Alaska

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Assisted Living Homes
Resident capacity: None Specified
Staff ratios: The home must have a sufficient number of care providers and other employees with adequate training to implement the home's general staffing plan and meet the needs of the resident's service contracts.
Cost of licensing: $25 per resident
Bedroom square footage: A bedroom for single occupancy, must have 80 sq ft of open floor space
Memory care: An entity licensed to provide care for adults with dementia or a cognitive impairment, including adults with a history of wandering or attempting to run away, shall ensure that a method is in place to alert staff when someone exits the entity. To meet the requirements of this subsection, the entity shall install a 15-second delayed exit door with an alarm at each exit, use a wander alarm system or use another method approved by the department. If the entity wishes to use a delayed exit door, it must get approval from the municipal fire marshal.

Full requirements

Regulatory Agency: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services - Division of Health Care Services (The Assisted Living Program Office)
Contact Phone Number: Craig Baxter - (907) 334-2492
Licensure Term(s): Assisted Living Homes
Census Requirements: None Specified
Qualifications for Managers: Must complete 18 clock hours of continuing ed annually. (a) An assisted living home shall have on staff an administrator who is at least 21 years of age and meets the requirements of 7 AAC 75.215, 7 AAC 75.220, and this section. (b) If the administrator does not manage the daily operation of the home, the administrator, or the governing body of a larger organization responsible for the home, shall appoint a resident manager who meets the requirements for an administrator under this chapter. (c) In addition to the other requirements of this chapter, an individual may not serve as an administrator of an assisted living home unless the individual meets the training and experience requirements of this subsection. The licensing agency will accept a baccalaureate or higher degree in gerontology, health administration, or another health-related field in place of all or part of the required experience, if the degree work serves, to the licensing agency’s satisfaction, as an equivalent to the required experience. Training and experience requirements are as follows: (1) for a home licensed to serve 1-10 residents, the individual must fulfill at least one of the following requirements: (A) the individual must complete an approved management or administrator training course and have at least one year of documented experience, relevant to the population of residents to be served, as a care provider, if the administrator will be providing direct care in the home; (B) the individual must (i) complete a certified nurse aide training program that the Board of Nursing has approved under 12 AAC 44.830, or that is equivalent in content to the requirements of 12 AAC 44.835(c); and (ii) have at least one year of documented experience, relevant to the population of residents to be served, as a care provider; (C) the individual must have at least two years of documented experience, relevant to the population of residents to be served, as a care provider, with documented skills or training relevant to the population of residents to be served; (D) the individual must have sufficient documented experience in an out- of-home care facility, and sufficient training, education, or other similar experience to fulfill the duties of an administrator of the type and size of home where the individual is to be employed and to meet the needs of the population of residents to be served; an administrator under this subparagraph is subject to licensing agency approval on a case- by-case basis; for purposes of this subparagraph, an out-of-home care facility includes a foster care home, a board and care home, and a nursing home; (2) for a home licensed to serve 11 or more residents, or if operating multiple homes with a total capacity of 11 or more residents, the administrator must fulfill at least one of the following requirements: (A) the individual must complete an approved management or administrator training course and have at least two years of documented experience, relevant to the population of residents to be served, as a care provider, if the administrator will be providing direct care in the home; (B) the individual must (i) complete a certified nurse aide training program that the Board of Nursing has approved under 12 AAC 44.830, or that is equivalent in content to the requirements of 12 AAC 44.835(c); and (ii) have at least two years of documented experience, relevant to the population of residents to be served, as a care provider; (C) the individual must have at least five years of documented experience, relevant to the population of residents to be served, as an administrator or staff supervisor of a home serving 10 or fewer residents; (D) the individual must submit proof that the individual is a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse with documented experience relevant to the population of residents to be served.
Qualifications for Caregivers: Must complete 12 clock hours of continuing ed annually. (1) 21 years of age if the individual will serve as a supervisor of other care providers (2) 18 years of age if the individual will serve as a care provider working without direct supervision; or (3) 16 years of age if the individual will serve only as a care provider and has access to assistance from the administrator or another care provider who is at least 21 years of age. (b) An administrator shall ensure and document that each care provider, within the first 14 days of employment, is oriented to the assisted living home's policies and procedures, including emergency procedures, fire safety, resident rights, prohibition against abuse, neglect, exploitation, and mistreatment of residents, recognition of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and mistreatment of residents, reporting requirements under AS 47.24.010, universal precautions for infection control, biohazards, applicable state regulations and statutes, resident interaction, any house rules established under AS 47.33.060, sanitation, duties and responsibilities, medication management and security, and physical plant layout. Before caring for a resident without direct supervision, a care provider shall receive the orientation required in this subsection and, unless the care provider has sufficient documented experience working with the population of residents to be served, shall work under the direct supervision of the administrator or an experienced care provider who is at least 21 years of age for not less than three complete.
Staff Ratios: The home must have a sufficient number of care providers and other employees with adequate training to implement the home's general staffing plan and meet the needs of the resident's service contracts.
Cost of Licensing: $25 per resident
Square Footage Requirements: A bedroom for single occupancy, must have 80 sq ft of open floor space A bedroom for double occupancy, must have at least 140 sq ft of open floor space No more than 2 residents may share a bedroom
Bathrooms Required: One bathroom (toilet, sink and shower) per every six residents
Memory Care Requirements: An entity licensed to provide care for adults with dementia or a cognitive impairment, including adults with a history of wandering or attempting to run away, shall ensure that a method is in place to alert staff when someone exits the entity. To meet the requirements of this subsection, the entity shall install a 15-second delayed exit door with an alarm at each exit, use a wander alarm system or use another method approved by the department. If the entity wishes to use a delayed exit door, it must get approval from the municipal fire marshal. For further rules and regulations for memory care, contact the state.