Iowa

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Assisted Living Program and Residential Care Facility
Resident capacity: Assisted Living Program and Residential Care Facility
Staff ratios: No minimum ratios. A sufficient number and type of staff must be available 24 hours a day to meet residents' scheduled and unscheduled needs.
Cost of licensing: $900 Blueprint Review
Bedroom square footage: Assisted Living Programs. Private apartments are not required. Resident rooms may be single-occupancy or double-occupancy and must have a bathroom, including a toilet, sink, and bath or shower. Kitchens are optional.
Memory care: Dementia Care Staff

Full requirements

License Application: The applicant shall complete an application packet obtained from the department. Application materials may be obtained from the health facilities division Web site at https://dia-hfd.iowa.gov/DIA_HFD/Home.do; by mail from the Department of Inspections and Appeals, Adult Services Bureau, Lucas State Office Building, Third Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0083; or by telephone at (515)281-6325. 69.3(2) The applicant shall submit one copy of the comp.
Regulatory Agency: Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals
Contact Phone Number: Main: 515-281-4115 Other: 515-281-5457 Rodney Roberts, Director
Licensure Term(s): Assisted Living Program and Residential Care Facility Assisted living programs provide housing with services to three or more residents in a physical structure that offers a home-like environment. ALPs encourage family involvement and resident self-direction and participation in decisions that emphasize choice, dignity, privacy, individuality, shared risk, and independence. ALPs certified as dementia-specific may serve between 5 and 55 residents who have dementia between Stages 4 and 7 on the Global Deterioration Scale; or 55 or more residents of whom 10 percent or more have Stage 4-7 dementia based on the Global Deterioration Scale; or offer specialized care for persons with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, in a dedicated setting. Residential care facilities provide personal assistance and other essential daily living activities to individuals who are unable to sufficiently or properly care for themselves because of illness, disease, or physical or mental impairment.
Census Requirements: Assisted Living Program and Residential Care Facility Assisted living programs provide housing with services to three or more residents in a physical structure that offers a home-like environment. ALPs encourage family involvement and resident self-direction and participation in decisions that emphasize choice, dignity, privacy, individuality, shared risk, and independence. ALPs certified as dementia-specific may serve between 5 and 55 residents who have dementia between Stages 4 and 7 on the Global Deterioration Scale; or 55 or more residents of whom 10 percent or more have Stage 4-7 dementia based on the Global Deterioration Scale; or offer specialized care for persons with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, in a dedicated setting. Residential care facilities provide personal assistance and other essential daily living activities to individuals who are unable to sufficiently or properly care for themselves because of illness, disease, or physical or mental impairment.
Qualifications for Managers: A program manager is required to oversee daily operations and staffing. Programs administering medications or providing health-related services must provide for a registered nurse to monitor medications, delegate medication administration, ensure that physician orders are current, and assess and monitor health status. Personnel are required to assist residents with daily activities.
Qualifications for Caregivers: Facilities must have a full-time administrator who is responsible for daily operations and staffing; staff to provide personal care; an activity coordinator to organize and monitor the activities program; and either a licensed nurse, physician, or certified medication aide to administer medications. The administrator must provide monthly in-service training for staff.
Staff Ratios: No minimum ratios. A sufficient number and type of staff must be available 24 hours a day to meet residents' scheduled and unscheduled needs.
Cost of Licensing: $900 Blueprint Review $750 Certification Fee
Square Footage Requirements: Assisted Living Programs. Private apartments are not required. Resident rooms may be single-occupancy or double-occupancy and must have a bathroom, including a toilet, sink, and bath or shower. Kitchens are optional. Residential Care Facilities. No more than four residents may share a room. Bathrooms and bathing facilities may be shared, with at least one bathtub or shower for every 15 residents and one sink and toilet for every ten residents.
Bathrooms Required: --
Memory Care Requirements: Dementia Care Staff Assisted living programs and residential care facilities must have at least one staff person on duty and awake 24 hours a day in the dementia care unit. Dementia Staff Training Assisted Living Programs. All personnel employed by or contracting with a dementia-specific program must receive a minimum of 8 hours of dementia-specific education and training within 30 days of employment. Direct care staff must receive at least 8 hours of annual continuing education and all other personnel at least 2 hours of dementia-specific continuing education. Specific topics include explanation of dementia; the service philosophy and program; communication skills; family issues; planned and spontaneous activities; ADL assistance; service planning and social history; working with challenging residents; cuing and redirecting; and staff support and stress reduction. Residential Care Facilities. Staff must have at least 6 hours of special training appropriate to their job descriptions within 30 days of hire and 6 hours of annual training on the same topics described above. Dementia Facility Requirements Assisted Living Programs. An operating alarm system must be connected to each exit door in a dementia-specific program. Staff must have the means to disable or remove the lock on an entrance door and do so if the presence of the lock presents a danger to residents' health and safety. If kitchens are provided in apartments, the program must be able to disable or remove appliances if needed to protect the resident and others. Residential Care Facilities. No provisions identified.