Residents in our licensed Assisted Living facilities are supposed to have a “service plan” that identifies their care needs and provides information about how the facility intends to meet those needs.  We’ve found that good service plans are crucial in providing quality service, but that facilities sometimes struggle to develop effective plans for all their residents.  In an effort to provide technical assistance to address this gap, our Tucson Office of Assisted Living Licensing is offering a new class that’s specific to developing and maintaining resident service plans.

This class is offered free of charge every other month to caregivers and managers of licensed Assisted Living facilities, as well as other health care professionals who work with these facilities, to help them become more knowledgeable about the Department’s expectations and rules. Surveyors from the Office teach facility caregivers how service plans can be used to help them be more aware of the residents’ problems and ways they can provide better care.  These classes enhance our customer service and create a better partnership with the communities.  The response from the Assisted Living community has been very positive, and additional classes are being scheduled to accommodate the number of people who want to attend.