Assisted living survey tip—Secured dementia unit staffing at night
By Doug Beardsley | July 28, 2023 | Assisted living providers
There have been a number of recent surveys that resulted in assisted living facilities with dementia care receiving correction orders regarding staff being present at all times in a secured unit. This is cited as an immediate correction order, level three violation, and includes a $3,000 fine. The requirement (144G.81 Subd.4) is as follows:
An assisted living facility with dementia care providing services in a secured dementia care unit must have an awake person who is physically present in the secured dementia care unit 24 hours per day, seven days per week, who is responsible for responding to the requests of residents for assistance with health and safety needs.
The problem typically arises when one staff person is assigned to the secured unit, and one staff person is assigned to the non-secured areas of the building (or there is only one other staff person due to staffing issues). However, documentation indicates that numerous residents in the non-secured areas need the assistance of two persons for a transfer—and the facility’s approach to these needs is to have the staff assigned to the secured unit assist outside of the secured unit. Once the staff person leaves the secured unit, the facility is in violation of 144G.81 Subd. 4.
Facilities with secured units should assess their staffing situation as well as the assessed staffing needs of residents in the non-secured areas to verify they are not “pulling” the only staff person from the secured unit to assist in the non-secured areas.
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Doug Beardsley | Vice President of Member Services |
dbeardsl@careproviders.org | 952-851-2489