Top Tips for Staffing Your Residential Assisted Living Facility

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Running an assisted living facility involves more than providing a safe space for residents—it’s about building a dedicated, knowledgeable team that ensures both the well-being of residents and smooth facility operations. Whether you’re opening a new facility or expanding an existing one, understanding the essential roles within your team is key to providing high-quality care and sustaining a successful business.

In smaller assisted living facilities, team members often take on multiple responsibilities, making each role even more significant. Hiring people who are skilled, adaptable, and passionate about care can help keep your facility running smoothly. Here’s a guide to the key roles to consider when staffing your assisted living team.

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1. Administrator: The Backbone of Your Facility

The administrator is the cornerstone of any assisted living facility. This licensed professional oversees day-to-day operations, ensures compliance with state laws, and collaborates with residents, staff, and families. Without a licensed administrator, your facility can’t legally operate, so be sure to check your state’s requirements if you plan to take on this role yourself.

Beyond administrative work, an effective administrator monitors the overall health of the facility, ensuring that residents' needs are met, and keeping staff engaged. A strong administrator is not just a manager but a leader who shapes the culture of care in your facility.

2. Assistant Administrator or House Manager

Serving as the administrator’s right-hand person, an assistant administrator or house manager can significantly reduce the administrator’s workload. This role, while optional, can be invaluable in managing tasks like meal planning, grocery shopping, activity scheduling, hiring, and admissions.

This position is also ideal for training future leaders. As your facility grows, a skilled assistant administrator who can step up as needed can streamline operations and support smooth transitions within the team. While hiring for this role may involve higher costs than a caregiver position, it’s worth the investment for efficient facility management.

3. Med Tech: The Medication Specialist

Med techs are certified to handle and administer medications—an essential responsibility in any assisted living setting. While they don’t require a formal license, med techs do need state-specific certifications to safely manage medication administration, ensure accurate documentation, and handle medication with care. Often, med techs are caregivers who have received additional training.

Though their duties may overlap with those of caregivers, med techs hold a higher level of responsibility and are typically compensated slightly more for their expertise.

4. Caregivers: The Heart of Daily Care

Caregivers play a vital role in assisting residents with daily tasks, such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and toileting. They’re the backbone of resident care, providing essential support that greatly impacts residents' quality of life. Caregivers also build strong relationships with residents, creating a compassionate and familiar environment.

Investing in your caregivers’ growth by offering opportunities to advance to med tech or managerial roles can help improve retention and ensure your residents receive exceptional care. Promoting from within benefits your team and strengthens your facility’s culture.

5. Housekeepers: Keeping Things Clean and Organized

Housekeeping is essential to creating a safe and healthy environment for your residents. Housekeepers manage cleaning and laundry tasks, which keeps the facility in top condition. If you're looking to bring in someone new to caregiving, housekeeping can be an excellent entry-level position that offers growth opportunities into other roles.

For instance, one of our administrators started as a housekeeper and worked her way up, eventually leading the facility. This kind of career progression is a win-win, benefiting your employees’ career paths and enhancing your facility’s reputation for promoting from within.

6. Optional Staff: Nurses and Activities Directors

Depending on your facility's specific needs, you may find value in hiring additional roles like nurses or activities directors. Nurses can enhance resident care by overseeing medical needs, medication management, and therapies. On the other hand, an activities director can significantly improve residents' quality of life by organizing engaging and stimulating activities.

You might find that current team members have an interest in these roles, eliminating the need for new hires. However, as your facility expands, hiring dedicated professionals for these positions can be worth the investment.

Building a Team That Lasts

Hiring the right staff ensures your assisted living facility operates efficiently and provides high-quality care. Creating a nurturing, growth-oriented workplace allows employees to progress from caregiving roles to med tech positions and even into administration. This approach not only supports your team but also strengthens your business, promoting staff retention and cultivating a consistent, caring environment for residents.

With the right team in place, you’re set to provide excellent care and create a positive atmosphere for both your residents and staff. Start with these core roles, and build a team committed to making a difference in the lives of your residents and the success of your facility.

Ready to take the next steps?

For those of you just starting your assisted living investment journey, don't forget to check out our free Business Plan Checklist to ensure you have a comprehensive plan in place as you get started on your journey. Additionally, apply to our Assisted Living Investing Mastermind program to learn more about building a business plan, finding the property, securing funding, obtaining a license, and scaling your business.

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