Oregon

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Residential Care Facility
Resident capacity: No maximum listed but building Requirements change at 17 or more residents. Check with individual city.
Staff ratios: No minimum ratios. The facility must have sufficient qualified awake staff to meet residents' 24-hour scheduled and unscheduled needs. If a facility employs universal workers, staffing must be increased to maintain adequate resident care and services. Direct care staffing must be calculated based on resident acuity, staff training, facility census, and facility structural design (e.g., to meet the fire safety evacuation standards).
Cost of licensing: 360.0
Bedroom square footage: Resident units must include a minimum of 80 square feet per resident, exclusive of closets, vestibules, and bathroom facilities and allow for a minimum of three feet between beds;
Memory care: Oregon has a separate set of rules, for memory care communities (previously called Alzheimer's care units) that are either licensed as an ALF, a RCF, or a nursing facility. Such communities must meet the licensing requirements for the applicable licensed setting and additional requirements specified in the memory care community rules. Any facility that offers or provides care for residents with dementia in a memory care community must obtain an "endorsement" on its facility license. The rules emphasize person-directed care, resident protection, staff training specific to dementia care, and physical plant and environmental requirements.

Full requirements

Regulatory Agency: Oregon Department of Human Services - Community-Based Care
Contact Phone Number: 503-373-2227
Licensure Term(s): Residential Care Facility
Census Requirements: No maximum listed but building Requirements change at 17 or more residents. Check with individual city.
Qualifications for Managers: Each facility must employ a full-time administrator and caregivers who provide assistance with ADLs, medication administration, resident-focused activities, supervision, and support.
Qualifications for Caregivers: All staff must receive an orientation on residents' rights and the values of community-based care, abuse and reporting requirements, standard precautions for infection control, and fire safety and emergency procedures. Within the first 30 days of hire, staff must demonstrate knowledge and performance in several areas, including but not limited to the following: The role of service plans in providing individualized resident care. Providing assistance with ADLs. Changes associated with normal aging, and identifying changes in the resident's physical, emotional, and mental functioning. Conditions that require assessment, treatment, observation, and reporting. Understanding residents' actions and behavior as a form of communication. Understanding and providing support for residents with dementia. Food safety, serving, and sanitation. All staff must be trained in the use of the abdominal thrust and first-aid; training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation is recommended.
Staff Ratios: No minimum ratios. The facility must have sufficient qualified awake staff to meet residents' 24-hour scheduled and unscheduled needs. If a facility employs universal workers, staffing must be increased to maintain adequate resident care and services. Direct care staffing must be calculated based on resident acuity, staff training, facility census, and facility structural design (e.g., to meet the fire safety evacuation standards).
Cost of Licensing: 360.0
Square Footage Requirements: Resident units must include a minimum of 80 square feet per resident, exclusive of closets, vestibules, and bathroom facilities and allow for a minimum of three feet between beds;
Bathrooms Required: Min 1 for 10 residents
Memory Care Requirements: Oregon has a separate set of rules, for memory care communities (previously called Alzheimer's care units) that are either licensed as an ALF, a RCF, or a nursing facility. Such communities must meet the licensing requirements for the applicable licensed setting and additional requirements specified in the memory care community rules. Any facility that offers or provides care for residents with dementia in a memory care community must obtain an "endorsement" on its facility license. The rules emphasize person-directed care, resident protection, staff training specific to dementia care, and physical plant and environmental requirements.
Notes: The Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of Licensing and Regulatory Oversight, licenses two types of residential care--assisted living facilities (ALFs) and residential care facilities (RCFs). General licensing requirements are the same for both types of facilities. The major distinction between the two settings pertains to the building requirements. ALFs must provide a private apartment, private bath, and kitchenette, whereas RCFs may have shared rooms and shared baths, or private apartments.