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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="19-1805" title_number="19" title_name="Health Care Facilities" subtitle_number="18" subtitle_name="Assisted Living Programs">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Department shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Define different levels of assisted living according to the level of care provided;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Require all assisted living programs to be licensed to operate according to the level of the program;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Develop a waiver process for authorizing an assisted living program to continue to care for an individual whose medical or functional condition has changed since admission to the program to an extent that the level of care required by the individual exceeds the level of care for which the program is licensed;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Promote affordable and accessible assisted living programs throughout the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Establish and enforce quality standards for assisted living programs;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Require periodic inspections of assisted living program facilities, including at least an annual unannounced on–site inspection;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>Establish requirements for the qualifications or training or both of assisted living program employees;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>Establish a “resident bill of rights” for residents of assisted living program facilities that includes, at a minimum:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The right to be treated with consideration, respect, and full recognition of human dignity and individuality;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The right to receive treatment, care, and services that are adequate, appropriate, and in compliance with relevant federal and State laws, rules, and regulations;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The right to be free from mental and physical abuse;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The right to be free from mental, verbal, sexual, and physical abuse, neglect, or involuntary seclusion or exploitation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>The right to notice, procedural fairness, and humane treatment when being transferred or discharged from a facility;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>The right to participate in decision making regarding transitions in care, including a transfer or discharge from a facility;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>The right to be free from physical and chemical restraints, except for restraints that a physician authorizes for a clearly indicated medical need; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>The right to manage personal financial affairs;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>Define which, if any, assisted living programs may be exempt from the requirements of § 19–311 of this title; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>For Alzheimer’s special care units:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Establish the number of dementia–specific training hours to be completed for those staff working in Alzheimer’s special care units;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Determine the topic content for dementia–specific training required for those staff working in Alzheimer’s special care units; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Require staff sufficient to meet the needs of residents in Alzheimer’s special care units.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department, in consultation with representatives of the affected industry and advocates for residents of the facilities and with the approval of the Department of Aging and the Department of Human Services, shall adopt regulations to implement this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The regulations adopted under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Provide for the licensing of assisted living programs;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Require the Department, during a survey or other inspection of an assisted living program, to review the number of waivers granted to the program under subsection (a)(3) of this section and determine whether a change in the program’s licensure status is warranted; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Require an assisted living program facility to post in a conspicuous place visible to actual and potential residents of the facility and other interested parties:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <level label="A">
            <text>Its statement of deficiencies for the most recent survey;</text>
          </level>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Any subsequent complaint investigations conducted by federal, State, or local surveyors; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="C">
          <text>Any plans of correction in effect with respect to the survey or complaint investigation; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>A notice of the location, within the facility, of the items listed in item 1 of this item.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
