If Residents Aren’t Helping Choose the Activities, You’re Breaking the Law

If Residents Aren’t Helping Choose the Activities, You’re Breaking the Law
If Residents Aren’t Helping Choose the Activities, You’re Breaking the Law

Understanding Florida’s 59A-36.007(2)(b) and How to Stay Compliant

When it comes to planning activities in your assisted living facility, Florida law is crystal clear: residents must be involved. According to 59A-36.007(2)(b), facilities must consult with residents when selecting, planning, and scheduling activities—and they need to prove it.

This isn’t a suggestion. It’s a compliance requirement. Failure to involve residents in activity planning can lead to citations during AHCA inspections.

What the Regulation Requires

Per Florida Admin Code 59A-36.007(2)(b):

“The facility must consult with the residents in selecting, planning, and scheduling activities. The facility must demonstrate residents’ participation through one or more of the following methods: resident meetings, committees, a resident council, a monitored suggestion box, group discussions, questionnaires, or any other form of communication appropriate to the size of the facility.”

This Isn’t Just Paperwork—It’s Culture

Resident involvement isn’t about checking a box. It’s about giving people purpose, autonomy, and community. When residents help shape the activity calendar, it builds trust—and yes, keeps you in compliance.

How to Stay Compliant (and Connected)

  1. Document Everything
     Keep meeting minutes, feedback forms, or even pictures of group discussions. AHCA wants to see evidence of involvement.
  2. Offer Multiple Ways to Give Input
     Not every resident will speak in meetings. Use suggestion boxes, 1-on-1 conversations, and simple surveys to reach everyone.
  3. Create a Resident Council
     If you don’t have one, start one. It gives structure and shows inspectors that residents are at the table—literally and figuratively.
  4. Be Flexible and Responsive
     If residents ask for more live music and less bingo, listen. Adjust your calendar accordingly and let them know you heard them.
  5. Train Your Team to Engage
     Activity staff should be relationship-builders, not just event planners. Encourage casual check-ins to gather feedback organically.


Bottom Line

If your residents aren’t involved in picking the activities, you’re out of compliance—and you may be creating a calendar no one actually wants. Let them lead, and you’ll see stronger engagement, better outcomes, and fewer compliance issues.