Current through Rules and Regulations filed through September 23, 2024
(1) An assisted living community shall be designed, constructed, arranged, and maintained so as to provide for all of the following:
(a) health, safety, and well-being of the residents;
(b) independence, privacy and dignity of the residents; and
(c) safe access of all residents with varying degrees of functional impairments to living, dining and activity areas within the assisted living community.
(2) An assisted living community which undergoes major structural renovation or is first constructed after the effective date of these rules must be designed and constructed in compliance with applicable state and local building and fire codes.
(3) The assisted living community must have handrails, doorways and corridors which accommodate mobility devices, such as walkers, wheel chairs and crutches or canes as the residents may require for their safety.
(4) Assisted living communities serving persons dependent upon wheelchairs for mobility must provide at least two (2) exits from the community which are remote from each other and wheelchair accessible.
(5)
Common Areas. The assisted living community must have common areas which meet the following requirements:
(a) The assisted living community must have separate and distinct living room(s) which are conveniently located within easy walking distance of each resident's private living space, available for the residents' informal use at any time and not requiring any resident to leave the building to use.
(b) The assisted living community must have living rooms large enough to accommodate the residents without crowding. The rooms must be comfortably and attractively furnished.
(c) The assisted living community must have areas in the community for use by residents and visitors which afford them privacy.
(d) The assisted living community must have a kitchen and a comfortable dining area which are properly equipped and adequate in size for the number of residents being served.
(e) All stairways and ramps must have sturdy and securely fastened handrails, not less than 30 inches nor more than 34 inches above the center of the tread. Exterior stairways, decks and porches must have handrails on the open sides.
(f) Floor coverings must be intact and securely fastened to the floor and free of hazards that might cause tripping.
(g) All areas of the assisted living community, including hallways and stairs must provide sufficient ambient lighting such that the residents may move about safely and objects may be easily observed by the residents. In addition, appropriate task lighting necessary for more visually demanding activities such as reading, knitting or preparing food must also be provided for resident use.
(h) The assisted living community must provide laundering facilities on the premises for residents' personal laundry.
(i) An assisted living community which provides laundry services for the residents must have a storage area that is used for clean laundry that is separate from the dirty laundry.
(j) Common areas, such as living, dining, activity, laundry or other multi-purpose rooms, or hallways must not be used as sleeping accommodations for residents, family or staff.
(6)
Bedrooms or Private Living Spaces. The assisted living community must have bedrooms or private living spaces for the residents which meet the following requirements:
(a) Bedrooms or private living spaces assigned to individual residents must have at least 80 square feet of usable floor space per resident with no more than two residents sharing the private living space. Usable floor space is defined as that floor space under a ceiling at least seven feet in height. However, licensed personal care homes approved prior to or on February 6, 1981 to operate with bedrooms with a minimum of 70 square feet of usable floor space per resident which have continuously operated since that date seeking licensure as assisted living communities, may continue to use the minimum 70 square feet standard. Where an assisted living community operating under this exception has its permit revoked, changes ownership, changes location, or undergoes extensive renovations, or for any other reason surrenders its permit, this exception regarding the minimum square footage is no longer available.
(b) The resident's private living space must be self-contained and separated from halls, corridors and other rooms by floor to ceiling walls and must not be used as a passageway or corridor by others to access other parts of the assisted living community.
(c) The resident's private living space must have at least one window opening through an exterior wall of the assisted living community.
(d) Each sleeping room must have a secondary exit. This secondary exit may be a door or a window usable for escape.
(e) A room must not be used as a bedroom or private living space where more than one-half the room height is below ground level. Bedrooms or private living spaces which are partially below ground level must have adequate natural light and ventilation and have two useful means of egress. Control of dampness must be assured.
(f) Doorways of bedrooms or private living spaces occupied by residents must be equipped with side-hinged permanently mounted doors equipped with positively latching hardware which will insure opening of the door by a single motion, such as turning a knob or by pressing with normal strength on a latch. For bedrooms or private living spaces which have locks on doors, both the occupant and staff must be provided with keys to assure easy entry and exit.
(7)
Bathing and Toileting Facilities. The assisted living community must provide bathing and toileting facilities that meet the accessibility needs of the residents and the following requirements:
(a) At least one toilet and lavatory must be provided for each four residents' use based on the licensed capacity of the assisted living community.
(b) At least one bathing or showering facility must be provided for each eight residents based on the licensed capacity of the assisted living community. Assisted living communities serving residents who are dependent on wheel chairs or walkers, for mobility must have fully accessible bathrooms available for these residents.
(c) There must be at least one toilet and lavatory provided on each floor where residents have bedrooms.
(d) There must be a separate toilet and lavatory for the staff's use that is not counted in the minimum ratio of toilets and lavatories required for residents.
(e) Grab bars and nonskid surfacing or strips must be properly installed in all showers and bath areas.
(f) Bathrooms and toilet facilities must have working exhaust fans vented to the outside or windows that are screened and open to the outside easily.
(g) Toilets, bathtubs and showers must provide for individual privacy.
(8)
Electrical Inspection. An applicant to operate an assisted living community must submit evidence of a satisfactory inspection of the electrical service of the assisted living community by a qualified electrician within no more than six months prior to the date of filing the application for a permit However, where the applicant holds a personal care home permit for the premises at the time of the application to become an assisted living community, no new electrical inspection is required unless renovation or repair work has been done since the last electrical inspection. Electrical service must be maintained in a safe condition at all times. The Department may require a re-inspection of the electrical service at any time renovation or repair work is done in the assisted living community or there is a request for a change in capacity or there is reason to believe that a risk to residents exists.
(9)
Fire Safety. The assisted living community must have an effective fire safety program for the benefit of the residents which takes into account the unique needs of the residents being served.
(a) The assisted living community must comply with applicable fire and safety rules published by the Office of the Safety Fire Commissioner.
(b) The assisted living community must comply with applicable local ordinances that specifically address fire safety.
(c) The assisted living community is required to obtain a repeat fire safety inspection if at any time the physical plant undergoes substantial repair, renovation or additions.
(d) Where the Department has reason to believe, based on the number of residents requiring assisted self-preservation and staffing patterns that an assisted living community may not be able to evacuate all of the residents to a designated point of safety within an established period of time as determined by the Office of the Safety Fire Commissioner, the Department may either require the assisted living community to conduct an immediate fire safety drill or make a referral for a new compliance determination to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.
(10)
Water and Sewage. The assisted living community's water and sewage systems must meet applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
(11)
Outdoor Spaces. Assisted living communities must provide or have conveniently located access to outdoor spaces for the use of the residents and access to parking spaces for the use of residents and visitors. Such outdoor spaces may include solaria, porches, balconies, roof decks, gardens or patios.
Ga. O.C.G.A. §§
31-2-7, 31-2-8, 31-7-1, et seq.
