The purpose of this chapter is to establish a new category of community based residential care setting to be named “assisted living facility” and to
establish minimum standards and requirements for licensure to protect the health, welfare, and safety of residents in
such facilities. Assisted living facilities shall serve the purpose of providing a combination of housing, meal
services, health care services, and personalized supportive services designed to respond to individual
needs. The following principles are applied:
(1) Aging in place;
(2) Negotiated plan of care; and
(3) Managed risk. [Eff August 23, 1999] (Auth:
HRS §§321-1, 321-9, 321-10, 321-11(10),
§11-90-2 Definitions.
As used in this chapter: “Abuse” means actual or imminent physical injury, psychological abuse or neglect, sexual abuse, financial
exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment as §11-90-2 further defined in section 346-222, HRS.
“Activities of Daily Living” or “ADL” means those personal functional activities required by an individual
for continued well-being including eating, dressing, personal hygiene, mobility, toileting, and behavior
management. “Aging in place” means the process of remaining in his or her living environment (“home”) despite the
physical or mental decline that may occur due to the aging process. For aging in place to occur, needed services are
provided, increased or adjusted to compensate for the physical or mental decline of the individual within the
ability of the facility. “Assistance” means the resident can perform some part of an activity, but cannot do it entirely alone.
“Assisted living” means encouraging and supporting individuals to live independently and receive services and
assistance to maintain independence. All individuals have a right to live independently with respect for their
privacy and dignity, and to live in a setting free from restraints.
“Assisted living facility” means an assisted living facility as defined in section 321-15.1, HRS. This
facility shall consist of a building complex offering dwelling units to individuals and services to allow
residents to maintain an independent assisted living lifestyle. The environment of an assisted living facility
shall include one in which meals are provided, staff are available on a 24-hour basis and services are based on the
individual needs of each resident. Each resident, family member, and significant others shall work together with
facility staff to assess what is needed to support the resident so that the resident can achieve his or her
greatest capacity for living independently. The facility shall be designed to maximize the independence and
selfesteem of limited-mobility persons who feel that they are no longer able to live on their own.
“Choice” means viable options created for residents to enable them to exercise greater control over their
lives.
“Department” means the department of health. “Dependent” means the resident cannot perform any
part of an activity; the activity must be done entirely by someone else.
“Dietitian” means a person who is registered or §11-90-2
eligible for registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association.
“Dignity” means providing support in such a way as to validate the self-worth of the individual. Dignity is
supported by designing a residential program that delivers services in a manner which shows courtesy and respect for
a resident’s right to make decisions.
“Direct care staff” means an employee of an assisted living facility who is responsible and available for
providing services directly to residents including assistance with activities of daily living, such as
assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, money management, or recreation.
“Director” means the director of health or the director’s designated representative.
“Emergency” means a life-threatening situation. It also means those conditions specific to a resident which
are identified in the resident’s care plan as requiring emergency care which may include behavior that poses a
danger to staff or others.
“Health care services” means the provision of services in an assisted living facility that assist the
individual in achieving and maintaining the highest state of positive well-being (i.e., psychological, social,
physical, and spiritual) and functional status. This may include nursing assessments and the monitoring and
delegation of nursing tasks by registered nurses pursuant to chapter 457, HRS, care management, records management,
and coordinating basic health care and social services per residents in such settings.
“Homelike” means a type of environment which promotes the dignity, security, and comfort of residents through
the provision of personalized care and services to encourage independence, choice and decision-making by each
resident. A homelike environment is also supported by the use of residential building materials and furnishings.
“Independence” means supporting resident capabilities and facilitating use of their abilities.
Independence is supported by creating barrier free structures and careful design of assistive devices.
“Independent” means the resident can perform the ADL
with assistance.
“Individuality” means recognizing variability in residents’ needs and preferences and having flexibility to
organize services in response to such needs and §11-90-2
preferences.
“Legal representative or designee” means an attorney at law, a person holding a general power of attorney or
special power of attorney for health care, guardian, conservator, or any person appointed by a court to manage
the personal or financial affairs of the resident or person or agency legally responsible for the welfare or
support of the resident, other than the facility.
“License” means an assisted living facility license. “Licensed nurse” means a person who is licensed as a
registered nurse in the State of Hawaii pursuant to chapter 457, HRS.
“Licensee” means the person or entity (the owners) to whom a license to operate an assisted living facility is
issued and who is legally responsible for the operation of the facility.
“Managed risk” means a formal process of negotiating and developing a plan to address resident needs,
decisions, or preferences to reduce the probability of a poor outcome for the resident or of putting others at risk
for adverse consequences.
“Misappropriation of resident’s property” means the illegal or improper use of a client’s funds or property
for profit or advantage.
“Modified diet” means a diet for a diabetic, a low fat diet, low sodium diet, or soft diet, or a special diet
otherwise ordered by a physician.
“Neglect” means a type of action or conduct, performed without the resident’s informed consent, which
results in the deprivation of food, water, medication, medical services, shelter, or other services necessary to
maintain minimum physical or mental health.
“Negotiated Plan of Care or Service Plan or Agreement” means a written plan for services developed
with the resident or significant others and which includes a recognition of the resident’s capabilities and choices.
The plan defines the division of responsibility in the implementation of services and specifies measurable goals.
“Personal care” means the following two categories of activities:
(1) Activities of daily living such as ambulation, mobility, transfer and lifting, §11-90-2
positioning and turning, bowel and bladder care, toileting, bathing, dressing, grooming,
feeding, exercise, and range of motion; and
(2) Instrumental activities of daily living which are directly related to the well-being of the
resident such as meal preparation, bed, kitchen and bathroom cleanliness, housekeeping,
laundry, essential errands, transportation, medication assistance, and maintenance of
health records.
“Physician” means a person who is licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy under chapter 453 or
chapter 460, HRS.
“Primary care provider” means a person who is licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy under chapter
453 or chapter 460, HRS, or a person who is licensed and recognized as an advanced practice registered nurse under
chapter 457.
“Privacy” means a specific area or time over which the resident maintains a large degree of control. Privacy
is supported with services that are delivered with respect for the resident’s civil rights.
“Resident” means any person who is receiving room, board, care, and services in an assisted living facility
for a fee on a 24-hour basis.
“Self-administration of medication” means the act of a resident placing medication in or on his or her own body
without assistance. This means the resident manages and takes his or her own medications, the resident identifies
his or her own medication, the time and manner of administration.
“Service plan” means a written plan for services developed with input from a facility staff representative,
the resident or significant other (if the resident consents) and includes recognition of the resident’s
capabilities and choices. The plan defines the division of responsibility in the implementation of the services to
be provided and specifies measurable goals. The service plan also specifies who will be responsible for providing
services and when and how often care and services will be provided or arranged. The plan shall be developed at the
time of admission and shall be reviewed and updated at least semi-annually or when the condition of the resident
changes, or when the need arises. “Services” means activities or care provided by §11-90-2
the facility which assist the residents in developing appropriate skills to increase or maintain their level of
functioning or which assist them in performing personal care or activities of daily living.
“Social work services” means the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities to
enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and to create societal conditions favorable to their
goals.
“Unlicensed assistive personnel” means an individual who is not licensed to practice nursing, but who provides
tasks of nursing care in the State of Hawaii pursuant to chapter 457, HRS.
“Waiver” means an exemption from a specific rule for a duration not longer than one year which may be permitted
a facility, for a specified period of time, at the discretion of the director.