| Purpose | In 2021, the North Carolina Legislature approved the Adult Care Home Accreditation Pilot Program. The legislature provided funds for up to 150 assisted living communities to participate in this program, which will evaluate the effectiveness of accreditation. This project is important to all assisted living communities; it is evaluating the effectiveness of an accreditation process to improve care and outcomes that could inform future changes to the licensure process and requirements. |
What Is Involved?
One-half of the invited communities have been randomly selected to participate in the accreditation process at no charge. The other half of communities serve as a comparison group and will be provided reduced fees for accreditation at a later date.
The Pilot Program is being evaluated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). All communities are compensated for compiling benchmark information on a regular basis. All information is strictly confidential, overseen by the rigorous procedures of UNC.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation indicates that an organization meets a defined standard of quality based on external review. Simply stated, it is a quality assurance and performance improvement process, and in hospitals and other settings, evidence indicates that compliance with accreditation standards leads to improved care.
For the Adult Care Home Accreditation Pilot Program, accreditation indicates that assisted living communities meet standards set by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), which also accredits acute care hospitals, home health agencies, hospice programs, and other organizations.