The facility must also provide services that allow residents to improve or maintain their ability to perform activities of daily living, including the ability to ambulate. C. Residents must also be provided with opportunities to interact with the community. A resident must be provided assistive technology, such as durable medical equipment and prosthetic devices, if the technology will allow the resident to maintain or improve their ability to perform activities of daily living, including ambulation. If assistive technology is necessary to allow a resident to interact with the community, the facility must provide it. D. Nursing facilities are required to provide specialized rehabilitation therapy to residents.
Specialized therapy includes physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
Under the federal regulations, these therapies include the therapy service itself and any necessary equipment and supplies. Therefore, nursing facility residents are entitled to assistive technology, if it is a necessary part of their therapy. For example, if a resident needs an augmentative communication device to effectively communicate, the ACD would be considered a necessary part of the resident's speech therapy. In some states, either by regulation or policy, the nursing home is only responsible for standard, non-custom equipment that the facility would ordinarily keep in its storeroom. Typically, this contract will not burden the facility with the obligation for items like power wheelchairs.