Florida Statutes
Part I - Assisted Living Facilities (Ss. 429.01-429.55)
429.26 - Appropriateness of placements; examinations of residents.

(1) The owner or administrator of a facility is responsible for determining the appropriateness of admission of an individual to the facility and for determining the continued appropriateness of residence of an individual in the facility. A determination must be based upon an evaluation of the strengths, needs, and preferences of the resident, a medical examination, the care and services offered or arranged for by the facility in accordance with facility policy, and any limitations in law or rule related to admission criteria or continued residency for the type of license held by the facility under this part. The following criteria apply to the determination of appropriateness for admission and continued residency of an individual in a facility:
(a) A facility may admit or retain a resident who receives a health care service or treatment that is designed to be provided within a private residential setting if all requirements for providing that service or treatment are met by the facility or a third party.
(b) A facility may admit or retain a resident who requires the use of assistive devices.
(c) A facility may admit or retain an individual receiving hospice services if the arrangement is agreed to by the facility and the resident, additional care is provided by a licensed hospice, and the resident is under the care of a physician who agrees that the physical needs of the resident can be met at the facility. The resident must have a plan of care which delineates how the facility and the hospice will meet the scheduled and unscheduled needs of the resident, including, if applicable, staffing for nursing care.

(d)1. Except for a resident who is receiving hospice services as provided in paragraph (c), a facility may not admit or retain a resident who is bedridden or who requires 24-hour nursing supervision. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “bedridden” means that a resident is confined to a bed because of the inability to:
a. Move, turn, or reposition without total physical assistance;
b. Transfer to a chair or wheelchair without total physical assistance; or
c. Sit safely in a chair or wheelchair without personal assistance or a physical restraint.

2. A resident may continue to reside in a facility if, during residency, he or she is bedridden for no more than 7 consecutive days.
3. If a facility is licensed to provide extended congregate care, a resident may continue to reside in a facility if, during residency, he or she is bedridden for no more than 14 consecutive days.


(2) A resident may not be moved from one facility to another without consultation with and agreement from the resident or, if applicable, the resident’s representative or designee or the resident’s family, guardian, surrogate, or attorney in fact. In the case of a resident who has been placed by the department or the Department of Children and Families, the administrator must notify the appropriate contact person in the applicable department.
(3) A physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who is employed by an assisted living facility to provide an initial examination for admission purposes may not have financial interests in the facility.
(4) Persons licensed under part I of chapter 464 who are employed by or under contract with a facility shall, on a routine basis or at least monthly, perform a nursing assessment of the residents for whom they are providing nursing services ordered by a physician, except administration of medication, and shall document such assessment, including any substantial changes in a resident’s status which may necessitate relocation to a nursing home, hospital, or specialized health care facility. Such records shall be maintained in the facility for inspection by the agency and shall be forwarded to the resident’s case manager, if applicable.
(5) Each resident must have been examined by a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant, or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse within 60 days before admission to the facility or within 30 days after admission to the facility, except as provided in s. 429.07. The information from the medical examination must be recorded on the practitioner’s form or on a form adopted by agency rule. The medical examination form, signed only by the practitioner, must be submitted to the owner or administrator of the facility, who shall use the information contained therein to assist in the determination of the appropriateness of the resident’s admission to or continued residency in the facility. The medical examination form may only be used to record the practitioner’s direct observation of the patient at the time of examination and must include the patient’s medical history. Such form does not guarantee admission to, continued residency in, or the delivery of services at the facility and must be used only as an informative tool to assist in the determination of the appropriateness of the resident’s admission to or continued residency in the facility. The medical examination form, reflecting the resident’s condition on the date the examination is performed, becomes a permanent part of the facility’s record of the resident and must be made available to the agency during inspection or upon request. An assessment that has been completed through the Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES) Program fulfills the requirements for a medical examination under this subsection and s. 429.07(3)(b)6.
(6) Any resident accepted in a facility and placed by the Department of Children and Families must have been examined by medical personnel within 30 days before placement in the facility. The examination must include an assessment of the appropriateness of placement in a facility. The findings of this examination must be recorded on the examination form provided by the agency. The completed form must accompany the resident and be submitted to the facility owner or administrator. Additionally, in the case of a mental health resident, the Department of Children and Families must provide documentation that the individual has been assessed by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, or psychiatric nurse, or an individual who is supervised by one of these professionals, and determined to be appropriate to reside in an assisted living facility. The documentation must be in the facility within 30 days after the mental health resident has been admitted to the facility. An evaluation completed upon discharge from a state mental hospital meets the requirements of this subsection related to appropriateness for placement as a mental health resident provided that it was completed within 90 days prior to admission to the facility. The Department of Children and Families shall provide to the facility administrator any information about the resident which would help the administrator meet his or her responsibilities under subsection (1). Further, Department of Children and Families personnel shall explain to the facility operator any special needs of the resident and advise the operator whom to call should problems arise. The Department of Children and Families shall advise and assist the facility administrator when the special needs of residents who are recipients of optional state supplementation require such assistance.
(7) The facility shall notify a licensed physician when a resident exhibits signs of dementia or cognitive impairment or has a change of condition in order to rule out the presence of an underlying physiological condition that may be contributing to such dementia or impairment. The notification must occur within 30 days after the acknowledgment of such signs by facility staff. If an underlying condition is determined to exist, the facility must notify the resident’s representative or designee of the need for health care services and must assist in making appointments for the necessary care and services to treat the condition. If the resident does not have a representative or designee or if the resident’s representative or designee cannot be located or is unresponsive, the facility shall arrange with the appropriate health care provider for the necessary care and services to treat the condition.
(8) The Department of Children and Families may require an examination for supplemental security income and optional state supplementation recipients residing in facilities at any time and shall provide the examination whenever a resident’s condition requires it. Any facility administrator; personnel of the agency, the department, or the Department of Children and Families; or a representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program who believes a resident needs to be evaluated shall notify the resident’s case manager, who shall take appropriate action. A report of the examination findings must be provided to the resident’s case manager and the facility administrator to help the administrator meet his or her responsibilities under subsection (1).
(9) Facilities licensed to provide extended congregate care services shall promote aging in place by determining appropriateness of continued residency based on a comprehensive review of the resident’s physical and functional status; the ability of the facility, family members, friends, or any other pertinent individuals or agencies to provide the care and services required; and documentation that a written service plan consistent with facility policy has been developed and implemented to ensure that the resident’s needs and preferences are addressed.
History.—ss. 12, 30, ch. 80-198; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 53, 75, 79, 83, ch. 83-181; s. 53, ch. 83-218; s. 6, ch. 85-145; s. 11, ch. 87-371; s. 19, ch. 89-294; s. 17, ch. 91-263; ss. 21, 38, 39, ch. 93-216; s. 776, ch. 95-148; s. 15, ch. 95-210; ss. 25, 49, ch. 95-418; s. 39, ch. 96-169; s. 5, ch. 97-82; s. 215, ch. 99-13; s. 101, ch. 2000-318; s. 75, ch. 2000-349; s. 37, ch. 2001-45; s. 61, ch. 2002-1; ss. 2, 49, ch. 2006-197; s. 153, ch. 2007-230; s. 64, ch. 2009-223; s. 248, ch. 2014-19; s. 36, ch. 2015-31; s. 8, ch. 2020-68.
Note.—Former s. 400.426.

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