In collaboration with the Aging and People with Disabilities program of Oregon’s Department of Human Services (DHS), Portland State University’s Institute on Aging conducted this research study of adult foster homes (AFH) throughout the state of Oregon. The Oregon legislature appropriated funds for DHS to collect information from these community-based care providers that will allow DHS, providers, and the public to better understand resident characteristics and adult foster home services.

This report summarizes findings from the first state-wide survey of licensed adult foster homes in Oregon. The survey goals were to:

• describe resident health-related needs, service use, and demographic characteristics;
• describe AFH provider characteristics (e.g., number of years as a provider, professional training);
• describe adult foster homes (e.g., occupancy, monthly charges, staffing); and
• provide a baseline for future surveys.

In addition, this information about AFHs can be compared to the recently completed summary of assisted living, residential care, and memory care facilities completed by Portland State University’s Institute on Aging. Both surveys, along with a report that summarizes characteristics of Medicaid clients based on data provided by DHS and a report recently completed by Oregon State University on nursing facilities in Oregon, provide an important overview of community-based care settings in Oregon that can be used by policymakers, providers, and consumers.