26 Tex. Admin. Code § 554.353 - General Considerations for New Facilities
(a) Services. A nursing facility must either
contain the elements described in this section or the facility must indicate
the manner in which the needed services are to be made available.
(b) Sizes. The sizes of the various
departments will depend upon program requirements and the organization of
services within the facility. Some functions requiring separate spaces or rooms
in these minimum requirements may be combined, provided that the resulting plan
will not compromise the best standards of safety and of medical and nursing
practices.
(c) Shared or combined
services. A nursing facility may be operated together with a hospital and may
share administration, food service, recreation, janitor service, and physical
therapy facilities, but must have clearly identifiable physical separations,
such as a separate wing or floor. A nursing facility with different levels of
care will require identifiable physical separations. Combined attendant or
nurses' stations and medication room areas will require some separating
construction features. An assisted living facility may be operated together
with a nursing facility and may share food and laundry service, but must have
clearly identifiable physical separations such as a separate wing, or floor,
and each facility must independently meet all other requirements within their
licensed areas.
(d) Exterior
finishes. Unless otherwise approved by HHSC, the exterior finish material of a
building classified as fire resistive or protected noncombustible construction,
per NFPA 220, must have a flame spread index no greater than 25 and a smoke
developed index no greater than 450, when tested according to ASTM E84 or UL
723. All others exterior materials must have a flame spread index no greater
than 75 and a smoke developed index no greater than 450. Items of trim may be
of combustible material subject to approval by HHSC. Roof covering assemblies
must have a Class A or Class B rating, when tested according to ASTM E108 or UL
790.
(e) Accessibility
requirements. The facility must comply with accessibility requirements for
individuals with disabilities in the revised regulations for Title II and III
of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 at 28 CFR Part 35 and Part 36,
also known as the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and the TAS adopted
by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) at 16 TAC Chapter
68. A facility must register plans for new construction, substantial
renovations, modifications, and alterations with TDLR, Attn: Elimination of
Architectural Barriers Program, and comply with the TAS.
Notes
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No prior version found.