Arizona Assisted Living

Overview of Arizona Assisted Living

Back to top The 48th state is home to the epic Grand Canyon, breathtaking Hoover Dam, scenic Lake Mead, proud Navajo Nation and the hottest recorded temperatures in the United States. Seniors who choose assisted living in Arizona are in good company as the state has the second-fastest growing population in the nation with just over 13% of the population age 65 and older, according to a 2008 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Assisted Living in Arizona Defined

Back to top The State of Arizona defines an assisted living facility as, “a residential care institution that provides or contracts to provide supervisory care, personal care or directed care on a continuing basis.” The state also breaks down assisted living communities into three types:

• Adult Foster Care Homes are personal residences in which up to four adults reside and are cared for by a designated caregiver who also lives in the home.
• Assisted Living Homes are defined as senior care homes which provide assisted living care for up to 10 people.
• Assisted Living Centers are large communities caring for 11 or more people.

You can find Adult Foster Care Homes and Assisted Living Homes in our Care Homes category. In addition to accommodations and meals, Arizona assisted living facilities also provide professional assistance to seniors who need help with eating, managing medications, dressing and other activities of daily living, but are in generally good health and do not require skilled nursing. Seniors who deal with severe, chronic physical or mental illnesses that need intensive medical services in addition to help with activities of daily living are cared for in a nursing home (also known as a “skilled nursing facility”). Nursing homes in Arizona provide continuous nursing care and supervision for both short-term rehabilitative stays as well as long-term residential care. Many nursing homes also have special memory care units for seniors dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of dementia. You can find skilled nursing facilities in Arizona in our Nursing Homes category and homes that care for seniors with memory loss in our Memory Care Category.

Regulation of Arizona Assisted Living Facilities

Back to top Arizona assisted living facilities are monitored and regulated by the State of Arizona Division of Licensing Services, Office of Assisted Living Licensing. Assisted living facilities are inspected at least once a year to ensure they are continually meeting statewide standards. Inspections occur unannounced except for initial licensing visits. Full reports on all assisted living facilities in Arizona are available for public viewing at the Arizona Department of Health Services and include information such as inspection records, history of complaints and licensing. In addition, employees who work at Arizona assisted living facilities, including caregivers and managers, are required to complete 62 hours of education and training in order to work at a licensed facility.

Legislation of Arizona Assisted Living Facilities

Back to top As a result of legislation passed in 2011, the Arizona Board of Examiners of Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Facility Managers assumed regulatory oversight of assisting living facility manager and caregiver training programs. This necessitated writing new rules that established the curriculum standards, the approval and renewal process of these training programs, and when corrective action is warranted. Curriculum elements of the Assisted Living Facility Manager training program include learning of resident rights and responsibilities; preventing abuse, neglect, and exploration of the resident; and managing residents with Alzheimer’s or memory care needs. Each manager is required to receive at least 40 hours of instruction and must attain at least 75 percent on each examination or a comprehensive examination. Caregivers participating in an approved Assisted Living Facility Caregiver training program receive training in a variety of topics including at six hours of infection control, at least five hours of fire, safety, and emergency procedures, and 12 hours of basic caregiver skills, which include observing and reporting pain, applying clean bandages, and providing assisted living services such as bathing, and toileting. Students are required to complete at least 136 hours of instruction, of which 40 are of instructor-supervised practicum.