10A NCAC 13D .3201. REQUIRED SPACES

(a)  In a facility, the floor area of a single bedroom shall not be less than 100 square feet and the floor area of a room for more than one bed shall not be less than 80 square feet per bed. The 80 square feet and 100 square feet requirements shall be exclusive of closets, toilet rooms, vestibules, or wardrobes.  When a designated single room exceeds 159 net square feet in floor area, it shall remain a single bedroom and shall not be used as a multi-bedroom unless approved in advance by the Division as meeting the requirements of G.S. 131E, Article 9.

(b)  The total space set aside for dining, activity, and other common use shall not be less than 25 square feet per bed for a nursing facility and 30 square feet per bed for the adult care home portion of a combination facility. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation space shall not be included in this total.

(c)  In nursing facilities, included in the total square footage required by Paragraph (b) of this Rule, a separate dining area or areas with a minimum of 10 square feet per bed shall be provided and a separate activity area or areas with a minimum of 10 square feet per bed shall be provided.  The remainder of the total required space for dining and activities square footage required by Paragraph (b) of this Rule may be in a separate area or combined with either of the separate dining and activity areas required by this Paragraph.  If a facility is designed with patient and resident household units for 30 or less patients and residents, the dining and activity areas in the household units are not required to be separate.

(d)  In combination facilities, included in the total square footage required by Paragraph (b) of this Rule, a separate dining area or areas with at least 14 square feet per adult care home bed shall be provided. The adult care home dining area or areas may be combined with the nursing facility dining area or areas.  A separate activity area or areas for adult care home beds shall be provided with at least 16 square feet per adult care home bed. The adult care home activity area shall not be combined with the activity area or areas required for nursing beds.

(e)  Dining, activity, and living space shall be designed and equipped to provide accessibility to both patients or residents confined to wheelchairs and ambulatory patients or residents.  Dining, activity, and living areas required by Paragraph (b) of this Rule shall have windows with views to the outside.  The gross window area shall not be less than eight percent of the floor area required for each dining, activity, or living space.

(f)  Closets and storage units for equipment and supplies shall not be included as part of the dining, activity, and living floor space area required by Paragraph (b) of this Rule.

(g)  Outdoor areas for individual and group activities shall be provided and shall be accessible to patients and residents with physical disabilities.

(h)  For nursing beds, separate bedroom closets or wardrobes shall be provided in each bedroom to provide each

occupant with a minimum of 36 cubic feet of clothing storage space at least half of which is for hanging clothes.

(i)  For adult care home beds, separate bedroom closets or wardrobes shall be provided in each bedroom to provide each adult care home resident with a minimum of 48 cubic feet of clothing storage space at least half of which is for hanging clothes.

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

(k)  A toilet room shall be directly accessible from each patient and resident room and from each central bathing area without going through the general corridor.  One toilet room may serve two patient or resident rooms but not more than eight beds.  The lavatory may be omitted from the toilet room if one is provided in each patient and resident room.  One tub or shower shall be provided for each 15 beds not individually served.  For each 120 beds or fraction thereof the following shall be provided:

(1)           at least one bathtub or a manufactured walk-in bathtub or a similar manufactured bathtub designed for easy transfer of patients and residents into the tub.  All bathtubs must be accessible on three sides; and

(2)           a roll-in shower designed and equipped for unobstructed ease of shower chair entry and use.

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

(1)           a medication preparation area with a counter, a sink, a medication refrigerator, eye level medication storage, cabinet storage and a double locked narcotic storage area under the visual control of nursing staff. 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 counter, sink, and storage.  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;

(3)           a soiled utility room with a counter, sink, and storage.  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)           a clean linen storage room;

(7)           a nourishment station in an area enclosed with walls and doors which contains work space, cabinets and refrigerated storage, and a small stove, microwave oven, or hot plate.  If a facility is designed with patient and resident household units, a patient and resident dietary area located within the patient and resident household unit may substitute for the nourishment station.  The patient and resident dietary area shall include cooking equipment, a kitchen sink, refrigerated storage and storage areas and shall be for the use of staff, patients, residents, and families;

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

(9)           a control point with an area for charting patient and resident records, space for storage of emergency equipment and supplies, and nurse-patient call and alarm annunciation systems; and

(10)         a janitor's closet.

(m)  Clean linen storage shall be provided in a separate room from bulk supplies.  Clean linen for nursing units may be stored in closed carts, cabinets in the clean utility room, or a linen closet on the unit floor.

(n)  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.

(o)  Stretcher and wheelchair storage shall be provided.

(p)  Bulk storage shall be provided at the rate of at least five square feet of floor area per licensed bed.  This storage space shall be either in the facility or within 500 feet of the facility on the same site.  This storage space shall be in addition to the other storage space required by this Rule.

(q)  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.

(r)  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;

Eff. January 1, 1996;

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