Long-Term Care in North Carolina

 

 

 

Long-term care in North Carolina has many similiar features to long-term care nationwide. For more generalized information, please visit our Long-Term Care & Assistance section.

 

Below, you will find links to information specific to North Carolina.

 

 

Alzheimer's and Dementia Care

In North Carolina, a facility that holds itself out as providing specialized dementia care must meet certain staffing requirements. On 1st shift (7 am to 3 pm) and 2nd shift (3 pm to 11 pm), the facility is required to have 1 staff person for every 8 residents. Third shift (11 pm to 7 am) should have 1 staff person for every 10 residents.

The Special Care Unit Disclosure Act allows consumers to make informed decisions when choosing a Special Care Unit. The Bill requires that any Adult Care Home or Adult Day Care which advertises itself as providing Specialized Dementia Care must disclose the following information to consumers:

• activity programming
• assessment and care planning
• cost of care and additional fees
• criteria for admission, transfer, and discharge
• family involvement in care
• philosophy and mission statement
• physical environment
• staff to resident ratio
• staff training

There is another type of Adult Care Home bed available for those with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. These beds are within a "locked unit". Beds within a locked unit are not covered by the Special Care Unit Disclosure Act described above and are not subject to the same staffing ratios as described above for facilities that indicate they provide specialized dementia care. If a locked unit is being considered as an option, consider asking questions about resident care and assessment, staff to resident ratios, staff training, etc. before making a decision.

 

 

Ensuring Quality Care in Long-Term Care Facilities

For many family caregivers of older adults, making the decision to put a family member into a long-term care facility is agonizing. Often the family member is very resistant. And, why wouldn't he or she be? But that resistance added to guilt and stress and being overworked and overtired all add to the confusion and desperation of the caregiver. There is also the issue of will Mom or Dad or Grandpa or Grandma receive good quality care and be treated with dignity and respect in a long-term care facility.

North Carolina has put legislation and rules and regulations in place to help to ensure, as much as possible, that all residents receive a minimum level of care. A Bill of Rights for residents has also been compiled and the Ombudsman Program is available to help residents and families resolve differences in opinion as to what is acceptable care and what is not in compliance. For detailed information on how to ensure quality care in North Carolina long-term care facilities, use the links below. Oversight agencies are identified, what they do, how they work, and what agency to call for what facility type and what type of problem. This information is consistant across North Carolina.

 

 

 

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