CARF-CCAC Accreditation in a Mark of Excellence

Homestead Village is one of the few Life Plan Communities (formerly known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or, CCRC’s) in Lancaster County that is CARF-Accredited. According to carf.org, “CARF accreditation signals a service provider’s commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback, and serving the community.”  CARF helps communities like Homestead Village meet their goals of providing the highest quality services, programming, and communities.  

Homestead Village has proudly been accredited by CARF for twenty years.  Like Homestead, CARF is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing the quality of services for the best possible outcomes. Providers that meet CARF standards have demonstrated a commitment to being among the best available.

Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services.  in the following areas:

• Aging Services
• Behavioral Health
• Child and Youth Services
• Employment and Community Services
• Vision Rehabilitation Services
• Medical Rehabilitation
• Opioid Treatment Program

The CARF International group of companies currently accredits more than 60,000 programs and services at over 28,000 locations. More than 15.3 million persons of all ages are served annually by 8,000-plus CARF-accredited service providers. CARF accreditation extends to countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.  

The CARF accreditation process includes an onsite survey every five years.  Homestead Village expects our next onsite survey in the fall of 2022. One of the key components of the CARF survey process is to ensure that residents are the central focus of the organization. At Homestead Village, this is demonstrated visually on the organizational chart that shows residents at the center and all of the staff and departments surrounding them. But in more material ways—another way that Homestead Village puts residents at the center is by gathering their input and expertise to improve daily and strategic operations. 

The following are just some examples of the numerous ways that Homestead Village gathers input from our Residents! 

Service on the Board of Directors

Not one—but FIVE residents hold active, voting positions on the 2022 Board of Directors. This leadership team oversees all of the operations and planning of Homestead Village. 

Resident Surveys

Surveys are held annually to gather feedback from every residential independent living household, as well as apartment residents enrolled in personal care. This year, the survey was distributed via a Google platform to make it easy for everyone to participate and also easier to tally results. Of course, paper surveys were available to residents by request.  

Resident Forums

Resident forums are held monthly to allow family members of residents receiving supportive care services to learn about current programming as well as ask questions and provide feedback. 

Resident Council

Numerous residents serve on Homestead Village’s resident council. This group of residents has the opportunity to hear resident comments and concerns and communicate directly with Homestead’s leadership team.  

Resident Committees 

From safety and accessibility to dining to wellness, there are a wide variety of resident committees that gather input and strive to make improvements around campus when and where they are needed. 

Care Conferences

These meetings are typically held between individual residents, their families, and our care services team members. Due to their personal nature, it’s a great way to have open and honest discussions about residents’ wishes and best ways to meet residents’ needs. 

Suggestion Boxes

Do not underestimate this simple strategy. The suggestion box is an easy and anonymous way to send a message about something that needs to be improved, or celebrate a success. Suggestions are reviewed weekly and recorded in a notebook with notes as to how the suggestion was resolved. 

What Do Residents Have to Say?

The resident surveys say it all! Over 95% of Residents are thrilled to call Homestead Village their home and would recommend it to their friends and family. And, while there’s always room for improvement—we are blessed to have such a caring, supportive, and resident-centered community. 

FAQs

What does it mean to be CARF accredited?

In order to be a CARF accredited program or service, one of the key components is to ensure that residents are the central focus of the organization. 

What is CARF International?

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services in the following areas:

• Aging Services
• Behavioral Health
• Child and Youth Services
• Employment and Community Services
• Vision Rehabilitation Services
• Medical Rehabilitation
• Opioid Treatment Program

What is a CARF-Accredited CCRC near me?

Homestead Village is one of the few CCRC’s in Lancaster County.