California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF)

Founded in 1950, the California Association of Health Facilities is a non-profit trade association representing skilled-nursing facilities and intermediate-care facilities for people with intellectual disabilities. It is dedicated to providing quality care for the frail, elderly, intellectually disabled and those with chronic mental illness.

CAHF is the largest provider of continuing education for long-term care providers in California, representing 900 skilled nursing facilities and 420 intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Serving 350,000 individuals each year, skilled nursing providers are directly responsible for more than 139,000 jobs and $5.3 billion in wages and benefits to long-term care employees.

History:
CAHF began in January 1950 as the California Association of Nursing Homes, Sanitariums, Rest Homes, and Homes for the Aged, or CANH, pronounced “can.” It was an era of long-term care virtually unrecognizable to modern caregivers. But from the earliest “mom and pop” nursing homes – and in the beginning they literally were homes – one theme has remained constant.

“There had to be caring,” said Louise Broderick, who began her long-term career in 1946 and went on to be president of CANH from 1962-1964. “If you care for people, you have to care from the heart every day. You take care of people and develop a reputation for quality.”