If you are looking at care for a loved one, you have already become familiar with assisted living, nursing homes, and senior living options. We wanted to give you some details around another type of care that could potentially be a fit for your aging loved one: Adult Foster Care (AFC).
What is Adult Foster Care? AFC is an around the clock form of care where your loved one lives in an adult foster home with the AFC provider in the same household with a shared living space. AFC can often be an option for seniors that have just recently become unable to live on their own independently.
Some of the rules and regulations that need to be met for somebody to even become an AFC provider in the state of Texas include (but are not limited to):
- The provider cannot be the spouse of a resident in their own care.
- The AFC provider must live in the same house as the residents. They cannot legally have a detached living area from the residents.
- Complete orientation and also receive six hours of training each year with subjects given by the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS).
- AFC providers will need to be trained on emergency preparedness like first aid in their first two years of license being obtained.
- Providers will also need to give evidence that they are financially stable.
If you are still thinking that an AFC would serve your aging loved ones needs the best, consider some of the pros and cons. Some of the pros are:
- PRO: Around the clock care – AFCs live in the same household as the residents typically don’t have more than three adults to each AFC. It allows a very one-on-one level of care that is always there no matter the time of night.
- PRO: Closer relationships – There might be some senior living options that can almost feel overwhelming to your aging loved one if they have lots of residents. Adult Foster Care is much smaller and can be a good option for loved ones that might struggle in bigger group settings.
- CON: Less space and less planned activities – Typically, an AFC is within a 4+ bedroom house/building which typically limits residents to that amount of space. They might feel on top of one another and lack some of the planned activities you get at an assisted living facility.
- CON: Not as common means limited availability – AFC isn’t nearly as common of a form of senior care so the number of AFCs in Texas are limited. You might see waiting lists or even a complete lack of availability near your own house.
We hope that our breakdown of Adult Foster Care covered all aspects to help aid in your care decision. Senior Living Specialists has the insight around all types of care facilities and intimate knowledge of facilities offered across the state of Texas.