59A-36.025 Requires It for Every Assisted Living Facility

Do You Have This Policy? 59A-36.025 Requires It for Every Assisted Living Facility
✅ Do You Have This Policy? 59A-36.025 Requires It for Every Assisted Living Facility

Florida law is clear: every assisted living facility must maintain written policies and procedures for emergency environmental control. Under Rule 59A-36.025, it’s not enough to simply have a generator—you must also show, in writing, exactly how your facility will use that generator to keep residents safe when power goes out.

📜 What the Regulation Says

According to 59A-36.025(5), your facility must:

  1. Develop and implement written policies to activate, operate, and maintain the alternate power source (your generator) and the fuel it requires.

  2. Ensure procedures are in place so residents do not suffer complications from extreme indoor temperatures.

  3. Include specific methods in your policies for:

    • Using cooling devices and equipment.

    • Producing ice and maintaining safe medication storage temperatures.

    • Performing wellness checks for dehydration and heat-related injury.

    • Obtaining emergency medical intervention if a resident’s life is in jeopardy.

🗂️ Accessibility of Policies

  • At the facility: Policies must be readily available at your licensed physical address in either paper or electronic form.

  • Readily available means immediate. Staff must be able to produce them upon request by AHCA, surveyors, or other legally authorized entities.

  • For residents and their representatives: Policies must also be available for inspection by residents, their families, guardians, or case managers.

🛠️ Compliance Best Practices

  • Be specific. Tailor policies to your facility—generator brand, fuel supply, staff roles. Avoid generic templates.

  • Train staff. Everyone should know where the policies are kept and how to follow them.

  • Run drills. Document practice runs of generator start-up and wellness checks.

  • Update regularly. Review and update policies after each storm season, facility change, or generator replacement.

✅ The Bottom Line

59A-36.025 requires more than equipment—it requires a written, detailed, and accessible plan. Having this policy in place is not optional, it’s a regulatory mandate. By keeping policies up to date, staff trained, and records ready for inspection, you ensure both compliance and resident safety.