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© Chicago Methodist Senior Services 2023
If you’re comparing senior care options, how can you know which communities are actually committed to providing the best care possible? Look for one that has gone through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation process.
CARF, an internationally-recognized nonprofit health and human services accreditor, surveys organizations with offerings ranging from rehabilitation programs to assisted living. Organizations elect to become CARF accredited, on top of completing required state and federal surveys.
To meet CARF accreditation standards of care, an organization must prove they provide excellent programs and services. Once accredited, an organization must maintain those standards of care and improve them over time.
CARF accreditation represents the highest level of accreditation that an organization can receive. Its standards ensure accredited organizations provide the best possible care, so people like you can trust that an organization has been reviewed with high standards in mind. Accredited communities are committed to putting the people in their care first, and work hard every day to improve their quality of care and services.
The CARF accreditation process takes time. CARF representatives visit each organization in person, and reviews everything from leadership to meal options. They even look into reviews from people who have received care there. Then, CARF shares a report highlighting a community’s strengths, and offers suggestions for places it can improve. Once a community passes CARF’s in-person review, it receives CARF’s seal of approval.
After earning this accreditation, organizations must work to maintain it. Accredited senior care communities must submit regular reports to CARF showing how they plan to make their services even better.
Accredited communities are committed to improving their care and helping people who live there feel their best. Some senior care organizations, like CMSS, have several communities. If they want all communities to be accredited, each location must receive CARF accreditation.
When you choose an accredited community, you can feel confident knowing:
At CMSS, everyone is committed to improving quality of life for older adults. That’s why we pursued CARF accreditation starting in 2007. Our accreditation was most recently renewed in 2017 for another three years.
Not all senior care providers are CARF-accredited communities. At CMSS, not one, but all three of our communities are CARF-accredited. To us, CARF accreditation means more than meeting CARF’s standards. It’s a testament to the quality of care every staff member and caregiver is committed to providing every resident, every day.
At CMSS, staff are always thinking of ways to show our commitment to our CARF accreditation by enhancing our programs. We recently created several new art therapy programs for residents, such as an art history lecture series. In 2017, we trained staff with Embodied Labs’ innovative virtual reality technology. This training helped staff get a better understanding of how to care for people with memory loss, vision impairment and hearing loss. CARF noticed these new programs, and gave CMSS’ communities exceptional reviews on our most recent evaluation.
To get a sense of what a CARF-accredited community is like, book a tour to visit our campus in the heart of Andersonville.
Email us at info@cmsschicago.org or sign up for emails:
© Chicago Methodist Senior Services 2023