How to choose a licensed AFC facility for your loved one

You have delayed as long as possible. Not only are getting older, you are tired and worn out. Continuing to provide care for your adult child who cannot live on their own is becoming less and less feasible. 

Maybe you tried community living support or respite. Finding staff to provide these services is harder and harder. It started as a thought, but now it is a reality. Keeping your loved one at home is no longer an option. It is time to consider other living and care options. 

You wonder, where in the world does a person start? Possibly you were given a list of facilities contracted with the local community of mental health or waiver agencies but how do you find out whether these homes nestled in residential neighborhoods provide the care needed? How do you assess whether the licensed AFC facility sometimes referred to as a group home or residential assisted living is suited for your loved one?

Steps to Make the Best Choice

Once you are ready to start looking for an AFC facility, follow these simple steps to make the best choice:

1. Find facilities in your preferred area. The State of Michigan provides a map to make finding AFC locations within your chosen region easier.
2. Click on any dot on the map to find the AFC facility’s name and whether it is licensed to provide care to the specific condition of your loved one. Example: If a home is licensed to serve the developmentally disabled, there will be a 1 in that category under the facility name.
3. Once you find some locations that look like possibilities, check the history of licensing inspections and citations on the State of Michigan AFC Licensing lookup tool.
4. Visit the facility you are considering. Observe the attitude of the staff and the residents that live there. Does the staff seem engaged? Do they know their residents well? Are the residents clean and content? Is the facility organized and clean?
5. Ask questions to determine if the AFC home staff is skilled and trained to meet your loved one’s needs. What are the staff’s coping and redirecting skills when they receive resistance or objection to care? Does the facility have care planners routines and enriching activities in place?
6. Determine how the facility communicates information about your loved one. Ask how a doctor and other appointments are coordinated as well as transportation.
7. Confirm all the information gathered meets the needs of your loved including your budget.
8. Choose the preferred AFC facility location and a date to move.

Final Thoughts

Deciding to move your loved one from home to a supported living environment may seem hard. Following the steps outlined will help make the process easier. 

About Care Provider Solutions:

Our mission is simple, we help AFC owners run their businesses better so they have less stress and can provide better care to their residents. As an adult foster care system specialist, we use the many years of experience gained over the opening, running, and operating of many homes to help owners and operators succeed.