TIPS On Using the Site

We're clear on why the subject matters to you -

We think our insights and perspective will help you

because "we've been there, done that."

Site Overview In addition to the public records you can access on Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs) in CARR's inventory, this site contains information to help you understand how assisted living works in California, what to look for in a facility, questions to ask, and frankly, things to be wary of.

Don't rely on the information contained in the provider's colorful glossy brochures - they only tell half the story. Spend some time on this site, and we’ll help level the playing field for you, the consumer – we’ll help you learn and understand what goes on behind the scenes.

STRAIGHTALK offers short articles on individual subjects of interest. The articles derive from CARR's review of the public record, thesis research, questions asked by users, and from personal experience. Because CARR’s staff has first-hand experience with RCFEs (either through employment, or because we've placed a family member), we’ll give you our unique 'been-there-done-that' perspective. And you won’t have to guess what is fact, and what is commentary. We’ll tell you. CARR's commentary will either be so-stated, or will be in italicized, in-color text.. All content posted on this site will strive to inform you why the subject matters to you.

FAQ

FAQ, as all you web-savvy people know is Frequently Asked Questions. CARR’s staff has developed a comprehensive list of questions that any consumer of long-term care will eventually need to know. New ones will be added as consumers ask questions FAQ doesn't address. If you have a specific question you’d like answered, please Contact Us to make that request.

Interactive Facility Search

The Facility Search is resource-rich for all consumers of long-term care considering placement in a California RCFE. Locate a facility by zip code or city, or select a facility by typing in the facility name. CARR's Facility Search for RCFEs is the first & only of its kind in California - and maybe the nation. Once you find the facility you want, you will see a lot of information about it:

who is the Licensee
who owns the property
how many residents it can have (capacity),
whether the facility has waivers (special approvals to offer hospice, bedridden, dementia, or other types of more specialized care to residents)
inspection reports
complaint investigation reports
regulatory violations and cited deficiencies
Secretary of State registration information
Fire Marshal Clearances
Other relevant documents

The Scanned Document Guide is your roadmap to the types of documents appearing in the Facility Search. Why Review Public Records explains CARR's view about the importance of the public record as a tool for objective information.

About Us

In About Us, you'll learn the genesis of the organization and the website, and about CARR's Operating Principles. Through brief bios, you'll learn who CARR's Advocates & Board of Directors are, and what makes them committed to the Vision and Mission of the organization.

The SoapBox

The SoapBox is where CARR Advocates will write opinion pieces on all-things-RCFE. We may advocate for a specific policy change, elaborate on an enforcement inconsistency, or rant about a recent outrage found in the public file. But always our objective will be to answer the question Why do you, the consumer of long-term care, need to know this?

About Public Documents

CARR's site fundamentally believes in the power of the public record to inform and empower a consumers. CARR's staff has spent over thousand's of man-hours in the public records identifying information useful to consumers of long-term care. This section describes CARR's scanned data base of public documents, discusses the source of these public documents, why they offer you objective information to counter 'facility-spin', and how the public record speaks for itself. If you don't 'get the point' of this website, reading this article will spell it out for you.

Documents We Scan

CARR's decision about what documents to scan is easy: what information from the public file will best help the consumer of long-term care make an informed placement decision. This Guide to Scanned Documents describes the major categories of documents populating the facility search. Not all documents are provided (as of August 2012, we have about 10,000 pdfs on this site), but this Guide lets you know what documents we scan and why.

Facility Search: Select a Facility

This is an interactive search allowing you to locate a facility by its name, or if you've already identified the facility, you can use it's CARR-specific ID number. This is a handy way to keep tabs on a facility you've been watching; enter the facility name or ID number to check for new public documents or information. If you enter a specific ID number, you might get an error message - no worries - just do another enter, and the data should appear. We'll eventually get out that glitch.

Facility Search: Find a Facility by Location

Using the second search bar, you can locate a facility by city or zip code. This is a handy way to find facilities close to you. Search results will give you a list of RCFEs meeting your search criterion.

Search Results

Search Results will give you a list of facilities by name, followed by the address, name of the Licensee and property owner. When you find the facility you want, just click on the name and you'll be taken to another page which will expand the information about the facility.

On this page you can find

How many residents the facility is licensed for (Capacity)
What additional services is the facility licensed by the state to provide (i.e. hospice, dementia care), andwhen CARR last reviewed the public file.
To refresh yourself on the content of the Facility Search results, check out the Guide to Scanned Documents.

Links Library

The Links Library gives you a head-start in identifying other websites and organizations:

not-for-profits focusing on elder care issues and long-term care reform
housing and justice issues
county and state agencies directly involved in elder care issues
quick and easy access to Title 22 (the regulations directly affecting RCFE licensure, operation and enforcemen t

Soon, CARR's Links Library will expand to include many California-wide resources for consumers of long-term care. While CARR's database is now limited to San Diego and Imperial counties, CARR's resources and articles are relevant to any consumer of long-term care planning placement in a California-located RCFE. Meanwhile, the current set of links will connect you to other sites with resources beyond the CARR's scope.