A Senior Care Home is also known as board and care, residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE) and assisted living facility. It is a place where non-medical care is provided to residents 60 years old and over, assisting them with their activities of daily living (ADL).
As a consultant, the most frequent question asked is the profitability of a senior care home business. Many are interested to venture into this growing industry, and understanding the market is key to your success in this business.
The United States has projected a significant growth in the 65 & older population between 2012 and 2050. The estimated 43.1 million is projected to be doubled to 83.7 million by 2050 according to the US Census. The increase was largely attributed to baby boomers who started to enter 65 years old age group in 2011. Baby Boomers are currently the second largest living generation in the United States. In the U.S. alone, elder care is projected to be worth an approximately $400 billion industry by 2018 as reported by the Freedonia Group.
The growth of this market has resulted in the strong demand for elderly care services which includes the Senior Care Home business.
If you’re interested in operating a senior care home facility, the first step is to get an RCFE Orientation One Certificate acquired online with the Department of Social Services at the www.ccld.ca.gov. Attending the 40 hour RCFE Administrator class is also recommended.
This class covers the state regulatory requirements for operating a facility. Once you have the location of the facility, the next step is to apply for licensure with the Department of Social Services Community Licensing Department. The license application comprises of Section A, which involves filing out licensing forms provided by the State, and Section B which will be your program design similar to your business plan. For more information, you may contact Gan Consulting at (707) 853-6691.
Here is the number of licensed Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly in major cities in Northern California:
There are 60 facilities in Vallejo, 35 facilities in Fairfield, 22 facilities in Vacaville, 6 facilities in Benicia, 5 facilities in American Canyon, 26 facilities in Napa, 66 facilities in San Francisco, 20 facilities in Daly City, 39 facilities in South San Francisco, 34 facilities in San Bruno, 13 facilities in Millbrae, 74 facilities in San Mateo, 87 facilities in Concord, 25 facilities in Pleasant Hill, 79 facilities in Walnut Creek, 22 facilities in Alamo, 14 facilities in Danville, 21 facilities in San Ramon, 8 facilities in Dublin, 19 facilities in Pleasanton, 34 facilities in Livermore, 36 facilities in Fremont, 19 facilities in San Leandro, 30 facilities in Union City, 33 facilities in Oakland, 10 facilities in San Pablo, 6 in Milpitas, 8 facilities in Mountain View, 4 facilities in Saratoga, 8 facilities in Morgan Hill, 14 facilities in Santa Clara, 3 facilities in Cupertino, 10 facilities in Palo Alto, 26 facilities in Sunnyvale, and 166 facilities in San Jose.
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Ami Low is a senior care home consultant for Gan Consulting and assists with State licensing applications. She is also a Senior Care Home Realtor specializing in the buying and selling of senior care home facilities. She took Marketing Management in De La Salle University and executive MBA in University of California Los Angeles. For more information, you may reach her at (707) 853-6691 and (925) 964-7700 or [email protected].
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The information provided in this column are opinions and data information were taken from the US Census, CCLD website and Freedonia Group. Readers are advised to do their own research on the accuracy of data provided. Further, the information provided does not constitute a client-consultant relationship.