Considering Long-Term Care? The First Thing You Need To Know

by Rebecca Fetters

If you're considering long-term care for yourself or a loved one, you need to become familiar with the types of care available in Oregon. Understanding the facility types and how they meet you or your loved ones needs will narrow the scope of your search. Here are the basics:

Nursing Facility-These settings provide the highest level of care on both a short term (rehabilitative) and long term basis. Nursing homes must meet Federal regulatory standards and have established staff to resident ratios.

Assisted Living/Residential Care Facility-These settings provide assistance to residents based on care needs and generally establish the cost of such care accordingly. Residential Care Facilities may have shared rooms, while Assisted Living settings generally do not. In addition, Assisted Living rooms have a small kitchenette available to residents, although meals are also provided in a shared dining setting. Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities are licensed and regulated by the Oregon Department of Health and Human Services and do not have any requirement for staff to resident ratios.

Adult Foster Home- (Also Called Adult Care Homes in Multnomah County)-These are homes in residential neighborhoods that provide care for up to five individuals. Many owners/operators live in the home as well, although some are owned by a non-resident operator who employs a resident manager to oversee the day to day care in the home.

Memory Care-These are Assisted Living/Residential Care facilities that have a special endorsement for all or a part of the care setting. The memory care portion of these facilities is locked/secured and intended to provide specialized and enhanced care to individuals with dementia who may be at risk of wandering if they are not in a secured setting. As with Assisted Living and Residential Care, these facilities are regulated by the Oregon Department of Health and Human Services and do not have mandatory staff to resident ratios.

If you'd like to do a really deep dive into the various care types available and the Oregon Administrative Rules they must follow to be licensed in Oregon, click on the facility type.

Once you've identified the type of care you're looking for, you're ready to take the next steps in your search. Stay tuned for the next blog post to get started on that journey!