Now Fully Accredited

In May 2008, Cascade Manor received the wonderful news that it is now fully accredited by the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC). Founded in 1985, the CCAC is the nation’s only accrediting body for continuing care retirement communities and other retirement communities that meet or exceed its standards of excellence in three critical areas: governance and administration; financial resources and disclosure; and resident life, health, and wellness.

Accreditation is a rigorous voluntary process involving self-evaluation by the organization’s staff, residents, and Board of Directors. It also entails a meticulous on-site review by trained CCAC evaluators.

Why Accreditation Is Important

The CCAC’s accreditation program is based on the belief that accreditation promotes and maintains quality and integrity in the retirement community industry. According to the CCAC itself, “CCAC accreditation is widely regarded as a ‘seal of approval’ for retirement communities that meet industry-generated standards of excellence.”

Accreditation is important for several reasons. First, accreditation ensures the public that the accommodations and services offered by the retirement community are of the highest quality. Second, it demonstrates that the retirement community has a genuine interest in continuous self-evaluation and self-improvement. Being initially accredited is only the beginning--once a community is accredited, it must submit annual financial and progress reports to the CCAC, proving ongoing compliance with CCAC standards. After five years of full compliance, the community must seek re-accreditation and go through the entire evaluation process again. Since the process takes almost a full year, the community will begin the re-accreditation self-assessment application during the fourth year of the cycle.

One of the benefits of accreditation is giving the public a basis for comparison when evaluating different retirement communities. Seniors and their families can rest assured that those communities granted CCAC accreditation have demonstrated excellence, integrity, accountability, and responsibility in all areas of operation.

To learn more about CCAC accreditation, you can visit the organization’s comprehensive website at www.carf.org/aging.