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How Can I Open an Assisted Living Home?

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There is a growing demand for residential care (or assisted living) facilities that provide accommodation and personal care services primarily to older adults. Board and care facilities make up 80 percent of all facilities and don't necessarily have many beds to accommodate the elderly. Together, these establishments are categorized as residential care facilities. Some of their services include accommodation, food, housekeeping, monitoring and drug storage and delivery. Seniors can also get personal care assistance with daily activities like sanitation, grooming, eating and bathing.

It's natural to have tons of questions when your interest in starting your own residential assisted living (RAL) home is sparked initially. The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) reports that there are approximately 29,000 residential assisted facilities in the United States, with nearly 1 million licensed beds. These facilities offer the necessary services to senior citizens and others in need of help because of mental or physical problems. Thus, opening an assisted living business can be a gratifying thing to do for your community or family.

Here are some of the crucial steps you should follow to open a new assisted living facility in line with all government regulations.

Develop a Clear Business Plan

Do you have a brilliant RAL business idea? Start by creating and ironing out some of the specifics of your business plan.

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You need to determine the startup expenses and ongoing costs you'll need to operate your business. Check to see if the name you're considering using for your RAL home is available as a web domain. If so, secure it before it's bought by someone else.

Establish a Legal Entity

Forming legal business entities like limited liability companies (LLCs), sole proprietorships, corporations and cooperatives help prevent you from being held solely responsible for litigation. Most small businesses choose to form an LLC due to their ease of registration.

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You should also consider hiring a registered agent service (responsible third party) suited in the same state as your assisted living home. The agent will protect your privacy and ensure that you stay compliant with state laws. Moreover, you'll receive official government notifications like tax forms and get business notices through the agent.

Register for Taxes

Before opening your assisted living home, you need to register for different state and federal taxes. Start by applying for your employer identification number (EIN), a free and easy process.

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Through this number, the IRS can identify your tax payments and keep track of your business's tax reports. In addition to receiving your unique, nine-digit EIN, you'll be expected to fill out the date you established your RAL home.

Open a Business Bank Account

Separating your RAL home accounts from your personal accounts is vital for personal asset protection. You don't want to put yourself at risk, especially if it's ever in a lawsuit. Opening dedicated business banking and credit accounts will help make accounting and tax filing much easier and store accurate and detailed reports of your expenditure.

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Furthermore, obtaining a business credit card will help build your business's credit history, which can come in handy when you want to raise money or invest.

Obtain Mandatory Licenses and Permits

To avoid hefty fines or have your assisted living home closed down, get the necessary licenses, permits and insurance. Assisted living homes have to comply with zoning laws, building safety codes and government regulations.

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As the building owner, it's your responsibility to get an occupancy certificate. A new occupancy certificate is required immediately after the completion of major renovations. Additionally, it's imperative that you get insurance for your RAL home. For instance, general liability insurance will protect your facility's financial well-being in case of a covered loss. You can learn more about license requirements by visiting the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) reference to state licenses and permits.

Define and Market Your Assisted Living Home

Standing out in a crowd of competitors is critical to your business's success. Use your current residents to market your home's outstanding services if you already have an operational RAL facility. You can use YouTube, TV or newspaper ads to help attract more residents and their family members.

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With today's technological advancements, establishing an online presence has proven to be a great way to expedite the success of businesses. Even though most seniors aren't familiar with the internet, it's highly possible that their families are conversant with it and will help them out.

Developing a comprehensive, professional website and incorporating various social media platform links to it will allow clients to learn more about your assisted living home at the convenience of their fingertips.

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