Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 111 - RULES OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH › Chapter 111-8 - HEALTHCARE FACILITY REGULATION › Subject 111-8-47 - INTERMEDIATE CARE HOMES › Rule 111-8-47-.01 - Definitions

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
Unless a different meaning is required by the context, the
				  following terms as used in these rules and regulations shall have the meaning
				  hereinafter respectively ascribed to them; except, however, same do not apply
				  to facilities owned or operated by the federal government:
(a) An "Intermediate Care Home" is a facility
				which admits residents on medical referral; it maintains the services and
				facilities for institutional care and has a satisfactory agreement with a
				physician and dentist who will provide continuing supervision including
				emergencies; it otherwise complies with these rules and regulations;
(b) The term "Intermediate Care" means the
				provision of food, including special diets when required, shelter, laundry and
				personal care services, such as help with dressing, getting in and out of bed,
				bathing, feeding, medications and similar assistance, such services being under
				the supervision of a registered, licensed undergraduate, or licensed practical
				nurse.1. Intermediate care does not normally include providing care for bed
				patients except on an emergency or temporary basis, the insertion or changing
				of catheters, handfeeding of patients, and the care of patients who cannot go
				to the medication area without assistance.
(c) The term "Distinct Part" means a
				physically identifiable unit of a medical facility such as an entire ward or
				contiguous wards, wing, floor, or building. It consists of all beds and related
				facilities in the unit;
(d) The
				term "Intermediate Care Unit" means a clearly defined administrative unit
				within which is located a specified number of resident beds and supportive
				services;
(e) The term "Medication
				Area" means a circumscribed space within the Intermediate Care Unit containing
				equipment for proper storage, preparation and administration of medicines
				prescribed by the residents' physician or dentist;
(f) The term "Resident" means any person
				residing in and receiving care in an Intermediate Care Home. Residents are
				individuals who because of their physical or mental condition (or both) require
				living accommodations and care which, as a practical matter, can be made
				available to them only through institutional facilities; and who do not have
				such an illness, disease, injury or other condition as to require the degree of
				care and treatment which a hospital or nursing home is designed to
				provide;
(g) The term "Resident
				Activities Program" means a schedule of events which are regularly planned for
				all residents, including social and recreational activities involving active
				participation by the residents, entertainment of appropriate frequency and
				character and opportunities for participation in community activities as
				possible and appropriate;
(h) The
				term "Transfer Agreement" means a written contract with other facilities
				providing for transfer of residents between the facilities and for interchange
				of medical and other information, when the facility cannot provide the level of
				care needed by the resident;
(i)
				"Physician" shall mean a doctor of medicine and/or a doctor of osteopathy duly
				licensed to practice in this State by the Georgia Composite Medical Board,
				under the provisions of the Georgia Medical Practice Act (O.C.G.A. §
									43-34-1 et seq.);
(j) "Dentist" means any person who is
				licensed to practice in this State under the provisions of the Dentists and
				Dental Hygienists Act;
(k)
				"Pharmacist" shall mean an individual licensed to practice pharmacy in
				accordance with the provisions of the Pharmacy Practice Act, O.C.G.A. §
									26-4-1 et seq.;
(l) "Physical Therapist" shall mean an
				individual who practices physical therapy and who is registered with the Board
				of Physical Therapy of the State of Georgia (O.C.G.A. §
									43-33-1 et seq.);
(m) A "Registered Nurse" is a person who
				holds a current and valid license as a registered nurse issued by the State of
				Georgia;
(n) A "Licensed
				Undergraduate Nurse" is a person who holds a current and valid license as a
				licensed undergraduate nurse issued by the State of Georgia;
(o) A "Licensed Practical Nurse" is a person
				who holds a current and valid license as a licensed practical nurse issued by
				the State of Georgia;
(p) The term
				"Full-time Employee" means any person employed who normally works at least
				forty (40) hours per week in the home;
(q) The term "Governing Body" means the Board
				of Trustees, the partnership, the corporation, the association, the person or
				group of persons who maintain and control the home and who is legally
				responsible for the operation;
(r)
				The term "Administrator" means an individual who is licensed by the Georgia
				State Board of Nursing Home Administrators and who has the necessary authority
				and responsibility for management of the home;
(s) "Permit" means authorization by the
				Department to the Governing Body to operate a home and signifies satisfactory
				compliance with these rules and regulations.
(t) "Provisional Permit" means authorization
				by the Department to the Governing Body to operate a home on a conditional
				basis for a period not to exceed six months to allow a newly established home a
				reasonable but limited period of time to demonstrate operational procedures in
				satisfactory compliance with these rules and regulations; or to allow an
				existing home a reasonable length of time to comply with these rules and
				regulations, provided said home shall first present a plan of improvement
				acceptable to the Department. Successive Provisional Permits may be granted to
				any home having deficiencies only in exceptional cases, in which cases the
				governing body must present a plan of improvement acceptable to the
				Department;
(u) The term "Plan of
				Improvement" means a written plan submitted by the Governing Body and
				acceptable to the Department. The plan shall identify the existing
				noncompliances of the institution, the proposed procedures, methods, means and
				period of time to correct the noncompliances;
(v) The term "Board" means the Board of
				Community Health;
(w) The term
				"Department" means the Department of Community Health;
(x) The term "Commissioner" means the chief
				executive of the Department.
Ga. L. 1964, pp. 507,
				  612, as amended by Ga. L. 1969, p. 715 et seq., Ga. L. 1972, p. 1015 et seq.,
				  O.C.G.A. §§
										31-2-4 et seq.,
				  31-7-1 et
				  seq.