Self-Assessment I
Answering these questions will help you determine whether or not you meet some important qualifications to become an operator of an Adult Care Home.
- Do you have at least 12 months (52 weeks) of verifiable, full-time hands-on caregiving experience working with adults needing care and/or assistance? Or a combination of a current Certified Nursing Assistant certificate and at least 6 months (26 weeks) of verifiable, full-time hands-on caregiving experience working with adults needing care and assistance?
- Are you prepared to be ultimately responsible for the care, welfare, and safety of five vulnerable people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
- Are you financially prepared to make a rent or mortgage payment, pay all utility bills, keep food stocked, and maintain two months operating expenses at all times, even when your home has multiple vacancies?
- Are you prepared to be a business owner and employer? Have you developed a business plan with realistic income and expense estimates?
- Can you and every adult in your household pass a criminal background check?
- Can you speak and understand English at the 8th grade level?
If you can answer yes to all of the above, proceed to Self Assessment II
Self-Assessment II
This is a tool to help you assess whether working as an adult foster home provider is a good fit for you. We encourage you to be honest with yourself as you answer.
- I am patient with other peoples mistakes.
- I can be alert and calm and awake in the middle of the night, even after a long day.
- I can take verbal abuse and still forgive. I do not hold a grudge.
- I am comfortable asking others for help.
- I can place the needs of others ahead of my own wants.
- I am comfortable taking care of residents of the opposite and same sex.
- I have experience and am comfortable taking care of people who are elderly, who have mental illness or physical disabilities who are not related to me.
- I deal with emergencies without panic.
- When planning schedules, I can be thoughtful of the needs of staff, residents and residents' families.
- I am aware and prepared to give up most of my privacy because I will be sharing my home with residents.
- I can successfully resolve conflicts with other people.
- I follow established procedures and do not cut corners.
- I keep abreast of the regulations and laws that govern adult foster homes.
- I am tolerant of other cultures and points of view.
- I respect other's rights, privileges and privacy and strive never to control or manipulate others.
- I save money for a crisis and routinely plan ahead.
- I understand the financial risks of owning a business and have a good backup plan to ensure I can pay all due debts.
- I promptly pay my bills.
- I speak English clearly and am easily understood.
- I am in excellent health and have a lot of energy.
- I am organized and efficient with good attention to details.
- I am able to follow the instruction of others, including medical professionals who may give me instructions for resident care.
- I can cope well when cherished residents may pass on. I am able to comfort the dying and relatives of those who are dying.
- I am prepared financially and emotionally for the length of time it may take to get licensed.
- I am able to take and act on constructive criticism regarding areas of my work needing improvement.
The assessment is intended to give you as clear a picture as possible of the considerable demands of running an adult foster home. If you answered yes to 18 or more of the 25 questions, you may understand the nature of adult foster care and be ready to meet the demands of this business.
This assessment was primarily developed by a group of Washington State adult foster home providers with many years experience in running an adult foster home.