Residential care homes (RCH) for seniors and adults with disabilities are licensed facilities that provide 24-hour care which can include care up to nursing home level for seniors and people with disabilities. The facility is most often a single family house located in a residential community with modifications to accommodate the needs of the residents it serves. They are licensed in a variety of ways and are governed by state law involving regulation and inspection by the State of Minnesota, County, and/or local agencies.

Residential care homes are becoming a more popular housing option for adults who need or want to remain in a home like setting but can receive personalized care that meets their needs up to and including rehabilitation services, more intense nursing care and daily assistance with activities of daily living. Some who find residential homes right for them are those who cannot financially afford the one-to-one care provided by in-home care. Some homes specialize in a particular type of care, like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s, or may have more generalized needs including memory care or overall physical frailty.

While the number of residents varies by location the usual range is between 4 and 10 residents per home. Most homes generally offer both private and shared rooms and the home can specialize with all male residents or all female residents or as most are, the home’s residents are mixed by room with male and female residents. Both private and common bathrooms along with common living, dining, and activities areas are found in most homes. Handicap accessibility is pretty standard amongst these homes and is a good feature to seek when touring.

Services covered by the monthly fee generally include utilities, maintenance, housekeeping, laundry, linens, meals and meal assistance, individualized care plans, medication setup, administration and storage, daily care assistance with bathing, skin care, dressing and grooming, as well as ongoing activities and socialization. Other services may include music therapy, massage, spiritual care, hair and spa services, and transportation with some of these requiring an additional fee.

Forms of payment accepted by residential care homes vary by location and type of home and may include private pay, long term care insurance, and waivered services like Elderly Waiver (EW), Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals (CADI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Developmental Disabilities (DD), and Brain Injury (BI) waiver.

A good source for finding information about residential care homes in the Twin Cities area is the Residential Care Providers Network (RCPN) a group of approximately 30 residential homes operating with a common philosophy of care that allows aging-in-place, with more intensive services available as needs progress. RCPN members offer a “hands-on” management approach, often having members of the management team available on-site. For more information about the RCPN please visit www.residentialcare-mn.org.

Matrix opened their first RCH in March of 2014. Located in Burnsville, MN the home is licensed for 6 residents with general, chronic and/or memory care needs. Convenient to major roads the house sits on a quiet cul-de-sac in a wooded residential neighborhood. Two private and one shared room with common bathrooms are on the main level and another shared room which can also be used as an end of life suite is on the lower level. The house has a vaulted ceiling over the living and formal dining areas, a separate informal eating area and a walk-in bathtub.

Matrix currently accepts long term care insurance and private pay residents and has begun the process to provide EW, CADI and BI services as well. Private and shared, male and female rooms are available. For more information please visit our Residential Care Homes page.