Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 18.20 · 55 active provisions
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the development, establishment, and enforcement of standards for the maintenance and operation of assisted living facilities, which, in the light of advancing knowledge, will promote safe and adequate care of the individuals therein. It is further the intent of the legislat…
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Adult day services" means care and services provided to a nonresident individual by the assisted living facility on the assisted living facility premises, for a period of time not to exceed ten continuous ho…
(1) After January 1, 1958, no person shall operate or maintain an assisted living facility as defined in this chapter within this state without a license under this chapter.(2) An assisted living facility license is not required for the housing, or services, that are customarily provided under landlord-tenant agreement…
An application for a license shall be made to the department upon forms provided by the department and shall contain such information as the department reasonably requires, which shall include affirmative evidence of ability to comply with such rules as are lawfully adopted by the department.
(1)(a) Upon receipt of an application for license, if the applicant and the facilities of the assisted living facility meet the requirements established under this chapter, the department may issue a license. If there is a failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter, th…
The department shall adopt, amend, and promulgate such rules, regulations, and standards with respect to all assisted living facilities and operators thereof to be licensed hereunder as may be designed to further the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter in promoting safe and adequate care of individuals in as…
(1) The department shall require each assisted living facility to:(a) Create and regularly maintain a current resident roster containing the name and room number of each resident and provide a written copy immediately upon an in-person request from any long-term care ombuds;(b) Create and regularly maintain current, ac…
(1) The department shall make or cause to be made, at least every eighteen months with an annual average of fifteen months, an inspection and investigation of all assisted living facilities. However, the department may delay an inspection to twenty-four months if the assisted living facility has had three consecutive i…
The department shall, within available funding for this purpose, develop and make available to assisted living facilities a quality improvement consultation program using the following principles:(1) The system shall be resident-centered and promote privacy, independence, dignity, choice, and a home or home-like enviro…
(1) Inspections must be outcome based and responsive to resident complaints and based on a clear set of health, quality of care, and safety standards that are easily understandable and have been made available to facilities, residents, and other interested parties. This includes that when conducting licensing inspectio…
Assisted living facilities, as defined in this chapter, may not automatically deny a prospective volunteer or employee solely because of a founded finding of child abuse or neglect involving the individual revealed in the record check or a court finding or a court finding that the individual's child was dependent as a…
Standards for fire protection and the enforcement thereof, with respect to all assisted living facilities to be licensed hereunder, shall be the responsibility of the chief of the Washington state patrol, through the director of fire protection, who shall adopt such recognized standards as may be applicable to assisted…
Any person operating or maintaining any assisted living facility without a license under this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and each day of a continuing violation shall be considered a separate offense.
Notwithstanding the existence or use of any other remedy, the department, may, in the manner provided by law, upon the advice of the attorney general who shall represent the department in the proceedings, maintain an action in the name of the state for an injunction or other process against any person to restrain or pr…
No person operating an assisted living facility licensed under this chapter shall admit to or retain in the assisted living facility any aged person requiring nursing or medical care of a type provided by institutions licensed under chapters 18.51, 70.41 or 71.12 RCW, except that when registered nurses are available, a…
Nothing in this chapter or the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto shall be construed as authorizing the supervision, regulation, or control of the remedial care or treatment of residents in any assisted living facility conducted for those who rely upon treatment by prayer or spiritual means in accordance wi…
RCW 70.129.005 through 70.129.030, 70.129.040, and 70.129.050 through 70.129.170 apply to this chapter and persons regulated under this chapter.
(1) Each assisted living facility shall be responsive to incoming communications and respond within a reasonable time to phone and electronic messages.(2) Each assisted living facility must have a communication system, including a sufficient quantity of working telephones and other communication equipment, to ensure th…
(1) The department shall establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number for receiving complaints regarding a facility that the department licenses.(2) All facilities that are licensed under this chapter shall post in a place and manner clearly visible to residents and visitors the department's toll-free complaint…
(1) The department of social and health services is authorized to take one or more of the actions listed in subsection (2) of this section in any case in which the department finds that an assisted living facility provider has:(a) Failed or refused to comply with the requirements of this chapter or the rules adopted un…
(1) The licensee or its designee has the right to an informal dispute resolution process to dispute any violation found or enforcement remedy imposed by the department during a licensing inspection or complaint investigation. The purpose of the informal dispute resolution process is to provide an opportunity for an exc…
The department shall immediately suspend the license of a person who has been certified pursuant to RCW 74.20A.320 by the department of social and health services as a person who is not in compliance with a support order or a *residential or visitation order. If the person has continued to meet all other requirements f…
For the purpose of encouraging a nursing home licensed under chapter 18.51 RCW to convert a portion or all of its licensed bed capacity to provide enhanced adult residential care contracted services under chapter 74.39A RCW, the department shall:(1) Find the nursing home to be in satisfactory compliance with RCW 18.20.…
(1) The department of social and health services shall review, in coordination with the department of health, the state board of nursing, adult family home providers, assisted living facility providers, in-home personal care providers, and long-term care consumers and advocates, training standards for administrators an…
The secretary may adopt rules and policies as necessary to entitle the state to participate in federal funding programs and opportunities and to facilitate state and federal cooperation in programs under the department's jurisdiction. The secretary shall ensure that any internal reorganization carried out under the ter…