SECTION .3200 ‑ FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

10A NCAC 13D .3201 REQUIRED SPACES

(a) A facility shall meet the following requirements for bedrooms:

(1) single bedrooms shall be provided with not less than 100 square feet of floor area;

(2) bedrooms with more than one bed shall be provided with not less than 80 square feet of floor area per bed;

(3) bedrooms shall have windows with views to the outdoors. The gross window area shall not be less than eight percent of the bedroom floor area required by Subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this Paragraph;

(4) each bedroom shall be provided with one closet or wardrobe per bed. In nursing facilities and the nursing home portion of combination facilities, the closet or wardrobe shall have clothing storage space of not less than 36 cubic feet per bed with one-half of this space for hanging clothes. In the adult care home portion of a combination facility, the closet or wardrobe shall have clothing storage space of not less than 48 cubic feet per bed with one-half of this space for hanging clothes; and

(5) floor space for closets, toilet rooms, vestibules, or wardrobes shall not be included in the areas required by this Subparagraph.

(b) A facility shall meet the following requirements for dining, activity, and common use areas:

(1) nursing facilities and the nursing home portion of combination facilities shall have:

(A) a separate area or areas set aside for dining, measuring not less than 10 square feet per bed;

(B) a separate area or areas set aside for activities, measuring not less than 10 square feet per bed; and

(C) an additional dining, activity and common use area or areas, measuring not less than five square feet per bed. This area may be in a separate area or combined with the separate dining and activity areas required by Part (A) and (B) of this Subparagraph.

(2) the adult care home portion of combination facilities shall have:

(A) a separate area or areas set aside for dining, measuring not less than 14 square feet per bed; and

(B) a separate area or areas set aside for activities, measuring not less than 16 square feet per bed.

(3) the dining room area or areas required by this Paragraph may be combined.

(4) the activity area or areas in nursing facilities and the nursing home portion of combination facilities shall not be combined with the activity area or areas in the adult care home portion of combination facilities.

(5) floor space for physical, occupational, and rehabilitation therapy shall not be included in the areas required by this Paragraph. Closets and storage units for equipment and supplies shall not be included in the areas required by this Paragraph.

(6) dining, activity, and common use areas shall be designed and equipped to provide accessibility to both patients and residents confined to wheelchairs and ambulatory patients or residents.

(7) dining, activity, and common use areas required by this Paragraph shall have windows with views to the outdoors. The gross window area shall not be less than eight percent of the required floor area required by Subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this Paragraph.

(8) for facilities designed with household units for 30 or fewer patients or residents, the dining and activity areas may be combined.

(c) Outdoor areas for individual and group activities shall be provided and shall be accessible to patients and residents with physical disabilities. In the adult care portion of a combination facility, a nursing unit with a control mechanism and staff procedures as required by Rule .3404(f) of this Subchapter shall have direct access to an outdoor area.

(d) Some means for patients and residents to lock personal articles within the facility shall be provided.

(e) A facility shall meet the following requirements for toilet rooms, tubs, showers, and central bathing areas:

(1) a toilet room shall contain a toilet and lavatory. If a lavatory is provided in each bedroom, the toilet room is not required to have a lavatory.

(2) a toilet room shall be accessible from each bedroom without going through the general corridor.

(3) one toilet room may serve two bedrooms, but not more than eight beds.

(4) one tub or shower shall be provided for each 15 beds not individually served by a tub or shower.

(5) for each 120 beds or fraction thereof, a central bathing area shall be provided with the following:

(A) a bathtub or a manufactured walk-in bathtub or a similar manufactured bathtub designed for easy transfer of patients and residents into the tub. Bathtubs shall be accessible on three sides. Manufactured walk-in bathtubs or a similar manufactured bathtubs shall be accessible on two sides;

(B) a roll-in shower designed and equipped for unobstructed ease of shower chair entry and use. If a bathroom with a roll-in shower designed and equipped for unobstructed ease of shower chair entry adjoins each bedroom in the facility, the central bathing area is not required to have a roll-in shower;

(D) a cubicle curtain enclosing the toilet, tub, and shower. A closed cubicle curtain at one of these plumbing fixtures shall not restrict access to the other plumbing fixtures.

(f) For each nursing unit, or fraction thereof on each floor, the following shall be provided:

(1) a medication preparation area with:

(A) a counter;

(B) a double locked narcotic storage area under the visual control of nursing staff;

(D) eye-level medication storage;

(E) cabinet storage; and

(F) a sink. The sink shall be trimmed with valves that can be operated without hands. If the sink is equipped with blade handles, the blade handles shall not be less than four and one half inches in length. The sink water spout shall be mounted so that its discharge point is a minimum of 10 inches above the bottom of the sink basin;

(2) a clean utility room with:

(A) a counter;

(B) storage; and

(3) a soiled utility room with:

(A) a counter;

(B) storage; and

(C) a sink. The sink shall be trimmed with valves that can be operated without hands. If the sink is equipped with blade handles, the blade handles shall not be less than four and one half inches in length. The sink water spout shall be mounted so that its discharge point is a minimum of 10 inches above the bottom of the sink basin. The soiled utility room shall be equipped for the cleaning and sanitizing of bedpans as required by 15A NCAC 18A .1312 Toilet: Handwashing: Laundry: And Bathing Facilities;

(4) a nurses' toilet and locker space for personal belongings;

(5) a soiled linen storage room. If the soiled linen storage room is combined with the soiled utility room, a separate soiled linen storage room is not required;

(6) clean linen storage provided in one or more of the following:

(A) a separate linen storage room;

(B) cabinets in the clean utility room; or

(7) a nourishment station in an area enclosed with walls and doors with:

(A) work space;

(B) cabinets;

(D) a small stove, microwave, or hot plate;

(8) an audio-visual nurse-patient call system arranged to ensure that a patient's or resident's call in the facility notifies and directs staff to the location where the call was activated;

(9) a control point located no more than 150 feet from the furthest patient or resident bedroom door with:

(A) an area for charting patient and resident records;

(B) space for storage of emergency equipment and supplies; and

(10) a janitor's closet.

(g) If a facility is designed with patient or resident household units, a patient and resident dietary area located within the patient or resident household unit may substitute for the nourishment station. The patient or resident dietary area shall be for the use of staff, patients, residents, and families. The patient or resident dietary area shall contain:

(1) cooking equipment;

(2) a kitchen sink;

(3) refrigerated storage; and

(4) storage areas.

(h) Clean linen storage shall be provided in a separate room from bulk supplies.

(i) The kitchen area and laundry area each shall have a janitor's closet. Administration, occupational and physical therapy, recreation, personal care, and employee areas shall be provided janitor's closets and may share one as a group.

(j) Stretcher and wheelchair storage shall be provided.

(k) The facility shall provide patient and resident storage at the rate of not less than five square feet of floor area per licensed bed. This storage space shall:

(1) be used by patients and residents to store out-of-season clothing and suitcases;

(2) be either in the facility or within 500 feet of the facility on the same site; and

(3) be in addition to the other storage space required by this Rule.

(l) Office space shall be provided for business transactions. Office space shall be provided for persons holding the following positions:

(1) administrator;

(2) director of nursing;

(3) social services director;

(4) activities director; and

(5) physical therapist.

(m) Each combination facility shall provide a minimum of one residential washer and residential dryer in a location accessible by adult care home staff, residents, and residents' families.

History Note: Authority G.S. 131E-104; 42 CFR 483.70;

Eff. January 1, 1996;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2014; October 1, 2008;

Readopted Eff. July 1, 2016;

Amended Eff. October 1, 2016.