Everybody’s favorite chore has got to be laundry, right? I mean seriously, who doesn’t like to fold clothes?! Regardless of our feelings on laundry, it’s a necessary evil. Firstly, you do not want your residents to have stained clothes and smelling the joint up. It’s a dignity issue and a guaranteed way to see a complaint investigation headed your way via the ADHS.
700.2 Linen and Laundry Services
700.2.1
Each assisted living facility shall offer laundry facilities or services to its residents.
700.2.2 Each assisted living facility shall meet the following laundry service requirements:
- Each assisted living facility shall have laundering facilities unless commercial laundries are used. The laundry shall be located in a specifically designed area that is physically separate and distinct from residents’ rooms and from areas used for dining and food preparation and service. There shall be adequate rooms and spaces for the sorting, processing, and storage of soiled material. Laundry rooms shall not open directly into the resident care area or food service area. Domestic washers and dryers that are for the use of residents may be provided in resident areas, provided they are installed in such a manner that they do not cause a sanitation problem or offensive odors.
- Laundry dryers shall be properly vented to the outside;
- The laundry room shall be cleaned after each day’s use to prevent lint accumulation and to remove clutter;
- Portable heaters or stoves, or either of them, shall not be used in the laundry area;
- The laundry room shall be well-lighted and vented to the outside by either power vents, gravity vents, or by outside windows;
- When facility staff is performing laundry duties for the entire facility, resident’s clothing, kitchen linens, and bed linens shall be washed separately. If linens, including washable blankets, are not washed at a minimum temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit, a disinfecting agent shall be used.
- The facility shall be responsible, as part of the services required under the basic charge, for providing laundry services on all linens and supplies owned by the facility.
700.2.3 For those residents who do not wish to launder their own personal items, the facility shall include this service as part of the service package. The facility may provide this service for free, or for an additional fee basis, and indicate as such in the occupancy admission agreement.
Pro Tip:
- If a resident is unable to complete their own laundry, ensure you reflect that in their service plan and develop a system for getting their soiled clothes clean.