Editorial Note on Part 51
Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 51 appear at 74 FR 19432, Apr. 29, 2009.

§ 51.470 Physical environment. The State home must ensure that the physical environment is designed, constructed, equipped, and maintained to protect the health and safety of participants, personnel, and the public. ( a ) *Life safety from fire.* The State home must meet the applicable requirements of National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 101, Life Safety from fire, as incorporated by reference in § 51.200.
( b ) *Space and equipment.* ( 1 ) The State home must— ( i ) Provide sufficient space and equipment in dining, health services, recreation, and program areas to enable staff to provide participants with needed services as required by this subpart F and as identified in each participant's comprehensive care plan; and
( ii ) Maintain all essential mechanical, electrical, and patient care equipment in safe operating condition.
( 2 ) Each adult day health care program, when it is co-located in a nursing home, domiciliary, or other care facility, must have its own separate designated space during operational hours.
( 3 ) The indoor space for adult day health care must be at least 100 square feet per participant including office space for staff and must be 60 square feet per participant excluding office space for staff.
( 4 ) Each program of care will need to design and partition its space to meet its needs, but the following functional areas must be available: ( i ) A dividable multipurpose room or area for group activities, including dining, with adequate table-setting space.
( ii ) Rehabilitation rooms or an area for individual and group treatments for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other treatment modalities.
( iii ) A kitchen area for refrigerated food storage, the preparation of meals and/or training participants in activities of daily living.
( iv ) An examination and/or medication room.
( v ) A quiet room (with a bed or a reclining chair), which functions to separate participants who become ill or disruptive, or who require rest, privacy, or observation. It should be separate from activity areas, near a restroom, and supervised.
( vi ) Bathing facilities adequate to facilitate bathing of participants with functional impairments.
( vii ) Toilet facilities and bathrooms easily accessible to people with mobility problems, including participants in wheelchairs. There must be at least one toilet for every eight participants. The toilets must be equipped for use by persons with limited mobility, easily accessible from all programs areas, *i.e.,* preferably within 40 feet from that area, designed to allow assistance from one or two staff, and barrier-free.
( viii ) Adequate storage space. There should be space to store arts and crafts materials, wheelchairs, chairs, individual handiwork, and general supplies. Locked cabinets must be provided for files, records, supplies, and medications.
( ix ) An individual room for counseling and interviewing participants and family members.
( x ) A reception area.
( xi ) An outside space that is used for outdoor activities that is safe, accessible to indoor areas, and accessible to those with a disability. This space may include recreational space and garden area. It should be easily supervised by staff.
( c ) *Furnishings.* Furnishings must be available for all participants. This must include functional furniture appropriate to the participants' needs. Furnishings must be attractive, comfortable, and homelike, while being sturdy and safe.
( d ) *Participant call system.* The coordinator's station must be equipped to receive participant calls through a communication system from: ( 1 ) Clinic rooms; and
( 2 ) Toilet and bathing facilities.
( e ) *Other environmental conditions.* The State home must provide a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment for the participants, staff and the public. The facility management must ( 1 ) Establish procedures to ensure that water is available to essential areas if there is a loss of normal water supply;
( 2 ) Have adequate outside ventilation by means of windows, or mechanical ventilation, or a combination of the two;
( 3 ) Equip corridors, when available, with firmly-secured handrails on each side; and
( 4 ) Maintain an effective pest control program so that the facility is free of pests and rodents.