Section 20-10-1702 - Purpose and intent(a) The purpose of this subchapter is to:(1) Promote the availability of appropriate services for elderly persons and adults with disabilities in the least restrictive and most homelike environment;(2) Encourage the development of facilities that promote the dignity, individuality, privacy, and decision-making ability of those persons;(3) Provide for the health, safety, and welfare of residents of facilities offering assisted living services in the state;(4) Promote continued improvement of those facilities;(5) Include residential care facilities in the assisted living program; and(6) Encourage the development of innovative and affordable facilities particularly for persons with low to moderate incomes.(b) The General Assembly recognizes that:(1) Facilities offering assisted living services are a necessary part of the continuum of long-term care in the State of Arkansas;(2) Facilities offering assisted living services should be operated and regulated as residential environments with supportive services and not as medical or nursing facilities;(3) The services available in these facilities, either directly or through contract or agreement, are intended to help residents remain as independent as possible; and(4) Residential care facilities have been providing many assisted living services for years and should be allowed to participate in the new assisted living program.Acts 2001, No. 1230, § 2.