Section 19a-495-6m - Hospice inpatient facility physical plant(a) All hospice inpatient facilities shall be of sound construction. Equipment and furnishings shall be maintained in good condition, properly functioning and repaired or replaced when necessary. Requirements shall include: (1) New construction and renovation of hospice inpatient facility buildings and systems shall meet the requirements of the Connecticut State Fire Code, National Fire Protection Association Standards, Health Care Facilities, No. 99; Connecticut State Building Code, applicable local codes and ordinances and the 2010 edition of the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI)/ American Institute of Architects (AIA) Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities.(2) An operations and preventative maintenance program shall be established and implemented on an ongoing basis to maintain the hospice inpatient facility, systems, equipment and grounds in a clean, sanitary, safe and operational condition.(3) A program shall be established and maintained to provide for the safety and well-being of the hospice inpatient facility occupants and shall provide for the testing, servicing and maintenance of all life safety, emergency and bio-medical equipment in accordance with applicable state laws and regulations and manufacturer recommendations.(4) Records of all inspections, testing, maintenance and repairs shall be maintained for Department review.(b) Plans and specifications for new construction and rehabilitation, alteration, addition, or modification of an existing structure shall be approved by the Department on the basis of compliance with the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies after the approval of such plans and specifications by local building inspectors and fire marshals, and prior to the start of construction.(c) All floors within the hospice inpatient facility, other than the main entrance floor shall be accessible by elevator. The cars of elevators shall have inside dimensions that shall accommodate a patient bed and attendants.(d) All hospice inpatient facilities licensed for more than one hundred and twenty beds shall be connected to a public water supply and sanitary sewer systems.(e) Water temperatures shall meet the following requirements to ensure patient safety: (1) In patient areas, hot water temperatures shall not be less than one hundred degrees Fahrenheit and shall not exceed one hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit;(2) Thermostatic or pressure balanced mixing valves are required at each site or fixture used for immersion or showering of patients; and(3) Thermometers or skin sensory methods shall be used to verify the appropriateness of the water temperature prior to each use.(f) An emergency source of electricity shall be provided to protect the health and safety of patients in the event the normal electrical supply is interrupted. The source of the emergency electrical service shall be an emergency generator, which shall be located on the premises and shall be reserved exclusively for supplying the emergency electrical system.(1) When fuel to the hospice inpatient facility is not piped from a utility distribution system, fuel shall be stored on site sufficient to provide seventy-two hours of continuous service.(2) The emergency source shall have the capacity for:(A) Delivering eighty percent of normal power;(B) Lighting all means of egress;(C) Equipment to maintain detection, alarm, and extinguishing systems;(D) Life support systems; and(E) Routine patient care.(g) Patient areas shall be designed and equipped for the comfort and privacy of each patient and family that includes:(1) Physical space for private patient and family visiting;(2) Accommodations for family members, including children, if they wish to remain with the patient overnight;(3) Family privacy after a patient's death; and(4) A home like environment to the extent possible.(h) Patient rooms shall have a maximum capacity of one patient per room and be located within one hundred and thirty feet of a nursing station.(i) Patient bathing facilities shall include: (1) One shower stall or bathtub for every fifteen beds not individually served;(2) A toilet and sink directly accessible to the bathing area; and(3) Bathing and shower rooms shall be of sufficient size to accommodate one patient and one attendant and shall not have curbs.(j) Service area requirements shall include but not be limited to:(1) Hand washing facilities conveniently located next to each nurses' station and drug distribution station;(2) A janitor's closet that contains a floor receptacle or service sink, and locked storage space for housekeeping equipment and supplies;(3) A family and patient common area with not less than two hundred twenty-five square feet for every thirty beds;(4) A common dining area with fifteen square feet per patient to accommodate the total patient capacity of the facility that may be combined with the recreation area;(5) A single recreation area of thirty-five square feet per patient and provisions for storage;(6) A comfortable space for spiritual purposes, which shall be appropriately equipped and furnished;(7) For those patients who do not have a private room, a separate room shall be made available for the viewing of a deceased patient's body until released to the responsible agent;(8) A dietary service area of adequate size that includes, but is not limited to:(A) A breakdown and receiving area, storage space for a three day food supply including cold storage;(B) Food preparation facilities with a lavatory;(C) Meal service facilities;(D) Dishwashing space in a room or alcove separate from food preparation and serving areas with commercial-type dishwashing equipment and space for receiving, scraping, sorting, and stacking soiled tableware;(E) Pot washing facilities;(F) Storage areas for supplies and equipment;(G) Waste storage facilities in a separate room easily accessible to the outside for direct pickup or disposal;(H) An icemaker-dispenser unit;(I) A janitor's closet that contains a floor receptacle or service sink; and(J) Locked storage space for housekeeping equipment and supplies.(k) An entrance at grade level, sheltered from the weather, and able to accommodate wheelchairs.(l) Access to the hospice inpatient facility shall be physically and operationally distinct from other patient care facilities that share the facility space. Visitors shall be prohibited from passing through the hospice inpatient facility space to access another area of the building.(m) There shall be a laundry service. The licensee may contract for these services. If laundry services are provided on site, they shall comply with the following requirements:(1) A laundry processing room with commercial-type equipment;(2) A soiled linen receiving, holding and sorting room with hand washing facilities;(3) Storage for laundry supplies;(4) Deep sink for soaking clothes;(5) Clean linen storage, holding room and ironing area;(6) Janitor's closet containing a floor receptacle or service sink, and locked storage space for housekeeping equipment and supplies;(7) Off-site processing requires a soiled linen holding room with hand washing facilities, and a clean linen receiving, holding, inspection and storage room; and(8) Each hospice inpatient facility shall have a domestic type washer and dryer located in a separate room for patients' personal use.(n) Provisions shall be made by the licensee to ensure the following are maintained at all times:(1) Adequate and comfortable lighting levels in all areas;(2) Limitation of sounds at comfortable levels;(3) Comfortable temperature levels for the patients in all parts of patient occupied areas with a centralized heating system to maintain not less than seventy degrees Fahrenheit during the coldest periods;(4) Adequate ventilation through windows or by mechanical means;(5) Corridors equipped with firmly secured handrails on each side; and(6) Heat relief to patients when the outdoor temperature exceeds eighty degrees Fahrenheit and air conditioning is not available.Conn. Agencies Regs. § 19a-495-6m