Growing Demand for RCFEs

Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, or RCFEs, are also known as assisted living facilities, which are non-medical facilities that help senior citizens with daily living activities. RCFEs have become increasingly popular as alternatives to nursing homes and demand for them continues to grow. Typically, these are homes with three to five bedrooms that have been renovated to allow for 24-hour care, if needed. Because of the potential growth in the next few decades due to a progressively aging population, there will be a greater need for RCFE administrators in these facilities.

What Is a RCFE Administrator?

A RCFE administrator is a health professional who manages the facilities, supervises its employees, and coordinates patient care. This person also creates schedules, handles budgets, oversees billing, trains employees, and manages other administrative duties. To become an RCFE administrator, coursework through an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree may be required in some states while in others, having a high school diploma and being at least 21 years old is enough. The state in which you live and work should also require a license, which you can obtain once you have completed a training program or class, pass the state’s RCFE administrator test and a background check, and pay for the certificate application.

To prepare for the RCFE administrator test, the typical coursework should include an overview of laws, regulations, resident care, business operations, medication assistance, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and marketing. Good training programs should also cover how to become a successful administrator and real-life industry situations.

Options After Passing the Test

After passing the test and gaining the license, a RCFE administrator can build a career from work experience in working in an existing facility or founding and operating a new RCFE. The most successful administrators have strong interpersonal skills and demonstrate compassion. Further education, such as a master’s degree, is generally required to attain advancement.