Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department
Inspections Division
Chapter 60 - Minimum Physical Standards for Residential Care Facilities
Rule 481-60.8 - Sleeping, Bathing, and Medication Rooms

Universal Citation: IA Admin Code 481-60.8

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 6, September 18, 2024

(1) Facilities shall have a medication room that is well-lighted and has the following: (III)

a. A drug cabinet;

b. A work counter;

c. Refrigerator storage;

d. A chest or compartment with a lock for storage of Schedule II drugs as defined by Iowa Code chapter 124; and

e. A sink.

(2) Facilities licensed for 15 beds or fewer need not have a medication room, but shall have space for the appropriate preparation and storage of medication, including locked medication storage as required in subrule 60.8(1).

(3) Resident rooms shall meet the following minimum requirements:

a. Bedrooms shall open directly into a corridor or common living area and shall not be used as a thoroughfare. (III)

b. The minimum room area, exclusive of closets, toilet rooms, lockers, wardrobes, vestibules, and corridor door swings, shall be 100 square feet in one-bed rooms and 80 square feet per bed in multibed rooms. Usable floor space of a room shall be no less than 8 feet in any major dimension.

c. Each resident room shall be provided with light by means of a window or windows with a net glass area equal to 10 percent of the total floor area. The window sill shall not be higher than 3 feet above the floor.

d. There shall be a wardrobe, closet, or chest of drawers in each resident's room to provide sufficient storage for clothing and personal belongings. Where a closet is shared, segregated portions shall be established. Each wardrobe and closet in each resident room shall have a door. (III)

e. No bedroom shall be located so that its floor will be more than 30 inches below the adjacent grade level. (III)

f. Fixtures or storage shall be provided to hold individual towels and washcloths. (III)

g. No part of any room shall be enclosed, subdivided, or partitioned unless such part is separately lighted and ventilated and meets other requirements its usage and occupancy dictate, except closets used for the storage of resident's clothing. (III)

h. Rooms in which beds are erected shall not be used for purposes other than bedrooms. (III)

i. Each resident bedroom shall have a door. The door shall be the swing type and shall swing in, unless fully recessed. (III)

j. Multibed rooms shall be designed to permit no more than two beds, side-by-side, parallel to the window wall. (III)

k. Each resident bedroom shall be so designed that the head of the bed shall not be in front of a window or a heat register or radiator. (III)

l. One sink shall be provided in each resident room. The sink may be omitted from a room when a sink is located in an adjoining toilet room which serves that room. (III)

m. Multibed rooms shall provide full visual privacy for each resident. (III)

(4) Each resident toilet room shall be adjacent to the resident rooms. Jack and Jill-style toilet rooms are not permitted in new constructions or renovations.

(5) Central bathing.

a. Minimum numbers of toilets in bathing facilities shall be one sink and one toilet for each 10 residents, and one tub or shower for each 15 residents or fraction thereof. For facilities licensed for 15 beds or fewer, one bathing unit shall be provided for each five residents.

b. There shall be a minimum of one bathroom with tub or shower, toilet, and sink on each floor that has resident bedrooms in multistory buildings. (III)

c. Separate toilets for genders shall be provided. (III)

d. Privacy for dressing and bathing shall be provided in central bathrooms. (III)

e. All bathrooms shall have mechanical ventilation. (III)

f. Each bathroom shall have a toilet and a sink. (III)

g. Toilet and bathing facilities shall not open directly into food preparation areas. (III)

h. Central bathing areas shall have a swinging door that swings into the bathroom. (III)

i. Soap holders shall be provided in showers and bathtubs. (III)

j. Raised toilet seats shall be available for residents as needed. (III)

k. In facilities where the total occupancy of family, employees, and residents is more than five, separate bathing and toilet facilities shall be required for the family or employees distinct from such areas provided for residents. (III)

l. Bathtubs or showers shall be equipped with screwdriver stop valves in the water supply system. (III)

m. The temperature of the hot water to the resident sinks, bath, and showers shall range between 110° Fahrenheit and 120° Fahrenheit.

(6) A soiled workroom, work counter, waste and soiled linen receptacles, and a two-compartment sink shall be provided. (III) One compartment of the double sink shall be a minimum of 10 inches deep for cleaning and sanitizing equipment. (III)

(7) Enclosed clean linen storage, separate from the clean workroom. (III)

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Iowa may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.