geriatrics
Residential Care
Board and Care Facilities
Board-and-care facilities provide care for older people who cannot live independently but who do not need the constant supervision provided in nursing homes. Board-and-care facilities (also called rest homes or residential care for older adults) typically provide the following: A room Meals in a communal dining room Housekeeping services (eg, laundry, cleaning) Minimal assistance with personal care Sometimes supervision of drug administration The number of board-and-care facilities is increasing because they offer an economic means of accommodating the increasing number of older people who would otherwise require nursing home care paid for with state Medicaid funds. Minimally regulated and sometimes unlicensed, these facilities principally serve 2 groups, often cared for together—older adults and the deinstitutionalized mentally ill. Although excellent homes exist, some facilities tend to warehouse the disabled in substandard buildings and to employ few skilled staff members. Physicians should try to ensure that their patients in board-and-care facilities are safe and are receiving appropriate care. Physicians may need to visit the facility or send a nurse or social worker to evaluate it. 