Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs) Provide Homelike Setting for California Seniors
Unlike large-scale assisted living facilities, six-bed RCFEs are smaller, more intimate and are often a home in a residential neighborhood. In California alone, there are nearly more than 6,400 six-bed RCFEs, which provide care to tens of thousands of seniors throughout the state.
Without these facilities, elderly Californians would be forced to either continuing living alone, where injury and other accidents could happen, or large-scale facilities that are more institutional and expensive.
In fact, RCFEs were created out of a demand by seniors who wanted and needed more care, but did not want to move out of a home environment. Six-bed RCFEs were the solution. These homes allow seniors to live in a comfortable environment with more supervision, without compromising the feeling of living in a homelike setting.
More than 70 percent of these homes are minority-owned and women-owned and have a much better staff-to-patient than larger facilities. A significant number of six bed residents are on social security and choose a small, six bed facility because it is more affordable than a large-scale facility and feels more like a home.
Fast Facts on Six-Bed RCFEs
- Six-bed facilities came out of a demand from seniors for a smaller, more intimate living environment.
- There are more than 6,400 six-bed facilities in California.
- These six-bed facilities are home to tens of thousands of California seniors who want to live in a safe, comfortable and affordable homelike setting.
- Six-bed facilities employ more than 225,000 caregivers in California, many of whom are minorities.
- More than 70 percent of six-bed facilities are owned by women or minorities.
- Six-bed facilities have a caregiver to patient ratio of 1:3, far lower than many of the larger facilities.
- Because of the low caregiver to patient ratio, caregivers are able to detect and address health concerns more quickly. The hospital re-admission rate for six-bed facilities is 1:10, far lower than for larger facilities.
- Six-bed facilities are an important part of the state’s healthcare system and provide an important choice to California seniors.