Sarasota Senior AdvisorWho can be admitted to an assisted living facility in Florida?
Under rule 59A-36.006, a resident of a standard, LNS or LMH facility must be at least 18, free of communicable disease likely to spread, able to perform daily activities with help if needed, able to transfer with assistance, able to take medication by self-administration, assistance or administration, not a danger to self or others, not bedridden and not in need of 24-hour nursing supervision.
The administrator also has to judge that the facility can meet the person's needs, based on an assessment, the medical examination required by s. 429.26 and the uniform fire safety standards. Help from more than one person to transfer is permitted.
Which medical needs rule out a standard Florida ALF?
Residents of standard, LNS or LMH facilities may not need artificial airway management (CPAP and BiPAP excepted), tube feeding assistance, blood gas monitoring, post-surgical drains or wound vacuums, blood products, or treatment of unstabilized surgical wounds; standard and LMH facilities also cannot perform dialysis or IV therapy in the building.
Stage 3 or 4 pressure sores rule out admission. A stage 2 sore is allowed if a home health agency or nurse treats it (or the facility's own nurses do, under LNS) and it improves within 30 days. Portable oxygen and routine colostomy care are allowed in a standard facility with a nurse on staff or under contract.
Can someone on hospice stay in a Florida assisted living facility?
Yes: s. 429.26(1)(c) lets a facility admit or keep a resident receiving licensed hospice services if the facility and resident agree, the hospice provides the additional care, and the physician agrees the resident's physical needs can be met there, even if the resident becomes bedridden.
The resident needs a plan of care showing how the facility and hospice will meet scheduled and unscheduled needs. Many families in Sarasota and Venice use this to avoid a final move to a nursing home.
When must a resident leave a Florida assisted living facility?
A resident must be relocated when he or she no longer meets the facility's admission and continued-residency criteria, and Florida law requires at least 45 days' written notice of a nonemergency relocation or termination, with the reasons and the ombudsman program's toll-free number, 1-888-831-0404.
Shorter notice is allowed only when a physician certifies an emergency move to a higher level of care or the resident's conduct harms other residents (s. 429.28(1)(k)). ECC facilities set their own continued-residency criteria within AHCA guidelines, which is the main reason families pick them.
How do I know whether my parent fits a particular ALF?
Ask for the facility's admission policy in writing, bring the physician's examination (AHCA Form 1823 is the usual form), and ask the administrator which of your parent's specific needs the license covers and which would require an outside agency or a move.
AHCA lists 128 licensed assisted living facilities in Sarasota and Manatee counties, from 4 to 322 beds: 86 in Sarasota County and 42 in Manatee. 30 hold LNS, 12 ECC and 6 LMH licenses.
At a glance
| A standard Florida ALF can | A standard Florida ALF cannot | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfers | Serve residents who need one or two people to help transfer | Serve bedridden residents (unless on hospice) |
| Medications | Administer medications through a licensed nurse | Run IV therapy or dialysis in the building |
| Notice | End residency with 45 days' written notice | Evict without written reasons |
Sources include Chapters 408, 429 and 651 of the Florida Statutes, Fla. Admin. Code chapters 59A-36 and 65A-2, AHCA, DCF, OIR and Elder Affairs pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
