Definitions
When used in 651 CMR 12.00, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms
shall have the following meanings:
Abuse. Consistent with the Elder Protective Services regulations, 651 CMR 5.00: Elder Abuse
Reporting and Protective Services Program, an act or omission including, but not limited to,
emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and/or self-neglect.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Tasks related to bathing, dressing, grooming, ambulation,
eating, toileting, and other similar tasks related to personal care needs.
Administrative Fee. Any charge billed to and payable by a Resident as a condition of admission,
excluding room, board, and services.
Alteration. Any of the following changes made after the date of the Residence’s last
Certification:
(a) a change in the number of Units;
(b) a substantial change in the configuration of Units;
(c) a substantial change in the premises; and
(d) a substantial change in the operating plan.
Applicant. A person or legal entity applying to EOEA for Certification as a Sponsor of an
Assisted Living Residence.
Assisted Living Residence or Residence. Any entity, however, organized, whether conducted for
profit or not for profit, which meets all of the following criteria:
(a) provides room and board;
(b) provides, directly by its employees or through arrangements with another organization
which the entity may or may not control or own, Personal Care Services for three or more
adults who are not related by consanguinity or affinity to their care provider; and
(c) collects payments or third-party reimbursements from or on behalf of Residents to pay
for the provision of assistance with the Activities of Daily Living, or arranges for the same.
Bathing Facility. A room equipped with a showerhead or a bathtub to enable one person to take
a shower or a bath.
Certification. EOEA’s initial approval, or subsequent renewal of that approval, of the
qualifications of an Applicant or Sponsor to operate and maintain an Assisted Living Residence
subject to the requirements of St. 1994, c. 354, and 651 CMR 12.00.
Certified Provider of Ancillary Health Services. A person or legal entity certified to provide
home health care services or hospice care services under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act
49, Stat. 620 (1935) or an entity licensed under M.G.L. c. 111 that provides physician services,
pharmacy services, restorative therapies, podiatry, hospice services, and/or home health aide
services.
Computation of Time. In computing any period of time under 651 CMR 12.00, the day of the
act which initiates the running of the time period shall not be counted. The last day of the time
period shall be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday or any other day on
which EOEA is closed, in which case the period shall run until the end of the next business day.
When the time period is less than seven days, any days when EOEA is closed shall be excluded
from the computation.
Controlled Substances. For the purposes of 651 CMR 12.00, controlled substances shall include
all Class II controlled substances identified by 21 U.S.C. c. 13, and any Class I controlled
substances identified by 21 U.S.C. c. 13, that may be legally prescribed according to the laws of
the Commonwealth.
Elderly Housing. Any residential premises available for lease by elderly or disabled individuals
which is financed or subsidized in whole or in part by state or federal housing programs
established primarily to furnish housing rather than housing and personal services, and which
was never licensed under M.G.L. c. 111.
EOEA. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
EOHHS Agency. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) or any
department, agency, commission, office, board, division, or any other body within EOHHS as
set out in M.G.L. c. 6A, § 16.
Evidence-Informed Falls Prevention Program. The use of the best available knowledge and
research to guide the design and implementation of a program to assess Resident risk for falls
and establish preventive measures and situational procedures.
Floater. A staff member of the Residence who is available on an ad hoc basis to assist in times
of unusually heavy workload or emergency situations and is not specifically assigned to a group
of Residents or unit.
Health Care Proxy. A person identified by a document delegating the authority to make health
care decisions to an agent, executed in accordance with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 201D.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Tasks related to meal preparation,
housekeeping, clothes laundering, shopping for food and other items, telephoning, use of
transportation, and other similar tasks related to environmental needs.
Legal Representative. Guardian, Conservator, or attorney-in-fact under a Power of Attorney, as
appropriate.
Limited Medication Administration (LMA). The administration of medication to a Resident
which is not otherwise prohibited by M.G.L. c. 19D or 651 CMR 12.00 LMA may only be
provided in a Residence by a family member, an individual designated in writing by the Resident
or Resident’s Legal Representative, a practitioner as defined in M.G.L. 94C, or a nurse registered
or licensed under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 112, § 74 or § 74A to the extent allowed by-laws,
regulations and standards governing nursing practice in Massachusetts.
Lodging. The provision of a single or a double living Unit.
Manager. The individual who has general administrative charge of an Assisted Living Residence.
Modification of Certification. A change to or limitation on the scope of a Sponsor’s authority
to operate an Assisted Living Residence.
Mutual Aid. A coordinated and collaborative effort between local Assisted Living Residences
to provide support and assist with the management of evacuations and resource/asset needs,
including the identification of substitute housing for use during an extended evacuation of
Residents.
Newly Constructed. A building or buildings for which a person or entity received a building
permit on or after June 1, 1995, and seeks certification as an Assisted Living Residence;
provided that a building or buildings for which a person or entity at any time is or was providing
facilities or services other than those of an Assisted Living Residence shall not be considered
newly constructed for the purpose of the physical requirements for an Assisted Living Residence
under M.G.L. c. 19D, § 16 or 651 CMR 12.04(1).
Personal Care Service. Assistance with one or more of the Activities of Daily Living and
Self-administered Medication Management, either through physical support or supervision.
Supervision includes reminding or observing Residents while they perform activities.
Residency Agreement. The written contract between an Assisted Living Residence and a
Resident or prospective Resident on either a temporary (e.g., for respite care) or more permanent
basis.
Resident. An individual who resides in an Assisted Living Residence and who receives housing
and Resident Services and, when the context requires or permits, such individual’s Legal
Representative. An individual who resides in an Assisted Living Residence or Special Care
Residence for any period of time shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges accorded under
651 CMR 12.00 regardless of the anticipated length of the residency.
Resident Representative. An individual who is authorized by the Resident to help him or her
fully participate in planning services or paying fees. The Resident Representative shall not be
employed by the Residence, nor affiliated with the Sponsor unless related to the Resident by
kinship or marriage. The Resident Representative shall not act on behalf of a Resident in
circumstances warranting a Legal Representative. The Residence shall not treat the Resident
Representative as personally liable for payment of Resident fees without having first obtained
the Resident Representative’s written agreement to act as a guarantor or surety.
Resident Services. Services to assist Residents with Activities of Daily Living (ADL),
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Self-administered Medication Management
(SAMM), or other similar services, but does not include optional services such as concierge
services, recreational or leisure services. Resident Services are provided either through physical
assistance or staff supervision.
Restraint. For the purposes of 651 CMR 12.00, any action taken by the Assisted Living
Residence for the purpose or punishing or penalizing a Resident, or to control or manage a
Resident’s behavior with lesser effort by the Assisted Living Residence that is not in the
Resident’s best interest by means of:
(a) manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or
adjacent to the Resident’s body that the individual cannot remove easily which restricts the
Resident’s freedom of movement or normal access to his or her body; or
(b) any drug not required to treat medical symptoms and not requested by the Resident.
Secretary. The Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
Self-administered Medication Management (SAMM). A process which includes reminding
Residents to take medication, opening containers for Residents, opening prepackaged medication
for Residents, reading the medication label to Residents, and observing Residents while they take
the medication.
Service Coordinator. The individual(s) responsible for supporting the coordination of Resident
care, including the preparation and periodic review and revision of each Resident’s service plan.
Significant Negative Effect. The consequence of a situation in which a Resident experienced a
significant risk of death or serious physical or emotional harm. The consequences of such
situations include, but are not limited to, accidental injury; Unanticipated Death; suicide or
suicide attempt; a physical or sexual assault by or against a Resident; a complaint of Resident
abuse, suspected Resident abuse, or referral of a complaint of Resident abuse to a local or state
authority; a medication error requiring medical attention; SAMM or LMA error with an adverse
effect requiring medical attention; elopement with an absence of greater than 30 minutes; misuse
of a Resident’s funds by the Residence or its staff; an outbreak of a serious communicable disease
that is listed in 105 CMR 300.100: Diseases Reportable to Local Boards of Health; an
employee of a residence found to be infected with a disease in a communicable form that is listed
in 105 CMR 300.100; pest infestation; food poisoning as defined in 105 CMR
300.020: Definitions; and fire or structural damage to the Residence.
Skilled Nursing Care. Skilled services described in 130 CMR 456.409(A): Skilled Services.
Special Care Residence. The Residence in its entirety or any separate and distinct section or
sections within the Residence that provide(s) an enhanced level of supports and services for one
or more Residents to address their specialized needs due to cognitive or other impairments.
Special Care Unit. A portion of a Special Care Residence designed for and occupied pursuant
to a Residency Agreement by one or two individuals as the private living quarters of such
individuals.
Sponsor. The person or legal entity named in the Certification of an Assisted Living Residence.
Transfer of Ownership. Transfer of a majority interest in the ownership of an Assisted Living
Residence. In the case of an individual, transfer of ownership; in the case of a corporation,
transfer of a majority of the stock thereof; in the case of a partnership, transfer of a majority of
the partnership interest; in the case of a trust, change of the trustee, or majority of trustees shall
constitute transfer of ownership. A transfer of ownership shall also be deemed to have occurred
where foreclosure proceedings have been instituted and consummated by a mortgagee in
possession of the premises, or when bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated.
Unanticipated Death. The death of a resident resulting from any cause not directly related to an
existing diagnosis or prognosis.
Unit. A portion of an Assisted Living Residence designed for and occupied pursuant to a
Residency Agreement by one or two individuals as the private living quarters of such individuals.