EDUCATION: How do I Open an Assisted Living Facility in Florida?

According to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, an Assisted Living Facility (“ALF”) is a residential care facility that provides housing, meals, personal care and supportive services to older persons and disabled adults who are unable to live independently. ALFs are intended to be a less costly alternative to more restrictive institutional settings for individuals who do not require 24-hour nursing supervision. Florida ALFs can range in size from a single resident to hundreds and may contain individual apartments or suites that a resident shares with others. An ALF is a “Community residential home”, which is a dwelling licensed to service residents who are clients of the Department of Elderly Affairs (“EA”), the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (“APD”), the Department of Juvenile Justice (“DJJ”), or the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) or licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA” or “Agency”) which provides a living environment for 7 to 14 unrelated residents who operate as the functional equivalent of a family, including such supervision and care by supportive staff as may be necessary to meet the physical, emotional and social needs of the residents. Examples of residents include: frail elders; a person who has a handicap; a person who has a developmental disability; a non-dangerous person who has a mental illness; a child who is found to be dependent; or a child in need of certain services. There are many requirements to opening and operating a Florida licensed Assisted Living Facility. This podcast does not attempt to highlight all of the legal requirements and should only be considered an educational overview. There are many legal considerations and requirements that were not addressed in this podcast. It is in your best interest to contact an experienced health care attorney if you are considering opening or purchasing an ALF so that they can help you navigate the process. Web: www.JonesHealthLaw.com Phone: (305)877-5054 Instagram: @JonesHealthLaw Facebook: @JonesHealthLaw Youtube: @JonesHealthLaw