Alaska Assisted Living Facilities

Alaska assisted living facilities provide AK seniors with an alternative to a full fledged nursing home. These facilities, while available for many years, began to experience dramatic growth in the 1990's and that continues today. This expansion is due in part, to the increasing numbers of baby boomer's that are in need of some assistance in their day to day life.

On April 6, 2002 Alaska began enforcement of new regulations to promote the safety of residents in Alaska assisted living facilities. These minimum standards must be followed by any of the facilities offering assisted living.

Assisted Living Resident's Rights

By law, a resident in Alaska assisted living facilities have certain rights granted to them by the state of AK. Some of these include the right to live in a safe and clean environment, the right to be treated with dignity and the right to have their own personal clothing and property. A resident is granted the right to privacy which includes privacy during their own personal hygiene except for assistance during activities specified in their assisted living plan. Residents in Alaska assisted living facilities are also guaranteed privacy while on the telephone and during visits with family and friends.

Residents in Alaska assisted living facilities are allowed to manage their own money, choose their own healthcare providers and exercise any religious and civil liberties granted to them by the constitution. Unlike some states, residents in Alaska assisted living facilities are allowed to share a room with their husband or wife if both are residents of the facility.

Alaska assisted living facilities are not allowed to establish any policy which is inconsistent with these rights established by the state. These facilities are required to post the rights of the resident in a prominent place and obtain a signed and dated statement acknowledging that the resident, or a representative of the resident, understands these rights and has been granted the opportunity to ask questions regarding these rights.

Types of Licensing

In Alaska, long term care residences are subject to three different licensing types; voluntary, standard and probationary. A voluntary license is granted to a home which serves one or two adults, related or not, and is not required to apply for a standard license. A standard license shows that the home has passed the probationary period and complies with all state regulations. A probationary license is given to homes that have not been licensed before or have had their standard license converted to a probationary license due to noncompliance.

In Alaska, care homes are licensed for two years. Before the current license expires, the licensing agency will notify the owner of the license that their renewal is due. After notification, an inspection may occur and determine if the residence is eligible for renewal. If the residence has remained in compliance, the license will be renewed. If the Alaska residence is not in compliance, the current license can be converted to a probationary license or revoked altogether.

The license must be posted in a prominent place and available for inspection by all residents, representatives of residents, staff and the public. The Alaska license to operate assisted living facilities will state what kind of license it is, the effective and expiration dates of the license, the name and location of the home and the number of residents that the home is allowed to have.

Who Resides In Alaska Assisted Living Facilities?

Often as we grow older, the daily tasks that we have been performing all of our adult lives began to be difficult for us to accomplish without help. When the time comes that you or family member needs assistance with things such as meals, hygiene, medications and laundry you can begin to look at Alaska assisted living facilities to locate the one that meets with your needs. These facilities can also help those who need monitoring during and transportation for shopping trips, doctors and other personal business. Some of these residences are also set up to help with those who need assistance due to confusion and memory problems.

While the decision to place yourself or a loved one in any of the Alaska assisted living facilities can be an extremely difficult one to make, there are several steps that you can take that will enable you to be comfortable with your decision. First, know that any AK long term care residence is heavily regulated by the state and thoroughly capable of providing the care that you are looking for. Ask people that you know for recommendations and go and inspect the homes to ensure that they are licensed and can provide for your particular needs. Last, go with your own feelings about a place. If you feel that you have found the right residence for you, then you probably have.

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