Assisted Living Facilities in Oregon

A Caregiver's Guide to Assisted Living Facilities in Oregon

What they're called

Official name: Residential Care Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities

Common name: Assisted living facilities

To compare assisted living to board and care, skilled nursing, and other long-term residential care communities, see Residential Care Options: How to Decide.

What they offer

• Residential Care Facilities: Single-room living units with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities
• Assisted Living Facilities: Individual living units with kitchen and separate bathroom for each unit
• All meals, usually in a common dining area
• Supervision, medication management (including administration of medications), and other health monitoring
• Periodic nursing services
• Personal care services, including help with one or more activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, and bathing
• Social and exercise activities

Note: Some facilities also offer respite care and other special services.

What they cost

Median monthly fees: $3,500 (higher for residents requiring memory care)

State of Oregon requirements

• Upon admission, and regularly thereafter, facility must conduct a resident assessment that includes physical and mental health status, cognition, communication and sensory capabilities, ability to perform ADLs, and treatment and level of assistance needed.
• A registered pharmacist or RN must review resident medications administered by the facility every 90 days.

State of Oregon oversight

The Oregon Department of Human Services (503-945-5832) licenses assisted living facilities and residential care facilities.

How to resolve problems or offer feedback

• Contact the Oregon long-term care ombudsman at 800-522-2602; this is a free service to help residents informally resolve problems with a facility.
• To register a complaint about a facility, you can contact Oregon's Department of Human Services, division of Seniors and People with Disabilities, either online or by phone toll-free at 800-282-8096.
• Rate and review assisted living facilities.

How to pay for assisted living in Oregon

• Most assisted living is paid for privately by the resident and/or his or her family.
• For Medicaid-eligible low-income residents who otherwise would qualify for nursing home care, the state's Home and Community-Based Services waiver program can pay part of the monthly fees for personal care services provided in participating residential care and assisted living facilities. The amount of payment depends on the level of services provided.
• Low-income veterans or surviving spouses of veterans may be eligible for Aid and Attendance or other payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which can help pay for assisted living.
• Some assisted living facilities offer sliding scale fees, making a higher level of care available to families that might not otherwise be able to afford it. Be sure to ask -- or ask a geriatric care manager in the area if he or she knows which facilities offer sliding scale fees.

Help finding and choosing a facility

• Hire a geriatric care manager (most have extensive local knowledge about assisted living facilities in a particular geographic area, including space availability, resident needs assessments, sliding scale fees, and resident satisfaction). To find a geriatric care manager, see Caring.com's Senior Living Directory.
• For details about assisted living facilities in each of the 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, see A Caregiver's Guide to Assisted Living Facilities.