10A NCAC 13G .0309      BATHROOM

(a)  Family care homes licensed on or after April 1, 1984, shall have one full bathroom for five or fewer persons, including live-in staff. For the purpose of this Rule, a "full bathroom" is a room containing a sink, toilet, and a bathtub, shower, spa tub, or similar bathing fixture.

(b)  Bathrooms with two or more toilets shall have privacy partitions or curtains for each toilet. Bathtubs, showers, spas, or similar bathing fixtures shall have privacy partitions or curtains. Notwithstanding the requirements of Rule .0301 of this Section, the requirements of this Paragraph shall apply to new and existing facilities.

(c)  Entrances to bathrooms shall not be through a kitchen, another person's bedroom, or another bathroom.

(d)  Residents' bathrooms shall be located so that there is no more than 40 feet from a resident's bedroom door to a resident use bathroom door.

(e)  Toilets, bathtubs, showers, spas, and similar bathing fixtures shall have hand grips meeting the following requirements:

(1)           be mechanically fastened or anchored to the walls;

(2)           be located to help residents in entering and exiting bathtubs, showers, spas, or similar bathing fixtures; and

(3)           be on the wall adjacent to toilets.

(f)  Nonskid surfacing or strips must be installed in bathtubs, showers, spas, and similar bathing fixtures.

(g)  Bathrooms shall meet the following requirements:

(1)           be lighted to provide 30 foot-candles of light at floor level;

(2)           have an exhaust system per the North Carolina State Building Code: Residential Code. Exhaust vents shall vent directly to the outdoors; and

(3)           have floors that are water-resistant and slip-resistant.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 131D-2.16; 143B-165;

Eff. January 1, 1977;

Readopted Eff. October 31, 1977;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2005; July 1, 1990; April 1, 1984;

Recodified from 10A NCAC 13G .0308 Eff. July 1, 2005;

Readopted Eff. April 1, 2025.