What is an Adult Family Home?

An Adult Family Home is a home in a residential setting licensed by Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to care for a maximum of 6 adult residents.
The goal is to provide healthy alternatives for dependent care in the community, emphasizing quality of life issues consistent with standards of accountability and regulatory safeguards.

Adult family home providers must ensure that staff are competent and receive necessary training to perform assigned tasks. Washington State criminal checks are also mandatory. Staff are required to complete DSHS approved staff orientation, basic training, and yearly continuing education. In addition, adult family homes receive ‘specialty’ designations and their staff are required to receive specialty training when they care for residents with the following care needs:

  1. Dementia

  2. Mental health issues

  3. Developmental disability


Adult Family Homes offer a wide variety of settings and skills.  The family setting gives individuals a homey atmosphere for their comfort and security.  The settings may range from very plain and no frills, to opulent. Homes may offer private rooms and baths along with views of water or mountains.  By the same token, many homes are not fancy, but their caregivers are also exceedingly skilled and caring in their relationship with the residents.  Some homes are owned and managed by registered nurses. The resident fee of the home is generally reflected by the needs of the client, the staffing pattern and how upscale the home is.  The cost of a well-run Adult Family Home is generally 30% to 50% less than that of a nursing home with comparable or better care.


TIMING CAN BE CRUCIAL 

Let Sound Transitions, as your placement consultant, carefully and professionally gather information to suit your specific individual needs. When you suspect a move will be needed in the next several months, begin the education and selection process. Involve the family member needing to be moved as much as possible. Unfortunately, all too often this happens in a crisis. A professional counselor is extremely important to your finding the appropriate AFH. Sound Transitions specializes in streamlining this process for you.

 

ransitions

T

S

ound

Adult Family Home Placements and Consulting