(a)  No person shall operate an adult supportive care home without first obtaining a license from the Rhode Island department of health.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-17.24-2

  • Adult supportive care home: means : (i) A publicly or privately operated residence that provides, directly or indirectly, by means of contracts or arrangements, personal assistance to meet the resident's changing needs and preferences, lodging, and meals to two (2), but not more than five (5), adults who are unrelated to the licensee or manager, excluding, however, any privately operated establishment or facility licensed pursuant to chapter 17 of this title, and those facilities licensed by or under the jurisdiction of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, the department of children, youth and families, or any other state agency; and (ii) Shall be a duly licensed home nursing care provider or nursing facility licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 17 of this title, an assisted living residence provider licensed pursuant to chapter 17. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17.24-1
  • Director: means the director of the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17.24-1
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Personal assistance: means the provision of one or more of the following services, as required by the resident or as reasonably requested by the resident, on a scheduled or unscheduled basis, including: (i) Assisting the resident with personal needs including activities of daily living, defined as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting, mobility and transfer; (ii) Assisting the resident with self-administration of medication or administration of medications by appropriately licensed staff; (iii) Providing or assisting the resident in arranging for health and supportive services as may be reasonably required; (iv) Monitoring the activities of the resident while on the premises of the residence to ensure his or her health, safety, and well-being; and (v) Reasonable recreational, social and personal services. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17.24-1
  • Resident: means an individual not requiring acute medical or skilled nursing care as provided in a healthcare facility but who, as a result of choice and/or physical or mental limitation, requires personal assistance, lodging and meals and may require the administration of medication. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17.24-1

(b)  The director is authorized to promulgate regulations for the departmental licensure of adult supportive care homes including, but not limited to, minimum requirements for managers, staffing, staff training, assessments, service plan development, services to include food service and housekeeping/laundry, physical and environment standards for the home, resident rights, resident records, resident capacity for self-preservation, residency agreement/contracts and quality assurance.

(c)  The department may adopt regulations for special care requirements beyond the personal assistance required in § 23-17.23-1(5) for adult supportive care homes serving persons with dementia and/or behavioral health diagnoses.

(d)  Criminal background checks of persons seeking employment at adult supportive care homes shall be conducted in accordance with the standards and procedures contained in §§ 23-17.4-27, 23-17.4-28 and 23-17.4-30.

(e)  An adult supportive care home shall provide a qualified on-duty staff person over the age of eighteen (18) on the premises at all times that any supportive care residents are on the premises of the home.

History of Section.
P.L. 2009, ch. 189, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 290, § 1.