Assisted living pilot program: background, methods, and facility characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funded assisted living (AL), adult family home (AFH), and residential care for the first time in the Assisted Living Pilot Program (ALPP). This article describes the background and methods of the ALPP evaluation and the characteristics and experiences of the facilities. METHOD: Facility data were collected from the contracting/inspection process and a survey of ALPP facilities and those contacted but not participating in ALPP. RESULTS: Data on 131 participating facilities are presented: 41 AFHs, 47 assisted living facilities (ALFs), and 43 residential care facilities (RCFs). The average facility had 33 beds (about one quarter Medicaid beds), for-profit ownership, and private rooms for ALPP residents, and about half had private baths. About two thirds of ALPP AFH providers spoke a primary language other than English. DISCUSSION: Findings indicate that a wide range of community facilities were willing to provide care to residents with heterogeneous needs on VA funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]