Homes for the aged and rest homes
(a) Definitions. as used in this section.
(1) “Administration of medication” means the direct application of a medication by
inhalation, ingestion or any other means to the body of a person;
(2) “Advanced practice registered nurse” means an individual licensed pursuant to
subsection (b) of section 20-94a of the Connecticut General Statutes;
(3) “Authorized prescriber” means a physician, dentist, physician assistant or advanced
practice registered nurse;
(4) “Certification” means written authorization issued by the Connecticut League For
Nursing or other department approved certifying organization to a person to administer
medications.
(5) “Certified unlicensed personnel” means any program staff person who has completed
a training program and successfully completed a written examination and practicum
administered by the Connecticut League For Nursing or other department approved
certifying organization;
(6) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Public Health or the Commissioner’s
designated representative;
(7) “Continuing education” means attendance at classes, seminars, workshops,
conferences or forums, or other documented activities that improve one’s knowledge, skills
and abilities;
(8) “Department” means the Department of Public Health or any duly authorized
representative thereof;
(9) “Medication” means any medicinal preparation including controlled substances, as
defined in section 21a-240 of the Connecticut General Statutes;
(10) “Medication error” means failure to administer medication to a person, or failure to
administer medication within one (1) hour of the time designated by the prescribing
practitioner, or failure to administer the specific medication prescribed for a person, or
failure to administer the medication by the correct route, or failure to administer the
medication according to generally accepted medical practices, or failure to administer the
correct dosage of medication;
(11) “Physician” means a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed to practice medicine
in this or another state;
(12) “Physician assistant” means an individual licensed pursuant to section 20-12b of the
Connecticut General Statutes;
(13) “Program staff” means those persons responsible for the direct care of the residents;
(14) “Registered nurse” means a person with a license to practice as a registered nurse in
Connecticut in accordance with chapter 378 of the Connecticut General Statutes;
(15) “Registered pharmacist” means a person with a license to practice as a registered
pharmacist in Connecticut in accordance with Section 20-590 of the Connecticut General
Statutes;
(16) “Resident” means any person receiving care in the residential care home;
(17) “Residential Care Home” means an institution that is licensed pursuant to section
19a-490 (c) of the Connecticut General Statutes having facilities and all necessary personnel
to furnish food, shelter and laundry for two or more persons unrelated to the proprietor and
in addition, providing services of a personal nature which do not require the training or
skills of a licensed nurse. Additional services of a personal nature may include assistance
with bathing, help with dressing, preparation of special diets and supervision over
medications which are self-administered, or the administration of medications pursuant to
subsection 19-13-D6 (m)(2) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;
(18) “Significant medication error” means a medication error, which is potentially serious
or has serious consequences for a resident, such as, but not limited to, the administration of
medication by the wrong route; for which the resident has a known allergy; which was given
in a lethal or toxic dosage; or which causes serious medical problems resulting from the
error; and
(19) “Staff” means personnel including volunteers who provide a service at a residential
care home.
(b) Physical plant.
A. General. Newly constructed facilities shall contain all the elements
described herein and shall be built in accordance with the construction requirements
outlined. Should there be a change of ownership of the facility, these standards shall be
applicable insofar as existing structures physically permit. New additions and renovations
to existing facilities shall be built in accordance with these standards. A safe, sanitary, and
comfortable environment is a basic requirement for residents in the facility. If day care
programs are to be incorporated in this building, additional supportive facilities shall be
provided to accommodate the program. At no time shall any program reduce the minimum
services required for this licensed facility.
(1) Site. (a) The site shall be away from nuisances or foreseeable future nuisances
detrimental to the proposed project’s program, such as industrial development, or other
types of facilities that produce noise, air pollution or foreign odors.
(b) No facility of more than one-hundred and twenty (120) beds shall be constructed
without public water and sanitary sewers.
(c) The building shall be of sound construction and provide an adequate maintenance
program to ensure that the interior, the exterior and the grounds of the building are clean
and orderly. All essential mechanical, plumbing, and electrical equipment for resident
accommodations shall be in accordance with the requirements of the state department of
health.
(d) All plans and specifications for new construction and/or alterations shall be submitted
to and approved by the state department of health prior to the start of construction.
(e) Roads and walks shall be provided within the property lines to the main entrance and
for service, including loading and unloading space for delivery trucks. Adequate off-street
paved and lined parking stalls shall be provided at the ratio of one for each three residents.
(f) There shall be open outdoor area adjacent to the facility with a minimum of onehundred (100)
square feet per resident. This area shall consist of lawn and plantings andshall not be obstructed
by other structures or paved parking areas, roads or sidewalks.
(2) Code. (a) Every building hereafter constructed or converted for use, in whole or in
part, as a home for aged and rest home shall comply with the requirements of the Basic
Building Code, an prepared by the Public Works Department, State of Connecticut; except
as such matters are otherwise provided in the rules and regulations authorized for
promulgation under the provisions of the Basic Building Code.
(b) In addition to the state of Connecticut Basic Building Code, all homes for aged and
rest homes must comply with the State of Connecticut Fire Safety Code, the National Fire
Protection Association – 101 Life Safety Code, the State of Connecticut Labor Laws, local
fire safety codes, zoning ordinances, and in cases where private water supply and/or
sewerage is required, written approval of the local health officer and environmental health
services division of the state of Connecticut department of health must be obtained. Only
the most current code or regulation and the most stringent shall be used.
(3) Minimum services required. (a) Lobby, with visitors’toilet rooms (to include facilities
for each sex) and public telephone.
(b) Business or administration office.
(c) Resident rooms (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), B.)
(d) Resident baths (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), C.)
(e) Resident toilet rooms (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), D.)
(f) Resident lounge or sitting room (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), E.)
(g) Resident dining and recreation rooms (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), F.)
(h) Resident recreation area (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), G.)
(i) Dietary facilities (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), H.)
(j) Central storage room (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), I.)
(k) Laundry (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), J.)
(l) Employees’ facilities (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), K.)
(m) Details of construction (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), L.)
(n) Mechanical system (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), M.)
(o) Electrical system (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), N.)
(p) Emergency electric service (see Sec. 19-13-D6 (b), O.)
(q) Provision for holding expired persons (adequately sized and ventilated space in
unobjectionable location).
B. Resident rooms. Each resident room shall meet the following minimum requirements:
(1) Net minimum room clear floor area exclusive of closets, toilet rooms, lockers or
wardrobes and vestibule shall be one-hundred and fifty (150) square feet in single rooms
and one-hundred and twenty-five (125) square feet per bed in multi-bed rooms. Minimum
dimensions of rooms shall not be less than eleven feet (11′).
(2) No resident room shall be designed to permit more than two (2) beds.
(3) Windows. Sills shall not be higher than three feet (3′) above the finished floor.
Insulated window glass or approved storm windows shall be provided.
(4) The room furnishing for each resident room shall include a bed with a firm waterproof mattress,
bedside stand, reading light, dresser or bureau with mirror and one (1)
comfortable chair
(5) Each resident’s wardrobe or closet shall have a minimum clear dimension of one footten inches
deep by one foot-eight inches wide (1′10″ deep by 1′8″ wide) with full length
hanging space, clothes rod and shelf.
(6) All resident rooms shall open to a common corridor (sheltered path of egress) which
leads directly to the outside.
(7) Doors shall be three feet (3′) wide and swing into the room.
(8) Ceiling height shall not be less than eight feet (8′) above the finished floor.
(9) A resident unit shall be twenty-five (25) beds or fraction thereof.
C. Resident baths. Resident baths shall have one (1) separate shower or one (1) separate
bathtub for each eight (8) beds not individually served. There shall be at least one (1)
separate bathtub and one (1) separate shower in each resident unit. Grab bars shall be
provided at all bathing fixtures. Each bathtub or shower enclosure in a central bathing area
shall provide space for the private use of the bathing fixture and for dressing. Showers in
central bathing areas shall not be less than four (4) square feet without curbs. Soap dishes
in showers and bathrooms shall be recessed.
D. Resident toilet rooms.
(1) A toilet room with lavatory shall be directly accessible from each resident room and
from each central bathing area without going through the general corridor. One (1) toilet
room may serve two (2) resident rooms but not more than four (4) beds.
(2) Grab bars shall be provided at all waterclosets.
(3) Doors to toilet rooms shall have a minimum clear width of three feet (3′).
E. Resident lounge or sitting room. Each resident wing and/or floor shall contain at least
one (1) lounge area of two-hundred and twenty-five (225) square feet or nine (9) square
feet per resident, whichever is greater.
F. Resident dining and recreation rooms.
(1) The total area designed for combined residents’ dining and recreation purposes shall
not be less than thirty (30) square feet per resident bed. Additional space shall be provided
for non-residents if they participate in day care programs.
(2) Areas appropriate for an activities program shall be provided which shall; (a) be
readily accessible to wheelchair visitors.
(b) be of sufficient size to accommodate equipment and permit unobstructed movement
of residents and personnel responsible for instructing and supervising residents.
(c) have storage space to store equipment and supplies convenient or adjacent to the area
or areas.
(d) have toilet and handwashing facilities readily accessible.
G. Resident recreation area. (1) Recreation areas are required.
(2) Space for recreation, if separated from dining area, shall contain fifteen (15) square
feet per resident. This space shall be provided in one area. Lobby area shall not be included
in recreation space.
(3) Ten (10) square feet per resident shall be provided for outdoor porches or paved patio
areas.
H. Dietary facilities. The food service shall include space and equipment for receiving,
storage, preparation, assembling and serving food; cleaning or disposal of dishes and
garbage and space for a food service office in a facility of fifty (50) beds or more. In
addition, the following shall apply:
(1) Kitchens shall be centrally located, segregated from other areas and large enough to
allow for adequate equipment to prepare and care for food properly.
(2) Floors shall be waterproof, greaseproof, smooth and resistant to heavy wear, with
covered corners and wall junctions. There shall be floor drains located where the most
cleaning is required as in the dishwashing machine room, near the cooking area, etc.
(3) All equipment and appliances shall be installed to permit thorough cleaning of the
equipment, the floor and the walls around them.
(4) A commercial dishwashing machine shall be provided in any facility with twentyfive (25) or more beds.
A commercial dishwashing machine shall be in a separate room or
in an area separated from the main kitchen by a partition of five feet (5′) minimum height.
There shall be adequate openings for entrance and exit of carts. There shall be space for
trucks with dirty dishes at the beginning of the counter. For facilities of less than twentyfive (25) beds, a dishwasher is still required.
(5) Outside ventilation openings shall be screened and provide at least ten (10) air changes
per hour. A working ventilating fan is required. A strong exhaust fan in the hood over the
range and steam equipment is required. The hood shall be a box type with straight sides
and provided with a fire extinguishing system.
(6) Service pipes and lines in food cooking and preparation areas must be enclosed and
insulated.
(7) A dining section within the kitchen area is prohibited.
(8) A hand washing sink with a soap dispenser shall be provided. Single service towels
and a covered waste receptacle shall be provided in the kitchen area for the exclusive use
of kitchen personnel.
(9) A janitor’s closet shall be provided with a floor receptor or service sink, storage space
for housekeeping equipment and supplies, and shall be located within the dietary
department.
(10) Food service equipment shall be arranged for efficient, safe work flow, a separation
of clean and contaminated functions and shall provide:
(a) Potwashing facilities.
(b) Refrigerated storage for at least a three-day supply of food.
(c) Dry storage for at least a three-day supply of food.
(d) Enclosed waste disposal facilities.
(e) A toilet room with lavatory conveniently accessible for dietary staff.
I. Central storage room. (1) A central storage room of not less than ten (10) square feet
per resident bed concentrated in one area shall be provided, including shelving.