A RALF or a certified family home?

What is the main difference between a RALF and a certified family home in Idaho?

Size and structure: a certified family home cares for one to four adults in the provider's own home, while a RALF is a licensed facility for three or more residents with staff shifts, an administrator and IDHW surveys.

Treasure Valley RALFs range from 6 to 152 beds; 35 of the 90 senior-serving RALFs have 16 beds or fewer, and the median is 37. Certified family homes are smaller still and are not in the RALF search.

Which costs less in Boise, a certified family home or assisted living?

There is no published median for either setting in Boise; both charge room and board, and both can be paid with Idaho Medicaid for eligible residents in homes that accept it, so compare written quotes for the same level of care.

A CFH's smaller household can mean lower overhead; a RALF spreads costs over more residents and may include activities and transportation. Ask what is included in each monthly figure.

Who does better in a certified family home than in a larger RALF?

People who are overwhelmed by crowds, want one consistent caregiver, or need a calm household, as long as they do not need a secured dementia unit or a building with staff awake in every wing.

A larger RALF suits someone who wants activities, a dining room and more people around, or who needs secured beds. Our roster lets you sort RALFs by size, from six-bed homes up.

How are certified family homes and RALFs inspected in Idaho?

RALFs are surveyed by IDHW's RALF team, with results published in the facility search; certified family homes are inspected by IDHW's certifying agents under the CFH program, which runs separately and is not part of the RALF survey search.

For a RALF you can read years of survey dates and results on our facility pages. For a CFH, ask the provider for the most recent certification inspection and any plan of correction, and contact the CFH program at cfhcc@dhw.idaho.gov with questions about a specific home.

What questions should we ask a certified family home provider in the Treasure Valley?

Ask who lives in the home, who covers nights and days off, how the plan of service is written and updated, and what happens if your parent's needs outgrow the home.

• How many residents live there now, and what are their care needs?
• Who is the backup caregiver, and are they trained and background checked?
• Is the monthly room and board charge in writing, and what does it include?
• Does the provider accept Idaho Medicaid for care if savings run out?