Georgia

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Assisted Living Community, Personal Care Homes
Resident capacity: The number of residents you can have in your home is dependent on several factors. The home must provide a bathroom for every four residents and a tub/shower for every eight residents. The home must provide a living room, a dining area, a kitchen and a bedroom for all residents and any staff and family members who live in the home. The number of residents you can accommodate in each bedroom (up to a maximum of four residents) is based on the size of the bedroom (at least 80 square feet of useable floor space per resident). Closet and bathroom space is not included in the square footage requirement. The home must also have a fire inspection, and this inspection can also determine how many residents you can have. Local requirements may also restrict the number of residents you can have.
Staff ratios: Facilities must staff according to residents’ needs. At least one administrator, on-site manager, or responsible staff person must be on the premises 24 hours a day. The minimum on-site, staff-to-resident ratio is 1:15 during waking hours and 1:25 during non-waking hours. Facilities must exceed these minimum ratios, if needed, in order to meet residents’ specific ongoing health, safety, and care needs.
Cost of licensing: $52.90 (State)
Bedroom square footage: 80 sq feet per resident
Memory care: In addition to general training requirements, staff in Memory Care Units must be trained in the philosophy of care for residents with dementia and facility-specific policies and procedures.

Full requirements

Regulatory Agency: Georgia Department of Community Health - Healthcare Facility Regulation Division
Contact Phone Number: 404-657-4076 GA HFR Personal Care Home Assistance Line
Contact Email: ---
Licensure Term(s): Assisted Living Community, Personal Care Homes Notice: Use of the Term, Assisted Living, by Personal Care Homes O.C.G.A. §10-1-393(26) prohibits a personal care home or assisted living community from offering, advertising or soliciting the public to provide services “which are outside the scope of personal care services of assisted living care” which the facility is specifically authorized to provide. Accordingly, effective immediately, the Department will not issue an initial permit to a personal care home which uses the term, “assisted living” in the name of the home or any of its marketing materials, unless it is applying to become licensed as an “assisted living community”. Currently licensed personal care homes, which use the term, “assisted living” must remove the term, “assisted living” from their names and marketing materials, as soon as practical, but not later than May 1, 2013 or become licensed as assisted living communities.
Census Requirements: The number of residents you can have in your home is dependent on several factors. The home must provide a bathroom for every four residents and a tub/shower for every eight residents. The home must provide a living room, a dining area, a kitchen and a bedroom for all residents and any staff and family members who live in the home. The number of residents you can accommodate in each bedroom (up to a maximum of four residents) is based on the size of the bedroom (at least 80 square feet of useable floor space per resident). Closet and bathroom space is not included in the square footage requirement. The home must also have a fire inspection, and this inspection can also determine how many residents you can have. Local requirements may also restrict the number of residents you can have.
Qualifications for Managers: Owners and all staff persons are checked for previous criminal history. Staff must have basic training in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, medical and social needs and characteristics of the resident population, evacuation plans, resident rights, the long-term care resident abuse reporting act, have a physical exam and TB screening, and 16 hours of continuing education yearly. A qualified staff person must be present and able to provide supervision to residents 24 hours per day.
Qualifications for Caregivers: All staff must have training within the first 60 days of employment, 24 hours of CE the first year and 16 hours of CE per year after that. Assisted living community staff may not provide medical and nursing health services (other than care plans, staff training, and medication administration) that are required on a periodic or short-term basis. When such services are required, residents must purchase them from licensed providers that are neither owned nor operated by the facility.
Staff Ratios: Facilities must staff according to residents’ needs. At least one administrator, on-site manager, or responsible staff person must be on the premises 24 hours a day. The minimum on-site, staff-to-resident ratio is 1:15 during waking hours and 1:25 during non-waking hours. Facilities must exceed these minimum ratios, if needed, in order to meet residents’ specific ongoing health, safety, and care needs.
Cost of Licensing: $52.90 (State)
Square Footage Requirements: 80 sq feet per resident
Bathrooms Required: At least one toilet and sink must be provided for each four residents, and at least one bathing/showering room for each eight residents.
Memory Care Requirements: In addition to general training requirements, staff in Memory Care Units must be trained in the philosophy of care for residents with dementia and facility-specific policies and procedures. Memory care units must be designed to accommodate residents with severe dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in a home-like environment. (See regulations for details.)