La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-6889 - Resident Dining and Common Areas

A. The ARCP shall provide common areas to allow residents the opportunity for socialization. Common areas shall not be confined to a single room.

B. The ARCP shall meet the following requirements for resident dining and common areas.

1. The common areas shall be maintained to provide a clean, safe and attractive environment for the residents.

2. Each ARCP shall have dining room and common areas easily accessible to all residents.

3. Dining rooms and common areas shall be available for use by residents at appropriate times to provide periods of social diversion and individual or group activities.

4. Common areas and dining rooms shall not be used as bedrooms.

C. Square Footage. Square footage requirements for common areas and dining room(s) are as follows.

1. Common areas shall be separate from the dining room with a combined total square footage of at least 60 square feet per resident as based on licensed capacity. Common areas do not include corridors and lobby areas for the purposes of calculation.

2. The ARCP shall have at least 20 square feet of designated dining space per resident if dining will be conducted in one seating. If dining will be conducted in two seatings, 10 square feet per resident will be required. ARCPs will document their dining seating plan, and maintain the documentation for review by the department.

D. Residents of the ARCP shall have access to the outdoors for recreational use. The parking lot shall not double as recreational space.

E. If the ARCP accepts residents that have dementia or cognitive impairments that make it unsafe for them to leave the building or grounds without supervision, an enclosed area shall be provided adjacent to the ARCP so that such residents may go outside safely.

F. With the exception of level 1 ARCPs, the ARCP shall provide public restrooms of sufficient number and location to serve residents and visitors. Public restrooms shall be located close enough to common areas to allow residents to participate comfortably in activities and social opportunities.

G. For every 40 residents, there shall be, at a minimum, one dedicated telephone available for use in common areas when a telephone line is not provided in each apartment.

1. The telephone shall allow unlimited local calling without charge.

2. Long distance calling shall be possible at the expense of the resident or the residents representative via personal calling card, pre-paid telephone card, or similar methods.

3. The telephone shall be located away from frequently used areas so that residents shall be able to make telephone calls in an at least auditory privacy.

H. In ARCPs housing residents in more than one building, covered walkways with accessible ramps are required for buildings that house residents and areas intended for resident use, such as laundry facilities, dining rooms or common areas.

I. An ARCP shall not share common living, or dining space with another entity licensed to care for individuals on a 24-hour basis.

J. Space used for administration, sleeping, or passage shall not be considered as dining or common areas.

K. Adult Residential Care Providers in Shared Businesses

1. Physical and Programmatic Separation. If more than one business occupies the same building, premises, or physical location, the ARCP shall be both physically and programmatically distinct from the business to which it is attached or of which it is a part. ARCPs shall comply with R.S. 40:2007.

2. Entrance. If more than one business occupies the same building, premises, or physical location, the ARCP shall have its own entrance. This separate entrance shall have appropriate signage and shall be clearly identifiable as belonging to the ARCP.

3. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a health care provider occupying the same building, premises, or physical location as another health care provider from utilizing the entrance, hallways, stairs, elevators, or escalators of another health care provider to provide access to its separate entrance.

Notes

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-6889

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 41:1115 (June 2015), Amended by the Department of Health, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 471506 (10/1/2021).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and R.S. 40:2166.1-2166.8.