HB 1910 -- Assisted Living Facilities

Co-Sponsors:  Barry, Hoppe, Hendrickson, Phillips

This bill revises provisions pertaining to the Omnibus Nursing
Home Act.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Defines and regulates assisted living facilities in
Missouri;

(2)  Contains new definitions for "Alzheimer's disease,"
"assisted living facility," "dementia," and "multi-unit housing
with services."  The definition for "assisted living facilities"
includes the definition of "multi-unit housing with services";

(3)  Revises the period covered by the issuance of a license for
long-term care facilities.  Current law allows a license to be
issued for up to two years.  The bill reduces the time period to
18 months;

(4)  Requires multi-unit housing with services facilities to
register with the Department of Health and Senior Services.  The
facilities are required to submit a disclosure statement
describing their operation and must submit an application for
registration;

(5)  Allows fire and safety requirements for license-exempt
facilities registered under Chapter 210, RSMo, to apply to
multi-unit housing with services facilities if no local fire and
safety ordinances exist for these facilities;

(6)  Authorizes the department to inspect the multi-unit housing
with services facilities and requires that residents of the
facilities be notified that the department will not regularly
conduct inspections.  If the department inspects a facility and
finds a violation, the department is required to give a facility
20 days to correct noncompliance before it notifies the
prosecuting attorney;

(7)  Requires the department to notify the prosecutor of the
county in which the facility is located if the facility does not
correct the violation within 20 days or the department may
require the facility to become licensed as a residential care
facility;

(8)  Requires residents of multi-unit housing facilities to sign
lease agreements and pay rent, which may or may not be
subsidized;

(9)  Authorizes the provision of supportive services which are
optional, and the resident of the facility is required to choose
the care provider;

(10)  Allows personal care to be provided by facility management
or in-home services providers through a written agreement.
Nursing care may be arranged by facility management, but must be
provided by licensed home care providers;

(11)  Allows residents to contract with licensed health care
professionals to the same extent available to private citizens.
Payment for personal or nursing care is prohibited from being
combined with housing charges;

(12)  Allows residents to request assistance with medications,
which must be stored in residents' rooms.  The department is
required to develop rules for the administration of medication to
residents;

(13)  Allows facilities to ask residents to move in certain
situations, including if a resident possesses needs which exceed
the level of personal care services available or for non-payment;

(14)  Requires facilities to provide an informational document
which includes current information on selecting an appropriate
assisted living arrangement.  The informational document will be
given to any person seeking this information.  The distribution
of this document will be verified by the department as part of
the facility's regular registration; and

(15)  Repeals Section 198.073 regarding the Pathway to Safety Law
for Alzheimer's patients in residential care facilities II.  New
language allows an individual to be accepted for or to remain a
resident of an assisted living facility if the facility has a
written plan of protection.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:03 am