Stamford Senior AdvisorWhat is a residential care home in Connecticut?
A residential care home is a DPH-licensed residence that provides a room, meals, supervision and help with daily living and medications to people who do not need nursing care; unlike assisted living, the home itself holds the license and its own staff provide the care.
Families sometimes hear the older names rest home or boarding home. In the state's license data the category appears as a residential care facility (credential type RCH), separate from nursing homes, rest homes with nursing supervision and assisted living services agencies.
How many residential care homes are licensed in Fairfield County?
DPH's license export shows 10 active residential care home licenses in Fairfield County, in Bethel, Bridgeport, Danbury, Greenwich, Norwalk, Shelton, Stamford.
Several share an address with another licensed provider, such as a nursing home or an assisted living agency, which usually means a campus offering more than one level of care. Others are small homes in residential neighborhoods. DPH's export does not include bed counts for residential care homes, so ask each one how many residents it is licensed to serve. The full list is on our residential care home roster.
Who is a good fit for a residential care home?
A residential care home usually fits an older adult who is fairly independent and medically stable but should not live alone: someone who needs meals, reminders, supervision and help with medications, and who wants a smaller household than a large assisted living community.
It is a poor fit for someone who needs regular skilled nursing, two-person transfers or a secured dementia environment. Ask how the home handles a resident who becomes less mobile, what happens after a hospital stay, and whether a visiting nurse or hospice can come in. Residents of residential care homes have the help of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which publishes a guidebook for them.
How do residential care homes get paid?
Most residents pay privately, and some use Social Security, SSI with Connecticut's state supplement, or VA pension to cover the monthly rate; Medicare does not pay for room and board in a residential care home.
Ask whether the home accepts residents who rely on the state supplement, and what the monthly rate includes. Because these homes are small, a vacancy can fill quickly; ask about a waiting list.
At a glance
| A residential care home is | A residential care home is not | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Held by the home itself (DPH residential care facility) | An assisted living services agency license |
| Care | Supervision, meals, daily help and medication help | Nursing care around the clock |
| Public data | License number, status and dates in DPH's export | Published bed counts or inspection reports |
Sources include the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (19-13-D105 and related sections), the Connecticut General Statutes as summarized by the Office of Legislative Research, DPH, DSS and Aging and Disability Services pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
