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Residential Care Facilities |
| Staffed by: | Email Address: |
| Kurt Haas, Bureau Chief |
khaas@gw.odh.state.oh.us |
| Mailing Address: | Telephone and Fax: |
| Bureau of Health Care Standards and Quality Ohio Department of Health P.O. Box 118 Columbus, OH 43266-0118 |
Phone: (614) 752-9524 Fax: (614) 752-4157 |
"Residential care facility" is a home
that provides either of the following:
(a) Accommodations for seventeen or more unrelated
individuals and supervision and personal care services for three or more
of those individuals who are dependent on the services of others by reason
of age or physical or mental impairment;
(b) Accommodations for three or more unrelated
individuals, supervision and personal care services for at least three of
those individuals who are dependent on the services of others by reason
of age or physical or mental impairment, and, to at least one of those individuals
supervision of special diets or application of dressings, or provide for
the administration of medication to residents, to the extent authorized.
A residential care facility may admit or retain
an individual requiring medication, including biologicals, only if the individual's
personal physician has determined in writing that the individual is capable
of self-administering the medication or the facility provides for the medication
to be administered to the individual by a certified home health agency,
a licensed hospice care program, or a member of the staff of the residential
care facility who is qualified to perform medication administration. Medication
may be administered in a residential care facility only by the following
persons authorized by law to administer medication: a registered nurse (RN);
a licensed practical nurse (LPN) who holds proof of successful completion
of a course in medication administration approved by the board of nursing
and who administers the medication only at the direction of a registered
nurse or a physician authorized to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic
medicine and surgery; a physician authorized to practice medicine and surgery
or osteopathic medicine and surgery.
In assisting a resident with self-administration
of medication, any member of the staff of a residential care facility may
remind a resident when to take medication and watch to ensure that the resident
follows the directions on the container; assist a resident by taking the
medication from the locked area where it is stored and handing it to the
resident. If the resident is physically unable to open the contain er, a
staff member may open the container for the resident. If a resident is physically
unable to place a dose of medicine to the resident's mouth without spilling
it, a staff member may place the dose in a container and place the container
to the mouth of the resident.
A residential care facility may admit or retain
individuals who require skilled nursing care beyond the supervision of special
diets, application of dressings, or administration of medication, only if
the care will be provided on a part-time, intermittent basis for not more
than a total of one hundred twenty days in any twelve-month period. Skilled
nursing care may be provided by a certified home health agency, licensed
hospice care program, or a member of the staff of a residential care facility
who is qualified to perform skilled nursing care.
The Bureau of Healthcare Standards and Quality
is responsible for enforcement of the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative
Code rules and laws in about 335 licensed residential care facilities in
Ohio. Each of residential care facilities in Ohio receives at least one
unannounced survey (inspection) during a 9 to 15 month survey cycle. During
these surveys, all aspects of care and services are evaluated based on state
laws and rules. Each residential care facility is required to display a
copy of the most recent survey. This allows anyone visiting or residing
in the facility to see if the facility received deficiencies on the survey.
Other ways that a family or interested party can evaluate a provider is
to visit the facility at different times of the day to observe staff interacting
with residents. Seeing the types of activities being provided, being present
at meal times and talking with staff also offer excellent opportunities
to evaluate a residential care facility.
The Ohio Department of Health staff responsible
for completing the surveys in nursing homes are highly trained professionals.
Survey teams are comprised of registered nurses, registered dietitians,
registered sanitarians, and licensed social workers. Team size and composition
are based on the size of the facility, past history of compliance with rules,
and identified areas of special need.
