Steps You Need To Take Before Becoming an RCFE Administrator

The role of an RCFE administrator encompasses ensuring the profitable management of an eldercare facility’s daily operations while serving its residents compassionately. These are some tips to prepare you to assume this vital healthcare industry role.

Educate Yourself

A Bachelor of Healthcare Administration degree is a preliminary requirement. In addition, you should consider getting a Master of Business Administration degree focusing on healthcare or a Master of Health Administration degree focusing on gerontology. Either degree will better prepare you for this specialized field.

Finally, you must take an 80-hour RCFE administrator certification training course to prepare for the state’s certification exam. The course covers facility operations, staff management, medication distribution, and Alzheimer’s and dementia topics.  Attaining a minimum score of 70% will qualify you to apply for a state RCFE license.

Seek Professional Assistance 

The RCFE application process is long and complex. It can take many months for the state to process your application and grant a permit. Consider getting professional assistance with your application to avoid errors that could create unnecessary delays.

Be Proactive

While waiting to acquire your RCFE administrator certification and state license, finalize the level of care you intend to provide, secure and inspect an appropriate facility site, and interview potential staff.  You must also formulate a marketing campaign to inform potential clients about your services. 

RCFE administrator certification and licensing involve many steps and lots of dedication, leading to significant rewards.

Opening a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly

A residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) can be a wonderful employment opportunity for people who have a knack for kindness and dependability. There are a number of ways to get into this rewarding business from housekeeping to staffing. If you’re ready to become an administrator of your own RCFE, follow these steps to make sure you’re ready to get started.

Classes and Licensing

All assisted living center administrators need to complete licensing requirements as laid out by the local Department of Social Services. To get your RCFE administrator certification, you’ll need at least 40 hours of classroom training as well as continuing education. Once you’ve completed your classes and testing, you can apply for certification from the DSS. 

Location

To successfully open an RCFE, you’ll need an appropriate location. This could be someplace as small as a three-bedroom house or a much larger building. The ideal place will be safe and easy to navigate with an appropriate number of private rooms and bathrooms. Furnish and renovate it according to government regulations and to make it easy for elderly residents to get around. 

Staffing

To remain an RCFE, there must be at least one trained staff member on the premises at all times when residents are there. Anyone who has completed RCFE administrator certification counts as a licensed staff member, but other staff might need state licenses or at least have completed basic training and submit to background checks. Make sure all your employees have updated tax information set up before you take on any residents. 

Once you’ve obtained the proper licensing, prepared your property to receive residents and passed any other state requirements, you’re ready to open your business. Whether your RCFE is large or small, you’ll need to keep everything organized and safe, even if there isn’t an inspection coming up, so make sure your RCFE administrator certification, safety procedures, staff requirements and building codes are always up to date. 

RCFE Certification Is Necessary for Assisted Living Facility Directors

Anyone who wants to be an administrator at an assisted living facility in California must receive a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly certification. RCFE administrator certification requires the following steps.

1. Complete an Initial Certification Training Program 

Obtaining certification typically starts with completing 80 hours of coursework covering various topics, including Alzheimer’s and dementia care, medication assistance, facility operations, state regulations and working with residents. Training programs whose instructors balance real-life field examples with practical exam preparation usually devote six days to live instruction and 12 hours to online training.

Individuals with valid licenses as nursing home administrators may substitute the Initial Certification Training Program coursework with 12 hours of in-person coursework in core subject areas.

2. Pass a Certification Exam

Candidates for RCFE administrator certification must take a 100-question exam administered by the state’s social services department within 60 days of completing their coursework. A passing exam score is 70 percent, and candidates who receive failing grades may attempt the exam again within sixty days.

3. Submit an Application to the State’s Social Services Department

An application for certification must include an official copy of the letter indicating a passing exam score, a copy of the certificate of completion for coursework, a completed criminal record statement, a completed authorization for a background check, and a $100 application fee.

youRCFE administrator certification can help qualified candidates pursue careers as assisted living facility directors.

2 Ways to Better Your RCFE Career

If you currently work in the assisted living industry, are in the process of RCFE certification training, or are considering beginning training, you may be wondering how to use the resources available to you to help you in your career. Even if you have received comprehensive training at your job, it is common to still be left with questions. Anyone can benefit from dedicating a little extra time to learning about the different health problems their residents may be facing, and fortunately, there are a number of resources available out there that can help you with some common issues.

 

Communication Strategies 

Learning effective communication strategies is extremely important when it comes to working in the assisted living industry. Elderly residents often experience issues such as dementia, which causes communication to become difficult for all parties involved. By learning effective communication strategies that work on individuals with dementia, not only will your job become easier, but also you can eliminate a lot of frustration for both you and the resident with whom you are working. Residents with dementia give clues, both verbally and behaviorally, that convey their needs, so learning some communication skills can help you identify these needs.

 

Residents With Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is talked about a lot when you receive RCFE certification training, but it can be beneficial for everyone if you continue your training to learn more about it. Working with residents in the early stage may require some adjustments, while the middle and late stages require a more substantial amount of care. By continuing your education on Alzheimer’s and its various stages, you can learn how to provide effective care for residents that is safe and comfortable for them.

 

By utilizing the various resources available to you online, you can help educate yourself to provide better care for your residents. This will not only improve interpersonal relationships, but also will help make your job much easier.

What to Expect When You’re a Caregiver

When you work as a caregiver, there will be several parts of your daily routine that can be contained on a checklist. Your training for the RCFE license introduced you to these things, such as maintaining patient privacy, put patient safety first and keeping detailed records. However, the tasks you face each day may vary and require patiently adapting to your patient’s needs. Here are some things you can expect to face.

Activities of Daily Living

Also called the ADL’s, caregivers help aging or disabled individuals move through tasks or activities that are synonymous with a daily routine. These could include getting dressed in the morning, personal hygiene tasks and toileting. At an assisted living facility, which is where you can find employment if you have your RCFE license, you may be in charge of cleaning a patient room and assisting the individual to mealtimes with other residents.

Medical Assistance

As a caregiver, you will need to keep an eye on the client for medical concerns, but you won’t directly administer care. You may keep shift reports or mention concerns to a nurse on staff, but your medical training may only extend to first aid and CPR.

These are some of the things you can expect to encounter when you work as a caregiver. The type of clients you see and the setting, such as an assisted living facility, will also impact your daily routine.

RCFE vs. ARF: What’s the Difference?

There are many situations in which a person may need assistance in their living situation. The most common situation is when someone becomes of advanced age and can begin to struggle with daily activities. Other cases may also include medical conditions and disabilities for people of all ages. Whenever someone needs the aid of others in order to do what’s necessary in their day to day lives, they’re likely to need to go to RCFE or ARF living conditions. If you’re interested in becoming an ARF or RCFE administrator, you may be unsure which is best suited for you. What exactly, then, is the difference between the two?

ARF Administration

ARF stands for “Adult Residential Facilities.” Such facilities have a focus on aiding with daily tasks such as cleaning, grooming, feeding and bathing in cases where someone is physically, developmentally or mentally handicapped, rather than elderly. Any medical assistance is limited to helping residents schedule and take their medications. Any more difficult medical needs will be handled by doctors only, requiring facility workers to transport the residents as needed. ARFs are for those between the ages of 18 and 59 with disabilities, meaning residents are limited to those who are in need within the area of the facility.

RCFE Administration

RCFE stands for “Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly.” As can be guessed from the full name, RCFEs are specifically tailored for the elderly, aged 60 years or older. Many of the tasks taken care of in ARFs are also managed similarly in RCFE, as both types of facilities have a focus on helping those in need through aid with daily tasks. RCFE administrator positions have specifically become a more vital profession due to the growing elderly community as people live longer due to medical advancements.

While both ARFs and RCFEs provide assisted living for those in need, the main difference is the ages of the residents. RCFEs tend to be more common due to there being more elderly in need of assisted living aid.

3 Reasons Why Online Classes Can Help You Progress in Your Career Faster

Taking the first step towards a new career is exciting. You’re motivated and ready to start studying. For some, this means going back to school after several years away from being in a classroom, and many find that a classroom no longer works for them at all. Rather than give up on their career dreams, they’re turning to online learning instead. Here are three reasons why online classes will help you achieve your goals faster.

Cost

Some roles require multiple certifications before you can even apply for them, and the cost of these soon mount up, especially if you commute to an education center or have to take time off from a paid job to study. Online RCFE administrator certification classes are cheaper because they don’t require a classroom or sometimes even a teacher, making it more affordable and accessible for you to take all the courses you need.

Convenience

A common reason people stop studying is because it doesn’t fit in around their life. Finding the time to go to an educational facility for a few hours each week is challenging if you have a job or kids, your timetable may clash with other obligations, or your lecturer might not teach in a way you find conducive to learning. Online courses enable you to study when you can, in whatever way you prefer, and you often have a few years to complete them.

More Options

Studying at a facility restricts you to only the courses they offer, and you may even be tied to a school simply because its location is convenient. If you take your RCFE administrator certification classes online, however, where you live is irrelevant. You can choose the exact course you need, delivered from anywhere in the country, without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

Don’t let life get in the way of you moving into your dream career. Study at your own pace and achieve the qualifications you need to become anything you want to be.

How to Get Your Initial RCFE Administrator Certification

If you are interested in residential care administration in California, it’s important to understand what is required for license. In California, administrative licensing is tied to the type of facility you work in. Getting an initial certification for RCFE administrators will be necessary regardless of the type of experience you may have, although requirements may differ if you are already a licensed administrator in other types of care environments.

Applicants must complete an initial 80-hour certification program that is provided by an approved vendor through the Administrator Certification Section of the California Community Care Licensing Division. These classes can be provided in an online or classroom environment. However, if you already have a Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) license, you will only need to take 12 hours of courses related to laws, policies and procedures related to RCFs, use, misuse, and interactions of medications common to residential settings, and admission, retention and assessment procedures. Of course, the critical step for getting an initial certification for RCFE administrators will be taking the exam.

Applicants must pass the exam with a 70% passing grade. They receive three attempts to pass the exam; however, those three attempts must be made within sixty days of taking the certification course. For this reason, there are many test preparation companies that help prospective administrators practice for this exam. The exam is typically scored within seven days and the applicant is generally notified within fourteen days by mail of his or her test results.

A copy of test scores, a completed application, the application fee, verification of completed education and/or other licenses, signed requests for criminal record checks, are mailed to the Administrative Certification Section and your certification is complete. Obtaining initial certification for RCFE administrators is no more or less complicated than licensure for any other profession. It is simply a matter of understanding the process. However, like any other profession, test preparation is critical, as is choosing a good vendor for your initial certification program, so be sure you do your homework.

The Qualifications for Caring

Caring for the elderly can be a great career option for someone with a good bedside manner and a big heart. However, these are far from the only traits that you need for the job. It also requires extensive education and real world practice. You need the right knowledge on how to provide care for multiple conditions, as well as the qualifications to prove it. This is where RCFE administrator training comes in. These courses will provide everything you need to learn in order to become a capable caretaker.

This field is growing rapidly, which makes it a great time to get involved. Facilities everywhere are ready to receive new students and help them toward a more successful future. Programs like this will allow you to meet and even surpass all of the requirements for certification. They are specifically designed to guide you toward a career in care taking. In many cases, classes are offered online as well, which may be easier to integrate with your busy schedule and allow you to get things done at your own pace. These digital courses can also be combined with classes delivered in person, which gives the opportunity for some hands on experience. RCFE administrator training often involves completing at least 40 hours of classes, all of which culminates in a standardized test.

Providing care for those who need it the most is an important job, and it deserves a high level of expertise. After all, people’s lives will be in your hands. Quality education programs like these training courses can provide the knowledge and qualifications that you need to find success and satisfaction in the field. If this is the career you want to pursue, bolster your caring nature with the skills to back it up and enter RCFE administrator training. Whether you want to learn new things or support what you already know, this can be an excellent resource.