A Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC) offers independent apartment units, not shared rooms, where residents receive room and board, personal care, and nursing services -- up to 28 hours per week of supportive care per resident, a materially higher ceiling than a CBRF's 3 hours. Both are licensed/certified by the DHS Bureau of Assisted Living.
What this means in practice
The apartment-style, higher-care-hour structure of an RCAC makes it a common fit for a resident who wants more privacy and independence than a CBRF's shared-living model but still needs meaningful hands-on support. Because IRIS, Wisconsin's self-directed Medicaid long-term-care program, specifically allows participants to live in an RCAC (but not a CBRF or nursing home), the RCAC-vs-CBRF distinction also has real Medicaid-planning consequences for a family weighing self-directed care. Ask any Milwaukee-area 'assisted living' community directly whether it is licensed as a CBRF or certified as an RCAC -- the marketing language alone often will not tell you.
Related questions
- Does Wisconsin have one 'assisted living license' like some other states?
- What is a CBRF in Wisconsin?
- What is an Adult Family Home (AFH) in Wisconsin?
- Does a Wisconsin nursing home need a different license than assisted living?
- How do I check whether a Milwaukee-area facility's license is current?
- Who licenses and regulates senior care facilities in Wisconsin?
- What happens if I have a complaint about a Milwaukee-area facility's care?
