Levels of Care

• A community-based residential facility (CBRF) offers five or more adults the ability to receive infrequent nursing care and personal assistance that does not cause the staff to need more than three hours per week of medical services. Adult family homes are smaller units of three or four adults who receive room and board, like CBRFs, but do not require more than seven hours of nursing care. Residential care apartment complexes (RCAC) offer each resident a lockable room with kitchens but do not require more than 28 hours of services, including nursing or personal care.
  
  

Building and Room Requirements

• Per each resident, the personal space must be between 60 and 100 square feet depending on the type of facility and the ability of the resident to walk. Residential care apartment complexes must also provide 250 square feet total, not including closets, and be zoned as multifamily dwellings. Adult family homes must be designed so that residents can easily access activities and meal delivery areas. No more than two Wisconsin senior citizens may share a bedroom in any assisted living facility.
  
  

Fire and Evacuation

• A plan must be developed for the evacuation of all residents from a facility. In CBRFs, each resident must be able to leave in a reasonable time, the facility must be equipped with alternative exits and a local fire official must inspect the home on a regular basis. They must also include automatic sprinkler systems and a remotely monitored fire alarm. RCACs are operated under the state construction codes for multifamily dwellings, while adult family homes must have at least one fire extinguisher and smoke alarm per floor and two means of exit on the ground floor.
  
  

Staff Training

• All staff must complete orientation and training for each of the three facility types, including medication management, first aid and fire safety. In addition, adult family home employees must be 18 years of age or older and have completed at least 15 hours of training. Resident care apartment complex workers must be able to document the same requirements and demonstrate that they possess an understanding of the facility's mission statement.
  
  

Assessments and Medicaid Reimbursements

• Residents must be given a needs assessment within two weeks of residency at an assisted living facility in Wisconsin. These assessments are to be updated every several months for direct care and biannually for personal needs. Residents will also be asked if they are on Medicaid, which will reimburse some of their costs outside of room and board.