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JCAHO and CARF Publish Assisted Living Accreditation Standards

Tue, 04/25/2000 - 11:00pm — Karen Stevenson
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One of the problems in selecting and evaluating assisted living facilities has been the lack of any consistent standards or regular survey process across the country. There are no standards for assisted living at the federal level, and many states have only recently set licensing standards for this level of care. Worse still, most do not have any process in place for the regular and recurring surveys of these facilities which would provide data which could be used to evaluate quality of care.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has stepped into this void by publishing its first-ever standards for assisted living. JCAHO has long operated as an accreditation program for hospitals and nursing homes, but the development of an accreditation program for assisted living is a new endeavor. The JCAHO accreditation process is a voluntary program, as opposed to the mandatory state survey processes. To qualify for a JCAHO accreditation, the facility must pay a fee and undergo an initial survey, with follow-up surveys every three years.

To be eligible for accreditation, an assisted living community would need to provide or coordinate personal services, 24-hour supervision and assistance, activities and health-related services. The assisted living community would need to operate under the philosophy that it is in the best interest of the resident to offer and design services to minimize the need to move; accommodate individual resident changing needs and preferences; maximize residents? dignity, autonomy, privacy, independence, choice, and safety; and encourage family and community involvement.

The standards include: Consumer Protection, Rights, and Assisted Living Community Ethics; Continuity of Services; Assessment and Reassessment; Resident Services; Resident Education; Health and Wellness Promotion; Improving Performance; Leadership; Managing the Environment of Care; Managing of Human Resources; Managing Information; and Prevention and Control of Infections. The standards will be effective in June of 2000, and the first surveys are expected to be conducted by January 2001.

The only other national accreditation program for assisted living was developed by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The CARF assisted living accreditation program is also new, and was just unveiled in February of this year. CARF is a private, not-for-profit organization that accredits programs and services in Adult Day Services, Assisted Living, Behavioral Health, Employment and Community Services, and Medical Rehabilitation.

One of the problems in selecting and evaluating assisted living facilities has been the lack of any consistent standards or regular survey process across the country. There are no standards for assisted living at the federal level, and many states have only recently set licensing standards for this level of care. Worse still, most do not have any process in place for the regular and recurring surveys of these facilities which would provide data which could be used to evaluate quality of care.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has stepped into this void by publishing its first-ever standards for assisted living. JCAHO has long operated as an accreditation program for hospitals and nursing homes, but the development of an accreditation program for assisted living is a new endeavor. The JCAHO accreditation process is a voluntary program, as opposed to the mandatory state survey processes. To qualify for a JCAHO accreditation, the facility must pay a fee and undergo an initial survey, with follow-up surveys every three years.

To be eligible for accreditation, an assisted living community would need to provide or coordinate personal services, 24-hour supervision and assistance, activities and health-related services. The assisted living community would need to operate under the philosophy that it is in the best interest of the resident to offer and design services to minimize the need to move; accommodate individual resident changing needs and preferences; maximize residents? dignity, autonomy, privacy, independence, choice, and safety; and encourage family and community involvement.

The standards include: Consumer Protection, Rights, and Assisted Living Community Ethics; Continuity of Services; Assessment and Reassessment; Resident Services; Resident Education; Health and Wellness Promotion; Improving Performance; Leadership; Managing the Environment of Care; Managing of Human Resources; Managing Information; and Prevention and Control of Infections. The standards will be effective in June of 2000, and the first surveys are expected to be conducted by January 2001.

The only other national accreditation program for assisted living was developed by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The CARF assisted living accreditation program is also new, and was just unveiled in February of this year. CARF is a private, not-for-profit organization that accredits programs and services in Adult Day Services, Assisted Living, Behavioral Health, Employment and Community Services, and Medical Rehabilitation.