Structural Requirements

Section 146.610  Structural Requirements a)         General Requirements 1)         Each dementia care unit shall consist of no more than 20 apartments within each dementia care unit located within an existing SLF, attached to an existing SLF or in a free-standing SLF dementia care unit. 2)         Apartments designated for a dementia care unit shall not be located above the second story and shall be contiguous. 3)         Each dementia care unit shall have alarmed doors with delays requiring a resident to hold the push bar for several seconds before opening.  This applies to all doors exiting the dementia care unit. b)         Resident Apartments 1)         Each resident apartment shall have a sink, microwave and refrigerator with a separate freezer compartment. 2)         The use and availability of a sink, microwave and refrigerator in a resident apartment shall be determined based upon individual resident assessment. c)         Dining Areas 1)         The dementia care unit shall have a dining area separate from the dining area of the general population of the SLF.  This provision does not apply to a free-standing SLF dementia care unit. 2)         The dementia care unit shall have a refrigerator for snacks and ice. d)         Common Areas 1)         The dementia care unit shall have at least one common area for every ten residents to provide residents with space for socialization.  The dining room may be used as one of the common areas. 2)         Access to private or public outdoor recreation areas shall be available to residents of the dementia care unit.  Outdoor recreation areas shall be secure. 3)         Common areas shall be available that are separate from those used by the general SLF population. e)         Laundry Rooms Residents in the dementia care unit shall have the use of the SLF resident laundry room with facility staff oversight.