What You Need to Know Before Starting an Adult Day Service Center
There is a wealth of information regarding “how to” start an Adult Day Services Program Unfortunately much of this information will not apply to your specific State or program and this is why; Currently there are no Federal Regulations guiding Adult Day Services in the United States. Each State has different regulations, different licensing agencies, different qualifications, different licenses, different reimbursement rates… you get the idea! So what might work in one State will most likely not work in another State. To add to the confusion, within each state there may be different programs, each program having varied regulations. The most common Adult Day Service Programs are Adult Day Health Care and Adult Day Care. Some States may have Alzheimer’s/dementia specific programs within the Adult Day Service spectrum of services as well.
Things to consider before opening a center:
- It is of the utmost importance that before you decide to open a center, you have a deep understanding of the type you’d like to open and how this will be funded. (Across the nation, states are slashing funding for Adult Day Services that may have been well-funded just six-months ago).
- Are you interested in ADHC or ADC or a combination of both? Do you know the difference?
- What is the reimbursement rate for your program? Will you rely wholly on State funding (generally medicaid) rely on private pay or a combination of both? Some Counties also provide funding for Adult Day Services.
- Have you checked out the demographics of the area in which you would like to open a center? Have you run numbers based on the demographics to determine the optimal size of your center?
- Is there competition in the area, can the area support another center, is there a specific population that is not being served that could be?
- Do you know the regulations for your State and Program? Most regulations have very specific requirements for space; be sure you know what these are prior to leasing a building!
- Have you developed an operating budget, profit and loss statements?
- Do you know what you will need to purchase prior to opening to pass your State’s Survey?
- Do you have the tools you need to ensure the smooth running of your center and the State required manuals? (Policy and Procedure Manual, Forms, Employment Package, Care Plan Manuals, etc.)?
- Have you hired a knowledgeable, experienced and motivated consultant? Do you trust and feel comfortable with that person?
Bottom line, starting an Adult Day Program requires a great deal of knowledge and what will work within one State or program may not work with another. Below is a link to a Federal Government Report which outlines and compares regulations and licensing requirements from different States.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/adultday.htm
If you’re interested in speaking to an Adult Day Care Professional, or need help with products and manuals, check out totaladhc.com