Oregon Assisted Living

Overview of Oregon Assisted Living

Back to top Residents of assisted living in Oregon can take advantage of the state’s pastoral surroundings, robust offering of cultural and recreational activities, sales-tax-free shopping, and excellent medical facilities. There are several state and local departments dedicated to overseeing the quality of assisted living care so you can be assured that your family member or loved one will be receiving the highest quality of care in an Oregon assisted living facility.

Assisted Living in Oregon Defined

Back to top Assisted living is a type of long-term care provided to elderly residents who may need help with activities of daily living such as meal preparation, bathing and grooming without assistance. Oregon assisted living facilities are required to provide full meal service, laundry services, housekeeping, medication management, planned activities and 24-hour staff. Most residents are also assigned to their own private room with private bathroom facilities. Assisted living communities are often confused with nursing homes. A nursing home provides some of the same care giving services of an assisted living community such as help with toileting, grooming and meals. However, nursing homes are designed to care for extremely frail patients who have serious medical conditions and require round-the-clock nursing care and supervision. In Oregon, nursing homes are required to provide 24-hour nursing staff, whereas assisted living communities are not. You can find nursing homes in Oregon in our Nursing Homes category.

Regulation of Assisted Living in Oregon

Back to top Facilities providing assisted living in Oregon must be licensed by the state. The Seniors and People with Disabilities Division of the Oregon Department of Human Services is responsible for providing licenses and regularly monitoring all communities to ensure that they comply with state and federal regulations. If a community fails to meet all standards, the community will be issued a plan to correct all deficiencies. Licensed communities must keep copies of these inspection reports on file and present them upon request. The Department of Human Services is also currently working on putting these reports into an online database to make it easier for consumers to research assisted living communities in their area. Workers who provide care at an Oregon assisted living community are not required to undergo any formal training or obtain a license. However, the State does require that all employees pass a criminal background check.

Support for Oregon Assisted Living Residents

Back to top Oregon assisted living residents and their family members can turn to the Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman for resources and support concerning long-term care. The Office is an independent agency that handles complaints concerning the quality of resident care, lost or stolen property, evictions, guardianship and more. The Office is comprised of several full-time staff members and a core group of specially-trained volunteers who provide advocacy on behalf of elderly residents. They investigate all complaints and work to resolve problems so that all parties are satisfied. The Office also coordinates a volunteer companion program to provide companionship to residents of assisted living communities.