Assisted living that works for private duty
Affordable adult group homes for agencies, clients
Nursing homes, retirement centers, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living centers are the buzz words of the senior care market. While private duty providers may lack the resources to own and operate such facilities, adult group homes are within their reach, according to a owner of a group home.
"We can’t compete with bigger businesses. We sell what we have," says Roger Coonradt, executive director of Finger Lakes Home Care in Geneva, NY. "It’s a step below a nursing home in a less expensive, homey atmosphere, and it gives residents a chance to go on with their independence,"
Finger Lakes Home Care bought an existing 27-bed ranch style home in early 1998, and operates it under New York state assisted living regulations.
The venture is successful, according to Coonradt, who also owns another facility in a neighboring community.
The facility’s $59 daily charge includes room and board, housekeeping, and various resident activities. Its approximate $1,800 monthly rate is about a third of the cost of a nursing home.
The 25 residents, whose average age is 80, are "fairly independent, although some need help with personal care," Coonradt says. "They’re locals whose families grew concerned about them staying home. They [weren’t] getting meals as well as they should, or the family didn’t think two nursing visits were enough."
Administrator holds key to success
They are either ambulatory, or can transfer from a wheelchair without assistance, and must be able to administer their own medications. The facility accepts "semi-confused people, but no wanderers."
Finger Lakes Home Care and the local VNA provide personal and skilled care, respectively, depending on residents’ needs.
Most residents have private rooms with separate phone lines; only a few have roommates. They participate in organized activities in the facility’s day room and share common meals. The home will prepare special menu items for those with dietary restrictions, but all residents dine together.
"At first people are shy; then they start playing bingo and cards, and come out of their shell after a week," Coonradt notes.
Staffing is the major operating expense. There is at least one employee per shift, plus a cook and housekeeper. Capital requirements for an existing facility are significantly lower than a new one. It would cost between $500,000 and $1,000,000 to build a facility from scratch.
Maintaining occupancy rates and hiring a good administrator are the keys to successfully operating an adult home, Coonradt says. "You have all fixed costs; you can’t adjust menus or staffing to [lower occupancy levels] easily."
The administrator should be a financially savvy person, but not entrenched in either nursing or nursing home mindset, he says. The individual should also be "caring, have a good personality; and common sense about food, staffing, and alert for interventions."
Source
• Roger Coonradt, executive director, Finger Lakes Home Care, 750 Pre Emption Road, Geneva, NY 14456-1336. Telephone: (315) 781-8551.
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