Assisted living facilities are essential since they promote the well-being of the elderly in society since they are associated with care and compassion. In as much as these facilities are a choice for many, clients must be assured that their elderly are cared for, thus the need to look for reputable facilities. The undertaking may pose challenges since unlike nursing homes assisted living facilities are not nationally regulated. In this case, then it is the responsibility of assisted living facilities administrators to ensure that the facility offers quality services. Home care accreditation is one of the best ways to assess whether a facility adheres to the established standards or qualifications.
Types of Home Care Accreditation
An assisted living facility could receive accreditation from either a self-regulatory organization (SRO) or a non-governmental organization (NGO). Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is an NGO that accredits assisted living facilities to ensure that they promote and maintain quality of care. Pratt (2015) establishes that facilities must commit to providing optimal care to diverse elderly patients as well as conduct self-evaluation to ensure adherence to the standards of practice. The administrator must submit yearly reports, which are supposed to demonstrate whether the facility is adhering to CARF standards.
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Measuring Pros and Cons of Accreditation
Accreditation for assisted living facilities is important since it is a tool for evaluating whether the facility is adhering to the quality of care standards. Facilities that conduct annual reviews on the quality of their services seem committed to their clients and families considering that accreditation is voluntary. Trinkoff et al (2019) note that while accreditation for these facilities is beneficial it does not translate to the improvement of care since there are no federal regulations to monitor quality. Each state could have different measures of quality, which would in turn compromise quality. The accreditation process may be flawed since the facility conducts its evaluation, which allows room for manipulation. It would have been better if independent, objective and external auditors conduct the evaluation
Stakeholder Analysis
The success of the accreditation process is dependent on the ability of the administrator to bring onboard the facility’s stakeholders. The stakeholders include the elderly, their families, nurses, local leaders, and regulatory bodies. These stakeholders should be involved in the decision-making process, which is aimed at outlining the measures of quality of care. In the same manner, these stakeholders will provide regular and timely feedback regarding whether the facility is adhering to the accreditation agency’s standards.
References
Pratt, J. R. (2015). Long-term care: Managing across the continuum. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Trinkoff, A. M., Lerner, N. M., Storr, C. L., Yoon, J. M., Yang, B. K., & Han. K. (2019). Nursing staff availability and other facility characteristics in relation to assisted living care deficiencies. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 10(1), 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(19)30079-1
