As the administrator of an assisted living facility, you are entrusted with an enormous amount of responsibility. Think about it; you are ultimately responsible for EVERYTHING that happens in the facility, clinical care, food service, census, it’s on your shoulders. It takes a dedicated, detail-oriented person to run a community, in addition to the following regulation, provided by MSDH as to who can be an ALF administrator:
Subchapter 11 ADMINISTRATION
Rule 47.11.1 Operator. There shall be a full-time employee designated as the operator of the licensed facility who shall be responsible for the management of the licensed facility. The operator shall be at least twenty-one years of age and shall be a high school graduate, or have passed the GED, and shall not be a resident of the licensed facility. The operator shall have verification that he is not listed on the “Mississippi Nurses Aide Abuse Registry.” When the operator is not within the licensed facility, there shall be an individual onsite at the licensed facility who shall represent the operator, and be capable of assuming the responsibility of the operator. Said person must be at least twenty-one years of age and shall be a high school graduate, or have passed the GED, and shall have verification that he is not listed on the “Mississippi Nurses Aide Abuse Registry.”
Rule 47.11.2 Operator Mentoring. Operators shall be scheduled to spend two (2) concurrent days with the licensing agency for the purpose of training and mentoring. Placement of an operator with the licensing agency may include, but not be limited to, assignments within the licensing agency’s central offices or placement with a survey team. Any costs associated with placements for the purposes of this section shall be borne by the licensed facility at which the operator is employed. The operator shall keep confidential and not disclose to any other persons any identifying information about any person or entity that he/she learned while observing operations as required by this section, except as otherwise mandated by law.
- This section shall apply to operators who: have been employed by a licensed facility for less than six (6) months, during which time the placement must be completed.
- This section shall not apply to operators who:
- have previously participated in placement as required by this section; or
- who were previously employed by the licensing agency in a surveyor capacity.
- Failure to successfully complete the placement required under this section shall disqualify the operator from serving in such capacity of a licensed facility until placement is completed.
- This section shall go into effect on January 1, 2002, and thereafter.
Rule 47.11.3 Surveyor Mentoring. Surveyors shall be scheduled to spend two (2) concurrent days with a licensed facility for the purpose of training and mentoring. Selection of a licensed facility for placement of the surveyor shall be done at the discretion of the licensing agency, except no licensed facility shall be required to accept more than two (2) placements in any calendar year. Upon completion of said training, the surveyor shall not participate in a survey of the same licensed facility for a period not to exceed one year from the date of training placement. Any costs associated with the placement of a surveyor for the purposes of this section shall be borne by the licensing agency. The surveyor shall keep confidential and not disclose to any other persons any identifying information about any person or entity that the surveyor learned while observing operations as required by this section, except as otherwise mandated by law.
- This section shall apply to surveyors who have been employed by the licensing agency in a surveyor capacity for less than six (6) months, during which time the placement must be completed.
- This section shall not apply to surveyors who were previously employed by a licensed facility.
- Failure to successfully complete the placement required under this section shall disqualify the surveyor from serving in such capacity for the licensing agency until placement is completed.
Top Takeaways:
- Operators shall be scheduled to spend two (2) concurrent days with the licensing agency for the purpose of training and mentoring. Placement of an operator with the licensing agency may include, but not be limited to, assignments within the licensing agency’s central offices or placement with a survey team.
One of the more unique aspects of becoming an administrator in an ALF in Mississippi is the requirement to be mentored by the MSDH. It gives you an inside look at how they play their role in regulating ALFs.
- Rule 47.11.3 Surveyor Mentoring. Surveyors shall be scheduled to spend two (2) concurrent days with a licensed facility for the purpose of training and mentoring.
In the same token as the previous point, surveyors are required to spend time in your facility shadowing you and seeing the ins and outs of the role of the administrator in an ALF.