October 16th, 2008

At a meeting of the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) yesterday, the panel said that there is still work to be done on differentiating assisted living residences from personal care homes, reports the Associated Press today.

Recently, the state proposed to license assisted living facilities similarly to the way personal care homes are licensed, which the IRRC says added to the confusion in differentiating between the two.

“We believe this distinction is vital to potential residents and their families in their evaluation of which path best fits their current health needs, future health needs and ability to pay, and promotes happiness and wellness,” the Independent Regulatory Review Commission said in a written opinion evaluating the proposed regulations.

Assisted living facilities are designed to care for people who need services beyond assistance with tasks of daily living – which is already provided by personal-care homes – but who are not sick enough to require 24-hour nursing home care.

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The distinction between personal-care homes and assisted living will be critical for residents who need government assistance to pay for long-term care services. The federal Medicaid program for the poor and disabled does not pay for personal-care home expenses, but it can defray the cost of assisted living in states that have received federal approval for that purpose.

Read more on this issue at the Times-Leader.