Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 110 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE LICENSING AND FUNCTIONING OF SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES AND NURSING FACILITIES › Section 144-110-20 - Physical Plant

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
20.A.
Structure
20.A.1.
Requirements for Each Facility
The facility must provide a safe, functional, sanitary and
				  comfortable environment for residents, staff and the public.
Each licensed facility shall:
a. Be so located as to be free from undue
				noises, smoke and dust;
b. Be
				served by a road which is kept passable at all times of the year;
c. Be equipped with a central heating plant
				connected to a radiator, convector, or register in each room or area used by
				residents or staff. The heating system must be capable of maintaining a
				temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the residents' section of the
				building. Alternate heating systems may be approved by the Department if a
				uniform temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit can be safely maintained in the
				home;
d. Be structurally sound, in
				good repair and attractive inside and out;
e. Be equipped with sturdy handrails on each
				side of all inside and outside stairs that are accessible to residents, unless
				the Department has given prior written approval for any exceptions. All
				stairways shall be provided with non-skid treads;
f. Be served by reliable electrical
				service;
g. Maintain an effective
				pest control program so that the facility is free of pests and
				rodents;
h. Have adequate outside
				ventilation by means of windows or mechanical ventilation or a combination of
				the two. All windows must be functional and adequately protected by
				screening;
i. Have smooth floors
				that can be easily cleaned and are free from hazards. Floors in hallways that
				are a traffic way for residents and nursing staff, bathrooms, resident
				bedrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and similar areas shall be covered
				wall-to-wall with inlaid linoleum, asphalt tile, rubber tile, vinyl tile,
				carpets or similar materials approved by the Department, unless the existing
				floors and finish are in satisfactory condition for proper
				sanitation;
j. Have all walls and
				ceilings in good repair, free from cracks and holes and of a type of finish
				that can be satisfactorily cleaned;
k. Have handrails along both sides of
				corridors;
l. Provide safety
				devices across windows lower than two (2) feet from the floor, and open
				porches, at changes in floor level and at any other danger areas inside or
				outside the building, as recommended by the Department;
m. Have no other business conducted in the
				building, unless approved by the Department;
n. Have no rented apartments, rooms, or
				living space in the licensed building for other persons, except when such areas
				are used by the licensee, immediate family members or employees;
o. Have a telephone in the building and
				additional telephones or extensions as required by the Department to summon
				help promptly in case of fire or other emergencies. Pay stations or locked
				telephones do not meet this requirement;
p. Have a telephone accessible to, and
				useable by, every resident. The resident shall be afforded privacy to use the
				phone;
q. Have only ambulatory
				residents in bedrooms on any floor that is served by a corridor that is less
				than four (4) feet wide, or by any inside exit stairway which is less than
				three (3) feet wide, measured between walls or banister, or on floors to which
				residents cannot be carried on an inside stairway without removal from a
				litter;
r. With non-ambulatory
				residents, have an exterior ramp installed from the first floor to the grade to
				serve all portions of the building where wheelchairs are or may be placed. The
				maximum slope shall be 1" 3/16 in 12". All ramps shall be provided with
				handrails. The width of all ramps shall be not less than four (4) feet, clear
				of all obstructions. Surfaces of ramps shall be of non-skid material;
s. Have all open porches and verandas
				protected by sturdy rails of a height not less than forty (40)
				inches.
t. Have no blind or
				non-ambulatory resident or residents who would be unable to evacuate the
				premises in an emergency without physical assistance from others housed above
				the first floor in any facility, unless the building is of one (1) hour
				protected non-combustible construction; fully sprinklered one (1) hour
				protected ordinary construction; or fully sprinklered one (1) hour protected
				wood frame construction;
u. Be
				accessible to and functional for residents, personnel and the public. All
				facilities shall comply with all Federal and State regulations regarding access
				and usability by the physically handicapped. At the discretion of the
				Department, time-limited waivers for existing facilities may be
				requested.
v. Safety alert systems,
				approved by the Department, shall be provided at all exit doors that are in
				areas routinely used by residents.