WAC 388-78A-2600 Policies and procedures. (1) The assisted living facility must develop and implement policies and procedures in support of services that are provided and are necessary to:
- Maintain or enhance the quality of life for residents includ-ing resident decision-making rights;
- Provide the necessary care and services for residents, in-cluding those with special needs;
- Safely operate the assisted living facility; and
- Operate in compliance with state and federal law, including, but not limited to, chapters 7.70, 11.88, 11.92, 11.94, 69.41, 70.122, 70.129, and 74.34 RCW, and any rules promulgated under these statutes.
(2) The assisted living facility must develop, implement and train staff persons on policies and procedures to address what staff persons must do:
- Related to suspected abandonment, abuse, neglect, exploita-tion, or financial exploitation of any resident;
- When there is reason to believe a resident is not capable of making necessary decisions and no substitute decision maker is available;
- When a substitute decision maker is no longer appropriate;
- When a resident stops breathing or a resident’s heart appears to stop beating, including, but not limited to, any action staff persons must take related to advance directives and emergency care;
- When a resident does not have a personal physician or health care provider;
- In response to medical emergencies;
- When there are urgent situations in the assisted living fa-cility requiring additional staff support;
- In the event of an internal or external disaster, consistent with WAC 388-78A-2700;
- To supervise and monitor residents, including accounting for residents who leave the premises;
- To appropriately respond to aggressive or assaultive resi-dents, including, but not limited to:
- Actions to take if a resident becomes violent;
- Actions to take to protect other residents; and
- When and how to seek outside intervention.
- To prevent and limit the spread of infections consistent with WAC 388-78A-2610;
- To manage residents’ medications, consistent with WAC 388-78A-2210 through 388-78A-2290; sending medications with a resident when the resident leaves the premises;
- When services related to medications and treatments are pro-vided under the delegation of a registered nurse consistent with chapter 246-840 WAC;
- Related to food services consistent with chapter 246-215 WAC and WAC 388-78A-2300;
- Regarding the safe operation of any assisted living facility vehicles used to transport residents, and the qualifications of the drivers;
- To coordinate services and share resident information with outside resources, consistent with WAC 388-78A-2350;
- Regarding the management of pets in the assisted living fa-cility, if permitted, consistent with WAC 388-78A-2620;
- When receiving and responding to resident grievances consis-tent with RCW 70.129.060; and
- Related to providing respite care services consistent with RCW 18.20.350, if respite care is offered.
(3) The assisted living facility must make the policies and procedures specified in subsection (2) of this section available to staff persons at all times and must inform residents and residents’ representatives of their availability and make them available upon request.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 13-13-063, § 388-78A-2600, filed 6/18/13, effective 7/19/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090, 2008 c 146, and chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 09-01-079, § 388-78A-2600, filed 12/15/08, effective 1/15/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090 and chapters 18.20 and 74.34 RCW. WSR 08-05-099, § 388-78A-2600, filed 2/15/08, effective 3/17/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.090 (2004 c 142 § 19) and chapter 18.20 RCW. WSR 04-16-065, § 388-78A-2600, filed 7/30/04, effective 9/1/04.]