Taking Care of Mom and Dad: Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living facilities provide basic services, including meals, help with medications, bathing and dressing. Usually, they aren't required to have trained personnel on staff, although some do.

There are three basic types of assisted living facilities -- adult family homes, community based residential facilities and residential care apartment complexes.

In most states, background checks are conducted on licensees and direct caregivers. They include a criminal background check and a check against the state's caregiver database to ensure the person or facility has not had a finding of abuse or neglect. In addition, each facility must meet specific building code requirements, and program statements must be submitted for approval.

In most cases, the regulations don't spell out specific staffing ratios, and only require that facilities have enough staffers and services to meet the needs of their residents. Written care plans are usually required for each resident.