house policies;
Be encouraged and assisted to exercise constitutional and legal
rights, including the right to vote;
Be informed of their medical condition and the right to consent
to or refuse treatment;
Receive appropriate care and services and prompt medical care as
needed;
Be free from mental and physical abuse;
Complete privacy when receiving treatment or personal care;
Associate and communicate privately with any person of choice and
send and receive personal mail unopened;
Have access to and participate in activities of social, religious
and community groups;
Have medical and personal information kept confidential;
Keep and use a reasonable amount of personal clothing and belongings
and to have a reasonable amount of private, secure storage space;
Be free from chemical and physical restraints except as ordered
for medical reasons that maximize functioning and only after other
alternatives have been tried;
Managers own financial affairs unless legally restricted;
Be free from financial exploitation;
Have a safe and secure environment;
Receive a written agreement regarding services to be provided and
agreed upon rates;
Be free of discrimination in regard to race, color, national origin,
sex or religion; and
Voice grievances without fear of retaliation; and
Not
be transferred or moved out without 30 days written notice and an
opportunity for a hearing.
Adult Foster Home Providers
Adult foster home
providers lose some privacy when they choose to provide care and services
in their homes. However, they have a right to their own personal safety.
They also have a right to expect the cooperation of others so they
can operate the home in an efficient and effective manner. Cooperation
and mutual respect make it easier for the provider to give the quality
of care you as a resident deserve. One necessary area of cooperation
is fire evacuation drills. For the safety of all, every resident is
expected to participate in fire evacuation drills.
Involvement of Family and Friends
Many people rely
on the support of family and friends when making a decision to live
in an adult foster hoe. Those close to you may offer helpful advice
to consider before you move in, but remember, the choice is yours.
No one, except a court appointed legal guardian, may select a home
against your wishes.
Once you have
chosen a home, family and friends may help to make the move as easy
as possible. Continue to do the things you enjoy, keep in touch with
family and friends and ask them to visit you often.
Problem Solving
People often have
an adjustment period when they move to an adult foster home. This
adjustment period may affect you, your family, your friends and the
foster home household. You may have mixed feelings about moving to
an adult foster home. It is common to feel loneliness, resentment,
anger or worry about this major life change. Adjusting may take weeks
and you may need more support at that time.
Ongoing contact between you, your family, your friends and the provider
may help to address concerns before they become problems. Cooperation
and a willingness to try to resolve problems are important.
If you have any suggestions or concerns about the adult foster home
you have chosen, do not ignore those feelings. Talk about them. Its
your right to voice complaints. There are several ways to do this:
You can tell your concern to the provider;
You can ask family or friends to help on your behalf;
You can contact SDS RVCOG - Senior Services in Jackson County at
(541) 776-6222; or Senior and Disability Services in Josephine County
(541) 474-3110.;
You can call the office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at their
toll-free number: 1-800-522-2602.; and
You can ask family or friends to help on your behalf.
You may decide
you are not satisfied with the home you live in and the services being
provided. You have the right to give the adult foster home provider
a written notice if you decide to move. Another move may seem difficult
but there is help for you. Contact SDS RVCOG or the Office of the
Long Term Care Ombudsman.
The Office of the Long Term Care
Ombudsman
A major goal of
the Long Term Care Ombudsman program is to visit and respond to resident
needs and concerns. The program protects the rights and privileges
of the residents of long term care facilities and can be helpful to
residents, their families and their friends.
Anyone with concerns about the quality of care or the rights of residents
at the adult foster home can contact The Office of the Long Term Care
Ombudsman at their toll-free number: 1-800-522-2602. You can also
contact SDS RVCOG.
Adult Foster Home Classifications
There are three
classifications of adult foster home licenses in Oregon. The classifications
are based on the experience and/or training of the provider. Each
home has a license posted that indicates the classification of the
home.
In each classification, the provider can only admit residents with
a certain number of impairments. These impairments are defined according
to six major activities of daily living (ADLs). These are eating/nutrition,
dressing, personal hygiene, mobility, toileting and behavior management.
Definitions of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs):
Eating/Nutrition.
The ability to eat with or without special equipment.
Dressing. The ability to dress and undress and to comb ones hair,
file nails, use makeup, etc.
Personal Hygiene. The ability to bathe, wash hair, shave and care
for teeth.
Toileting. The ability to get to and from the toilet, to wash afterward
and to adjust clothing.
Mobility. The ability to get around, both inside and outside, using
items like canes and wheelchairs if necessary; ability to transfer
from bed or wheelchair.
Behavior Management. The ability to understand ones needs in areas
such as health and safety. Any issues with confusion, disorientation,
forgetfulness or wandering may be a behavior management need.
1. A licensee with a Class 1 license may only
admit residents who need assistance in no more than four activities
of daily living (ADLs).
2. A licensee with a Class 2 license may provide care for residents
who require assistance in all activities of daily living, but require
full assistance in no more than three activities of daily living.
3. A licensee with a Class 3 license may provide care for residents
who require full assistance in four or more activities of daily living.
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Public
Discloser Statement:
Public disclosure files for each home are available in the Senior and Disability Services Branch Offices. Please call ahead for an appointment. Medford Senior Services Office: 541-776-6222; Grants Pass Senior and Disability Services Office: 541-474-3110.
