Staffing requirements as an administrator
As the administrator of a community residential care facility, you are entrusted with an enormous amount of responsibility. Think about it; you are ultimately responsible for EVERYTHING that happens in the facility, clinical care, food service, census, it’s on your shoulders. It takes a dedicated, detail-oriented person to run a community, in addition to the following regulation, provided by SC DHEC as to who can be an ACH administrator and the requirements for staffing ratio in a CRCF:
- Administrator (II).
A.The facility administrator shall be licensed as a CRCF administrator in accordance with the 1976 Code
Section 44-7-260.
B.The administrator shall exercise judgment that reflects that s/he is capable of meeting the
responsibilities involved in operating a facility to ensure that it is in compliance with these regulations, and
shall demonstrate adequate knowledge of these regulations.
C.A staff member shall be designated in writing to act in the absence of the administrator, e.g., a listing
of the lines of authority by position title, including the names of the persons filling these positions.
- Staff (I).
A.There shall be a staff member actively on duty and present in the facility at all times that the facility is
occupied by residents and to whom the residents can immediately report injuries, symptoms of illness, or
emergencies. This staff member shall recognize and report significant changes in the physical or mental
condition of each resident and shall ensure that appropriate action is taken.
B.The number and qualifications of staff members/direct care volunteers shall be determined by the
number and condition of the residents. There shall be sufficient staff members/direct care volunteers to
14 | Regulation 61-84
provide supervision, direct care, and basic services for all residents. The minimum number of staff
members/direct care volunteers that shall be maintained in all facilities:
- In each building, there shall be at least one staff member/direct care volunteer for each eight (8)
residents or fraction thereof on duty during all periods of peak hours.
- In each building, during non-peak hours, there shall be at least one staff member/volunteer on duty
for each thirty (30) residents or fraction thereof. A staff member/volunteer shall be awake and dressed at
all times. A staff member(s)/volunteer(s) shall be able to appropriately respond to resident needs during nonpeak hours.
- In facilities that are licensed for more than 10 beds, and the facility is of multi-floor design, there
shall be a staff member available on each floor at all times residents are present on that floor.
C.The facility shall maintain documentation to ensure the facility meets Sections 503.B.1 and 503.B.2.
Top Takeaways:
- While we are provided with a minimum ratio of staff to residents for the community, we must understand that we should never staff to fill a ratio, but staff to meet the care needs of the residents in the community. If you have a higher number of residents that require care, then you need to schedule more staff.
- A staff member shall be designated in writing to act in the absence of the administrator, e.g., a listing of the lines of authority by position title, including the names of the persons filling these positions.
If you are not in the building or unavailable, you must assign someone to fill in for your absence. There must be a person dedicated to upholding the standards and regulations for the community.